Just got home, not sure what to say really. I beat the walls of the Q, kicked the seats in front of and behind me, and smashed everything in sight. As upset as I was at the time, I managed to get over the loss on the ride home (maybe it was just me sobering up). In the end, it's only one of 82 games. While it would've been nice to start the season off with a win while sending a message to our eastern conference competition, nothing has changed at the end of the day.
There were a few things that stood out to me, however. First, aren't we supposed to be a deeper team this year? Lost by six, outscored by their bench 26-10. Delonte's presence is missed for many reasons, but our depth was greatly affected by his absence tonight. Hickson didn't show up despite playing in the game, Moon's jumper which impressed during the preseason was nonexistent, and Boobie had one nice play. Our bench stunk. Hopefully with West back and with our second unit meshing throughout the year, this improves mightily.
Secondly, the rebounding differential greatly stood out. Last season we were rarely outrebounded on our home court. -6 rebounds might not seem like a big deal, but when Paul Pierce (11 rebs) is grabbing more boards than LeBron (4), Parker (3), Moon (2), and Mo (0) combined, it's certainly a problem. The Celtics certainly won those "50-50 balls" tonight and it showed.
All in all, I'm not greatly affected by tonight. We showed signs of still meshing/coming together and we still have to work West back into the mix--so it could get even uglier. Seeing Parker not ready to catch the three ball from LeBron towards the end and other signs of apprehension show that the new guys need to be worked in during the regular season. Remember, Mo Williams was nothing spectacular in last season's opening game in Boston, which was also a loss.
I fully expect this team to bounce back, but in due time. We should definitely roll in Toronto tomorrow night, but let's give this team a chance before Cleveland pessimism overruns us all.