Box Score

Fear The Sword

Fantastically fun to watch. Andre Iguodala put on an absolute show, as did LeBron. The first quarter had some of the sickest in-game dunks I've seen all year. AND WE STILL LOST! (Which is a good thing for all you tank-rooters? root-tankers?)

Here's a brief recap:

• Andre Iguodala played one of the best games I've seen him play in ... I don't know how long. He had a few hiccups toward the end of the game, took too many threes, and shot 5-9 from the line, but overall it was a fantastic performance -- superstar-esqe. Going head-to-head with LeBron for most of the game was even more impressive. I'm trying hard not to get sucked into believing that Andre can be a superstar, because performances like last night make you wonder.
• Jrue Holiday has a couple nice moments, but didn't have a very good game. Mo Williams went off, after being shutdown the last time these two met. Mo dropped 21 points on 13 shots, and got into the paint often. Jrue also had a back-breaking turnover down the stretch. Bottom line, these types of games are going to happen with a 19 year-old rookie -- no big deal. However; something to keep an eye on is Jrue's defense. It's been getting worse as the season goes on. Let's hope it's not a fundamental problem and either a) some form of the rookie wall or b) a product of the team's collective lack of effort slash defense.
• Lou Williams was awful for the most part.
• Thaddeus Young had a pretty good game, but all I can think about is the play where he tried to crossover, stepped back for an 18-footer, and missed the rim by about 6 feet (short and to the right). I think we have to accept Thad for what he is. A year ago we all thought he could be a go-to guy on offense. Now, I think his ceiling is a less coordinated Lamar Odom with half the rebounding skillz -- and that's not necessarily a bad thing. If he can continue to provide energy off the bench, crash the offensive glass, and somehow maneuver every shot he takes within 2 feet of the rim in, then I'll be happy.
• Elton Brand dropped 24-9, but I wasn't impressed. It wasn't a dominant 24-9. It reminded me of Joe Smith circa 2007 aka the ping pong ball killer (along with Andre Miller). And he failed to get to the line a single time.