<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span id="default"><span id="CCT_Article">OAKLAND -- When the Warriors opened last season at home with an ugly 110-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, coach Don Nelson reacted as if he had been blindsided by an unblocked Warren Sapp. What followed was an instant classic Nelson postgame rant, as truthful and cathartic as you'll ever hear from a coach.</p> Troy Murphy was "terrible," a stunned Nelson said. Mike Dunleavy was "a disaster." The entire team basically stunk like a postgame laundry bin.</p> "We reverted to last year," Nelson said. "The team is telling me I might have to make changes."</p> Those changes came quickly. Nelson benched Dunleavy and juggled his starting lineup.</p> Now fast-forward to Tuesday night's 117-96 season-opening dud against the Utah Jazz at Oracle Arena.</p> After the game, Nelson calmly said he saw the loss coming. No, it's not as if Nelson has become the Big Nostradamus. This was an easy call.</p> Utah owned the Warriors in the playoffs last season when the Warriors were one of the NBA's hottest teams. The Jazz proved to be too big and too strong for the small-ball Warriors, a nightmare of a matchup.</p> On Tuesday, the Warriors faced that nightmare team without swingman Stephen Jackson, serving the first game of his seven-game suspension, and without guard Jason Richardson, dealt to Charlotte in a draft-day trade.</p> "I wouldn't put too much stock in that particular game," Nelson said Wednesday after practice. "I think they were just way better than we were or are. I knew that was <span id="default"><span id="CCT_Article">going to be a hard game for us to win. "I keep saying this, and I don't know if you're buying it or not, but if you lose J.R. and replace him with people who aren't ready to play yet, and then you don't have Jack, and those are your second- and third-best players on the team, there's a void there that we're going to have to work our way around and find ways to cover."</p> Yeah, I'm buying it.</p> Nelson's players didn't tell him anything Tuesday night that he didn't already know. They'll be in survival mode until Jackson returns and could struggle until they truly adjust to Richardson's absence.</p> Yet unlike last season, there's no need for apocalyptic changes after one game, and Nelson said he doesn't plan any. He expects the same starting five -- Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Kelenna Azubuike, Mickael Pietrus and Andris Biedrins -- to start Friday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.</p> Jackson's return is just a matter of time. When it comes to replacing Richardson, I'd say it's time to start force-feeding rookie guard Marco Belinelli.</p> Belinelli played just over 12 minutes against Utah and struggled early. But midway through the fourth quarter he nailed back-to-back 3s, igniting the Oracle Arena crowd.</p> Belinelli earned a longer look, and Nelson said he's leaning toward giving him one, even if his rookie mistakes "cost" the Warriors a few games.</div></p> Source: Contra Costa Times</p> </span></span></p> </span></span></p>
Yeah Don Nelson is on the ball. Hopefully the team can step it up with a big game/win tomorrow night in LA. Tomorrow's game isn't going to be easy. Cassell, Maggette, Kaman, and perhaps even Thorton can turn it on with big games. Like Nelson said, losing JRich is tough, especially when nobody else is picking up the slack. Azubuike and Pietrus played well in different halves but they need to do it for the whole game. My main focus is on Al Harrington. He needs to have a big game, so does Andris Biedrins. Those two are the two that I am focusing on to pick up after the departure of JRich and especially now without Jackson.</p>
I wonder if Nelson is expecting another loss in L.A...</p> I wish Nelson would stop playing Pietrus! Arggg. Put him as a backup SG/SF and not power forward! It's just craziness that will never work against a team like Utah. If we want to go after guys like Boozer throw Brandan Wright at him or at least somebody that can create offense.</p> Also, I don't think anyone was surprised by Murphy/Dunleavy PF/C tandem results last year... You get what you pay for when you sacrifice size and any combo of athleticism or brains.</p>
