Commence the Delusion

Last night they had Lakers vs Warriors preseason on ESPN, and man was it fun! Incredible to see the difference without Nelson there. The most noticeable thing is the obvious chemistry and coherence on offense. They run all kinds of set plays with multiple options, the ball whipping around unselfishly. One caveat on that, of course, Monta was having an unbelievable game and was justified in just taking the ball himself several times. 27 points, 2 missed shots in the first half.

I was really impressed with David Lee, too. He has a really complimentary offensive game, great passer in the style of Webber, sweet shooting touch from outside, and banged inside for a couple post moves too. He and Monta had a couple great handoff/cut/bouncepass/layup moments that just dazzled the Lakers. Curry was sitting out with a mildly tweaked ankle, so it was Monta's show, and he didn't disappoint. A reminder to everyone (like me) who've crowned Curry as the new king of the Warriors. Oh yeah, that guy is pretty damn good.



I realize it was preseason, and the Lakers were without Bynum and played subs lots (the Warriors were also with two starters, Curry and Dorrell Wright), but the Warriors also outrebounded the Lakers by 10, which seems nearly inconceivable in any context. It was apparent quickly that having a full-strength Andris and Lee (and Admundson eventually!) inside is going to be a pain the ass for other rebounders. 24 rebounds between the two of them! There were games last year where the entire team could barely manage that.

Also, Reggie Williams looked FANTASTIC. I read a funny exchange in the Chron recently, where Keith Smart was asked if Williams would be like a Microwave Vinnie type player coming off the bench, and Smart said something like "It's not like we have any choice..." Reporter went to Williams and told him what Smart had said. Williams had a big laugh and said "I guess he's calling me a ball hog." So last night he had 27 points and 8 assists. And often initiated the offense. I think it's going to be hard to keep him off the court.

Anyway, I don't think the Warriors are playoff material to start the year, but it felt to me like there was a lot of dry wood sitting around waiting for a match. With that level of chemistry already, with a team that recently assembled, I could see the potential for a conflagration spreading and consuming any 8th place team that stumbles.

Dad, I don't know if I or Dino mentioned this to you, but for Dino's birthday (and my Christmas) present, I got us one of those Warrior mini-plans (10 games). So, whether the Warriors are at least interesting to watch may actually matter to him this year!