“I’m pretty optimistic about the group of great guys we have here,” Connelly said. “We know we have the right coach, we know we have the right ownership. If it doesn’t work, point the fingers at me. I’m a big boy. I have pretty high expectations for this organization and for myself. But with all these new faces, it’s going to be hard at times, and how do we help?” The increased expectations, and the stakes involved after paying a high price to land Rudy Gobert, have been evident on the faces of the players as they have navigated the early portion of this season. It is clear they believed the progress would come sooner and easier than it has. That was one thing Finch was concerned about heading into the season, that the team would expect the wins to come naturally. They are coming to the realization that it’s going to take harder work and more commitment.
