Injuries killed us last year, though. After Exum went down, I think most fans at least, really lowered their expectations, let alone losing Gobert and Favors for significant time. Yeah, we choked down the stretch, but even the best of the best have their moments when they choke in big games, and I don't think the choking had anything to do with complacency. This team WILL choke again at some point, but we should still be in a much better situation this year to keep the choking to a minimum, or to do damage control and recover instead of losing the game. Not only that, but a choke job this year might just mean getting the 4th seed instead of the 3rd.
For now, I'm gonna keep chuggin' the kool aid like a man who's been stuck in the Sahara for a week.
I have a very high opinion of our talent. I think they underperformed even through the injuries. Heck, just take a look at the point differential. We were the 5th best team in conference but we ended up 9th because we choked so often. Regardless, I want this team to come out hungry and with something to prove. There were too many nights last year where they had no energy and spent too much time complaining to the refs. Hopefully last year's disappointment will fire them up. All the pieces are hear to have a great team, it's just a matter of going out and doing it now.
