I'm hopping on a plane in about two hours, so I doubt I'll have much computer access today until later. I'll try to get the Charlotte game thread up as soon as possible, but for now, some quick thoughts on last night.
- Let's not go too crazy, since it was just one game, but you saw all of Andray Blatche's potential realized yesterday. He wasn't just rebounding and scoring inside; he was mixing it up, hitting outside shots, setting good screens, making great passes in the Princeton, and defending well. Just a great all-around game.
- As impressed as I was by Blatche, I was happier to see DeShawn Stevenson play so well, because he hasn't done much yet this year. With Stevenson, it seems he errs in extremes too much. Either he stays too passive and doesn't do anything, or he tries to go beyond his limitations. Last night, you saw enough of that middle ground. Now, granted, he made some tough shots he probably won't make in the future, but that's encouraging.
- Nick Young is like a rollercoaster. You never know if he's going to make some ridiculous fadeaway shot or force an awful turnover. For now, let's keep that to short doses, when the offense is really bogging down.
- Defense wasn't quite as good as in previous games, but it was good enough.
- Let's not get too excited just yet. Philly and Portland are young teams that wilted when we made one run. Charlotte on the road should be interesting, because while Charlotte is over .500, they're pretty underwhelming as well. At least they are much more experienced than the Trailblazers or Sixers.