Boy, is it great being on the other side of those.

While watching tonight, I had a thought as to what maybe our single biggest issue is, and it’s something that can be worked out, but can also be inherent. Only time will tell which it is.

This team is far too frequently way too ***soft.***On a team full of competitors, you wouldn’t expect that analysis, and I’m sure plenty of you on PTR will scream at me or upvote any comment that disagrees with me, but it is undeniable in my eyes. Now, note that I specifically avoided saying this team is soft because I don’t think it’s our complete identity at all. But many times this year — too many times — we have let it become part of our identity. Soft is letting your opponents back in the game after building a big lead. Soft is not closing out on teams you’re clearly better than. Soft is playing with low energy and refusing to put your stamp on the game. Each of those has defined one or more specific games from the last month and a half or so. And I think the groups most responsible for this are (a) our starting unit (b) probably, in part, Mitch, and (c) shockingly…Victor.

Now Victor is clearly a competitor. And we know his ambitions and his talent. From his first summer league game (yeah, even that one) it was clear to me he had that killer instinct in him. He has that “4th quarter magic” energy. But in his 3 seasons, it’s looked to me like he can turn it on at will…and also chooses not to turn it on, and fairly often. Last season I think a lot of us excused this, attributing it to the DVT. His first season, he was still learning the ropes as a rookie and adjusting to the schedule, even with a minutes restriction. But the time, in my mind, is now. It is time for him to become the leader of the team, not just in word, but in the way he plays, every single time he laces up. He can CHOOSE to take over a game like he did against Dallas this year, and OKC. In fact I think that’s kind of where him coming off the bench has really helped — and not just him, but the entire team. When Victor chooses to be passive, to jack up early shot-clock 3’s, to not get himself involved in the offense…the entire team suffers.

Yes, everyone will have off-nights. But if Keldon can bring the energy every single night, even when he’s not hitting shots or is making mistakes, then Victor can and should do this too. I can understand a night off here and there, but we’ve been stringing off-nights together lately and it has become a real pain point for a team that historically has not had to worry about mental toughness and effort and focus. Tonight, we needed that bench presence to light our fire, to take control of the game, and to grab the lead. Once they did that, everyone else fell in line, and we pulled out a beauty.

I’d like to see that from our starting unit much, much more.