Thinking about all of what I've seen in the last two weeks, I'm actually excited to see how this all turns out. Sure, people will be freaking out right now, but would you seriously want the team to look like they're on top of the world right now? That's a hell of a long time to maintain that pace. I'd rather them going through the growing pains now and be ready when it actually matters.
Carlisle has been preaching about the team needing to be on edge, be uncomfortable. He talked tonight about loving pressure and being able to respond. If this were easy, there would be a ton of teams that repeat all of the time. Teams are flat out gunning to take out the Mavs now. It's a totally different mindset that the team has to embrace. They have to know that they're getting the best shot every team has to offer on that given night.
This is going to take some time. There's quite a bit of talent on this roster, just like there was last season. There were some problems that were going on at scattered points of the season: injuries, JJ not being able to hit a three, Haywood looking lost, Kidd looking old and losing his shooting touch, Jet looking like he's on his own world. They found a way to work through that. If it can happen once, it can certainly happen again.
It's a different team, but there are vital pieces that still remain. The new pieces can be integrated into the fold and give this team what it needs. This won't be the same team from last year, a new identity will have to be created. It's going to take time and a lot of hard work. With the people that are involved, I'm expecting them to look forward to getting their hands dirty and getting down to work.
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