24 Dec 10 Warriors-Kings: After 2-0 Start, Golden State Falls 116-97

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesIt's preseason. The games and the scores are meaningless.But this one had to be painful for Warriors players and fans alike.After a nine-point victory just two days earlier over this same Kings team, the Warriors looked very much like their old selves in Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
the defeat.Too many three-pointers—2-12, after coach Keith Smart emphasized that he's teaching the difference between a good shot and a bad one—and being outmatched on the rebounds, 46-33, sure seem like continuing themes from seasons past.And these are issues that many Warriors fans hoped would be gone after former coach Don Nelson took his small ball style back to his beach house in Maui.It's hard to blame the Warriors for relying on the three-point shot too much, as it has often been their equalizer for their generous defense in years past.Add that to their blistering 14-21 showing in their 40-point drubbing of the Los Angeles Clippers in their exhibition opener, and one would think the Warriors might jack it at any and every opportunity.But in the two games since, the Warriors have shot just 5-32 from deep, including 2-12 in the loss.The Warriors marksmen—Vladimir Radmonivic, Dorrell Wright, Monta Ellis—were off their mark to say the least as the trio shot just 1-10 combined from the three-point line. And to be frank, the trio was not that much better from the field, combining for just 13-37.Another problem area for the Warriors was the lack of offense off the bench. Reggie Williams—D-League call Reebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
up last season and presumed super-sub heading into the season—has struggled since dropping 20 in the Warriors opener.In the two matchups with Sacramento, Williams has totaled just 11 points on 4-15 shooting.Another should-be bench boost from Brandan Wright was mysteriously lost after Smart gave a healthy Wright the night off. Wright has played just 33 minutes in the Warriors three contests.But shooting—as Warriors fans are well aware—comes and goes in spurts. The Warriors will not shoot 16 percent from deep all season.Rather, the main concern for Golden State should be the dominance that the Kings showed on the glass. A renewed focus on rebounding led the Warriors to a +13 advantage in their first two contests, but Sacramento grabbed 46 rebounds in the contest to Golden State's 33.The Kings first draft choice, DeMarcus Cousins—who many Warriors fans hoped would slip to them one pick later—appeared more like the player that Sacramento fans envisioned when David Stern announced the selection.After struggling from the field in the first matchup 7-18, Cousins was a much more efficient scorer this time around, 6-12, to finish with 20 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes. In the two contests against the Warriors, Cousins totaled 37 points and 19 rebounds.The Warriors prize offseason acquisition, David Lee, did what he does best—grabbing 10 rebounds, but the rest of the team combined for just 22.Andris Biedrins, who many Warriors fans envision returning to his former double double self after an injury-plagued 2009-10 campaign, grabbed just three rebounds in 27 minutes.Dorrell Wright had two rebounds in his 33 minutes.And even Jeff Adrien, who is fightingReebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
for the final roster spot, followed his 15-rebound effort in the first Kings game with just one rebound in 10 minutes.It's still preseason, and it still doesn't matter. But the Warriors issues—the same ones that have hindered their performance for years—need to be fixed before the season starts if they want to be the sleeper team in the West that many think they can be.