Fastbreak. Two steps inside the free throw line. Elevation.  Wow.  Check your nearest Sportscenter Top 10 tonight for the replay- it will be on there.

1^st Quarter-LAL38 GSW25

The Lakers started out firing and took a quick 11-2 lead, with inspired play from Andrew Bynum.  You have to love his work on the 2^nd and 3^rd attempts under the basket. Kobe hit him for a nice “And1” and he gathered his own loose ball and showed a lot of poise. Ron Artest seemed comfortable in the Triangle, but definitely hesitant on his shot attempts.  On the three he hit, he hesitated twice before throwing it up.  He has to pull the trigger on those shots when he has them.  The SF in our offense needs to take those shots.  That’s one of the keys to why Ariza was such a killer in the playoffs last year.  He was taking those open shots and nailing them.

(Sidenote: Ron Artest is a great “top of the key” three point shooter- something I feel we really lacked last season. Ariza hit a lot of his from the wing where Artest figures to be now.  Expect to see him taking more corner threes than previously in his career)

One other thing to point out was the (apparent) return of the machine.  Sasha was a clean 3-3 in the first until he was eventually T’d up for missing a shot badly and committing a ridiculous foul and flipping out (we love you Sasha, never change.) Did Phil even play him after that?  My connection cut out and I definitely don’t remember him being back in the game. I hope not.

2^nd Quarter-LAL27 GSW24

I believe this is when “it” happened (SB12 dunk). Normally I’d have more detailed time stamps and what-not, but we’re just getting started, so please forgive me!

We saw some run from the second unit, but with a slight twist- AMMO.  Adam Morrison got a healthy early look tonight and played decent.  He didn’t stand out, but I would definitely say he’s moving better and looks a lot more comfortable on the court than last season. Farmar was the bench star tonight, though.  He was all over the place and finished with 11 points/6 assists.  Definitely what I want to see from him going forward.  You have to believe the job is his if he can do that every night.

3^rd Quarter-LAL30 GSW21

The third quarter was a great example of how the Lakers can play this season- focused D from Artest and Kobe (who I might add was especially “mamba like” tonight in his limited minutes), great interior passing, and solid bench play.

Before tonight I never realized how good of a passer Ron Artest is.  Consider me a believer.  He threw some dimes that would make Magic proud, and I’m excited to see this facet of his game come out in the triangle.  I predict great things for Ron!

4^th Quarter-LAL23 GSW31

Ladies and Gentleman, please give it up for our Los Angeles Defenders! D-Fenders? Whatever.

All right, it’s a bit harsh but our “third” unit, as expected, got some serious burn in this quarter. One addition that you will see again when the season starts was Shannon Brown. He stood out in the second half on the offensive and defensive end.  He was putting in work ‘till the last minute.

Nothing too amazing to detail from the fourth, but I will say that this is probably one of our better training camp rosters in recent memory. Gelabale made some nice athletic plays and I liked his hustle.  Gaffney got the most burn and looked like he could definitely help someone out NEXT season, but not this season.  Still needs work.

Final Score LAL 118 – GSW 101 (Sorry no tacos)

Overall I’d say this was a great “first step” for the Lakers. We came out intense, our first unit basically toyed with the Warriors, and Ron looked extremely sharp.  Speaking of Ron, let us throw his first official stat line down:

Pretty impressive for someone who, “wasn’t going to fit in.”  I especially love the nine boards and seven dimes.  If he can do that every night, this is the steal of the century.

Alright Lakers Nation, Thanks for reading my inaugural post-game breakdown. I look forward to the upcoming season and more Lakers wins!