Winning cures all ills, or so goes the cliche. However, beating the Golden State Warriors did not stop Dejounte Murray from cursing out the regrouping New Orleans Pelicans after the former All-Star's season debut. The 29-year-old was less polite about something James Borrego has been harping on since last August.
Instead, the veteran guard shared a blunt assessment that balanced frustration with perspective.
“We didn't f**king rebound. We were awful. We were awful. Like, we should have practice tomorrow, be all rebounding,” Murray cursed. “Literally, Herb Jones didn't rebound. You know what I'm saying? When he rebounds, we all rebound.”
Murray grabbed two boards to go along with three assists and 13 points in 25 minutes, so there were smiles in the postgame locker room after the quick lashing.
Still, he stayed measured when grading the bigger picture following his first game in nearly 13 months, stuck on one particular play.
“We could be better. I think tonight I give us a C+. that's that's beautiful to have a C+ and win the basketball game in the NBA versus a good team,” allowed Murray. “I don't care who's in, who's out. Steve Kerr coaches his team really well. They got a system, and they put the right players in position to be successful.”
The forgiving grade underscored the bigger picture. Even an “awful” performance can serve as a useful building block.
“I think we probably like a C or C plus,” Murray reiterated. “We could have been more solid. Like, I had a little turnover there. I feel like I got fouled, but no excuses. We've got to be solid. When teams trap and are trying to come from behind, we've got to be in our spots and be there for one another. I think that's my job, but also, you know, it's a collective unit. Me being a point guard, and as I said, I'm here to better everybody else. I'm here to win, so we've got to be better. I think overall getting the win, you can go build from things and, you know, correct those errors.”
Seven of the next nine games are on the road, beginning with a six-game journey around the Western Conference. At least the first two games of the trip are against the lottery-bound Utah Jazz. That's the perfect setup for Dejounte Murray's Pelicans to pick up a head of steam before the summer break.
