Being irrational may in fact be the mark of a fan, but it's an unreasonable way to go about analyzing anything.
A team with two stars who can come out and roar in the Warriors face -- the Warriors, one of the greatest teams in NBA history -- take the inevitable counter blow, and then right itself and have the game within 5 in the final 5 minutes, is a team that absolutely could win 50 games against mortal opponents. Put that same Pelicans effort in a box against the Lakers, it's an automatic victory. Put it in a box against the Nuggets, against the Pacers, against the Celtics, against the Bobcats etc. and you are winning a lot more than you lose.
There is such a thing as a good loss. The Warriors will be favored in every single game they play this NBA season. If fans of the 65-70 victims they beat this year run around in despair every time the inevitable happens then they are just being fools.
Except Buckwheat who is just pulling this forum's chains from underneath his bridge.
Good loss. Step forward. Next game.