I don't know if anyone else is feeling this, but I'm really excited about this team because I can tell that they'll be emotional come game time and it will be really entertaining to watch. We finally have character guys again, something we lacked last year (they were all nice guys but it can get a bit bland). 2 years ago during the playoff series against Dallas, when we had guys like Jon Barry and Sura, they would do a dance every time they made a 3 where they would show three fingers and run down to the other side of the court. That was really fun to watch as it got me so into the game. The Utah series was exciting and all, but the team just didn't have the same charisma as the 04-05 team. Man, I am so pumped for this season to start!
I'm excited too. The talent upgrade was so noticeable. Even though these guys are just getting acclimated, it was clear that the team was so much more explosive. We have more speed, more athleticism and just all around skill. Scola joining our energy guys diving for the ball and throwing his body around and the guards penetrating the lane really set the tone. It actually might be better than a few years ago...those guys were emotional, but were limited talentwise and athletically.
I know what you mean; Barry, Wesley and (old) Sura weren't exactly the greatest role players talent-wise, but they brought a competitive fire to the team, and that's what I think was lacking last year. I guess what I'm saying is that the point of my first post was that the 04-05 team had amazing chemistry and it was just amazing to watch. So while we may be better record-wise this year than 2-3 years ago, I'm not yet convinced that this team will be better chemistry-wise. Of course, I'm hoping they do achieve the same or even better chemistry this year.
What I'm hoping for is that we sneak up on some people....play good in the first half, but then start showing how powerful the team is when the talents blend together. Our teams in previous years played their hardest, but they couldn't get it to another gear. Come playoff time, it seems like we were tapped in terms of potential and that's as good as we can get. Deep down, I didn't think we had the talent to turn it up another gear.....this year we do....it's just that it will be quite a long road to get them to be hitting on all cylinders. Hopefully come playoff time, teams will be stunned when Bonzi becomes the Spurs Killer of a few years ago, Scola has become battle tested, Francis and James get on a hot streak, and our offense and defense have become a well-oiled machine.
You know what? It's going to be tough when rosters have to be reduced and a few players have to get cut. I like this group of players, since everyone is hard working. It's going to be hard to cut players like Harris, or Novak.
