By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

The Warriors looked slow and befuddled Friday while the Suns zoomed past them for a 123-101 victory, but Golden State is getting faster in one area, at least:

Last season, it took several weeks before people started wondering what was going on between coach Don Nelson and prized rookie Anthony Randolph.

This year, it only took three days.

In the space of two games, Randolph has gone from a bench afterthought to a starting power forward to a “cleanup on aisle 9” fourth-quarter-blowout specialist.

Hell, I’m dizzy just from typing that.

After the game, according to Brett Pollakoff of NBA Fanhouse, Nelson declined to answer questions about his usage of Randolph, who replaced Ronny Turiaf in the starting lineup, was pulled after 7:15 and not seen again until the second half, when he was made to finish off the dispiriting defeat by playing the entire fourth quarter.

Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to mollify the folks who see Randolph as the savior of the franchise.

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At home games, we’ll be doing our own transcripts, but on the road, we’ll make do with quotes from a compendium of sources:

DON NELSON

“They had their way with us.”

“Nash did what he wanted. He found holes in the defensive coverage we were playing and just lit us up. But we weren’t up to the task, so we made it pretty easy for them, I thought.”

“I was pretty disappointed in our defensive coverages. Nash is going to pick you apart whenever he can, and he certainly did. Offensively, we were inept. Other than that, we’re going home, and it’ll be Halloween.”

(On Stephen Curry)

“Hopefully, Curry will learn a little from each game. He saw a great point guard tonight, one that I know he would like to emulate.”

(On Anthony Randolph)

“He’ll get his minutes, but he’s 20 years old. We like him very much, but we want him to play a certain way.

“In the first game, I wanted to play that bigger lineup, so that made him the third power forward. But I like the way he played. I have no negatives at all about what he did when he was on the floor.”

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POSTGAME

** INSTA-STAT OF THE NIGHT: Steve Nash finished with 20 assists. Perhaps the hype around Stephen Curry will cool down a little bit now.

FOURTH QUARTER

** @SJ Jim: When did Channing Frye become Ray Allen? As soon as he lined up against the Warriors.

** I literally just realized that the Suns were playing this whole time without Jason Richardson, serving the back half of his DUI suspension. Sad to think this easily could be more than a 24-point game.

** BTW, in two games, the Warriors have been outscored by a total of 65-41 in the third quarter. Plus ca change, c’est la meme chose.

** Channing Frye. SMH.

** @BrockLanders, @JoeSez: Maggette was a joint move, although now that I look back on it, it smells more and more like the Jerry West-giving-Brian-Cardinal a pile of money story, where West was sick of ownership complaining he wasn’t getting anything done. Whatever the case, Rowell needed something to sell the STHs after Baron bolted and Arenas and Brand spurned the Warriors. So Maggette got to enjoy the spoils.

** Leandro Barbosa’s cherry picking ways make me remember fondly the days when Monta Ellis would do that kind of thing.

** Ronny Turiaf hurt the left leg which already features a large knee brace. And so it begins…

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter as well: twitter.com/geofflepper

THIRD QUARTER

** PHX 92, GSW 70. Well, at least there’s Acie Law at power forward to look forward to.

** @Brock: No. Where would they move him to? Magette is far too selfish a player to be of value to most championship contenders.

** I’m sorry, did the TV announcer really just say that Andris is having a good game because he has eight points, eight rebounds and four assists? Well, sure, if you ignore the 17 Amar’e has hung on him, I guess you could be silly enough to believe that.

** Jackson makes a great play defensively, the Warriors’ first all night, and then they kick away the advantage with a horrible alley-oop that’s nearly stolen, followed by a three-in-the-key call on Maggette. If that doesn’t sum up this team right now, then I don’t know what does.

** Ellis, Jackson, Maggette have combined to go 11-for-30 from the floor. Simply scintillating!

** Of course, now that I say that, the W’s get two buckets back.

** With that Amar’e Stoudemire fast break slam for a 67-51 lead, this game is nearing an early completion.

HALFTIME

** @SJ Jim: That’s just…

By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

According to Chris Broussard over at ESPN.com, the Warriors’ one-game experiment with starting Ronny Turiaf at power forward is over, with Anthony Randolph set to move into the lineup tonight in Phoenix.

Somebody cue Jim Nabors, and be sure to employ the “sarcasm” HTML tag:

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

Don Nelson used Turiaf on Wednesday because the Rockets were a small, depleted team that looked like a good matchup. It didn’t turn out to be so, but even if it had, Turiaf would still be heading back to the bench, for a multitude of different reasons. The biggest is this one: With Amare Stoudemire and Channing Frye, the Suns have two legitimate big men on the floor, negating any perceived matchup advantage Golden State might get with a Turiaf-Andris Biedrins combination at the start.

Frankly, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Nelson puts Corey Maggette into the lineup for Game 3 against Memphis next Wednesday, looking to create a mismatch with either Marc Gasol or Zach Randolph.

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By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

After Wednesday’s 108-107 season-opening loss to Houston, Warriors Don Nelson called out the non-passers on his team — i.e., everybody except Stephen Curry and (when the spirit moves him) Stephen Jackson — for not keeping Anthony Morrow high enough in their thoughts.

Morrow, the NBA’s best 3-point shooter last season, uncorked only seven shots in 22 1/2 minutes on the floor, an attempt rate that ranked seventh out of the nine players Nelson used, behind Curry, Jackson, Monta Ellis, Corey Maggette, Kelenna Azubuike and Anthony Randolph. Only Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins managed to keep themselves from outgunning Morrow.

“If you don’t get him the ball when he’s open, it doesn’t do much good to have him in the game,” Nelson said. “We have to do a better job of understanding he’s our best shooter, and you’ve got to know where he is at all times.

But the rest of the players on this roster are who they are — and they will resolutely remain so if there are never any consequences for them to face.

To wit: If you’re going to let Maggette, who went 3-for-14 in a little less than 25 minutes, jack up a steady stream of no-hope 19-foot clanks without recriminations, why on Earth should he even give a fleeting, momentary thought to passing off to Morrow?

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