FanPost

The good, bad, and ugly of last night

Yes, it was not a pretty sight or what we fans deserved.  However, there were some bright spots.

Clearly, free throws are too obvious as "the ugly," so lets move on to the bad.  While inspiring, JRich was clearly not ready for the minutes he played.  He looked fatigued in the first quarter.  It is also pretty clear that Dun Dun is not yet the commander Nellie envisioned.  TMurph looked mortified that he actually had to work for his double-double.  Ike was a liability on defense. He was too slow to adjust and, in my opinion, is a big part of why the Lakers had a stellar scoring night in the second half.  Our lack of an outside shooter made it too easy for LA to control the pace and make people pay for trying to score.

However, I liked a lot of what I saw.  Baron was dominant and clearly in charge on the floor.  If Murphy continues to look awkward and outgunned, don't be surprised if Biedrins takes the starting spot at center.  (I've admired his energy and rate of improvement from day one.)  Obviously, Monta is a great boost on offense and very well could be the future face of our team.  Pietrus brought the D and energy.  His shot selection needs to improve before his starting role is cemented, but that is easy enough to fix (I hope).  Counter to the popular perception, I think we have the potential to be a good defensive team if people can play with inspiration.  Really, our shortcomings on D appear mental.  On Tuesday, Chicago proved a zone/help system can shut down opponents, if done correctly.  

The scoring and free throws will get better with time, we know that.  Roberson's opening night jitters and JRich's lack of conditioning are certain to disappear in a few weeks.  POB should have a chance to help out too.  From what I've seen and read, he has the fundamentals to become a good, if not great, center.

So what will it take to bring our game to a winning level?
A)  Play defense with dedication, intensity, and quickness (the same as the offense).
B)  Somebody please get an outside shot going!?
C)  Guys on the inside need to be alert for the pass and MAKE THE EASY SHOTS.
D)  Murphy and Dunleavy need to earn their money.

Oh, one more thing; give at least five or six games before tolling the bells of doom and gloom.  C'mon guys!  You call yourselves fans?

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!