Lack of Booker/Beal is killing us 
The role players aren't even playing bad, it's just that this team is incredibly streaky without the big 3. There's stretches where KD + shooters looks unstoppable and then they'll let the other team go on a massive run and put them in a hole. If anything I do think some adversity early on is good for chemistry and preparing them to handle those tougher games but at the end of the day the team is only gonna go as far as Booker & Beal take them.

The role players aren't even playing bad, it's just that this team is incredibly streaky without the big 3. There's stretches where KD + shooters looks unstoppable and then they'll let the other team go on a massive run and put them in a hole. If anything I do think some adversity early on is good for chemistry and preparing them to handle those tougher games but at the end of the day the team is only gonna go as far as Booker & Beal take them.