Sugarcoating never got a coach anywhere.
So Rick Carlisle knows better than to sweep the season-opening dud under the rug.
Don't obsess over it so much that it becomes an albatross and costs you another loss in the home opener Saturday against Minnesota.
But don't forget what happened, either.
"I just know our team played like ..." Carlisle said, although he finished that sentence very colorfully. "Our team's got to do a lot better. We didn't play hard enough, we didn't play with much passion and our defense was horrible. It was very disappointing. And our guys are disappointed, too.