So I never did answer the original question...
The things I want to see are more intangible in nature. We can point to our biggest problem being perimeter defense but I think it's deeper than that. It's also effort and focus. It's playing like we've been embarrassed the past two off-seasons and like we have something to prove, playing like we're going to have more determination and drive not to have the disappointing collapses and half-assed efforts that got us into those situations. The collective play of the players has been uninspiring. The coaching staff's ability to keep people engaged enough to care has shown no improvement. Our words say one thing about our insight of our collective collapses of the past two years, but our behaviors haven't demonstrated any evidence of that belief. Instead of being able to appeal to evidence of such progress, we default to "everybody does it" or "it happens to the best of them." We rationalize how bad games will be had and that seasons are long. We reference tough travel schedules, limited practice time, and guys not being able to sleep on their own pillows. We're talking about those things for a reasons... because we're having to rationalize away significant failures of the eye test. Though we appeal to all these scheduling nuances out of one side of our mouth, the other side is breathing hot air about how teams like the Suns and the Warriors have had cake schedules. I'm sorry, but an 18 game win streak is an 18 game win streak. I don't care how much someone wants to downplay how inferior their schedule is or was, our franchise has never done that. If we qualify other teams' success with "teh schedule!" then what does this say about our schedule and losing to the behemoths of the Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, and New Orleans Pelicans. Yeah, PHX and GSW are "beating up on easy teams." It's not even the record. I don't care that we're in third. It's the focus and the effort. Right now it's at status quo. It's like having a game coming down to a possession with 2.3 seconds on the clock coming out of a timeout and we're somehow going to end up with a contested Donovan 30-footer that's off-balance and fading away. Sure, it could go in. But it's not exactly the shot I'd like and it isn't giving us the best chance. Last year we could have won it all. We had the equivalent of a Donovan 30 footer that's off balance and fading away... we could have won but the chance we gave ourselves was pretty poor. This year we will/are rationalizing ourselves by saying we're definitely there and could pull it off, just like any game where you've got the ball and a chance to win with 2.3 seconds left is a game you can win. So we can definitely do it, and if we do it by Donovan's off-balanced 30-footer that's contested while fading away, then we will have won despite a bad look and not because of it.
I think we're in the game. I just think we're being a little dense about not understanding why we're not putting ourselves in a situation to get up the best shot.
That's where I see us being at, and that's where all of the evidence of the mental and emotional components, as well as coaching issues, is pointing. But it's always going to look good because technically we'll have been in a situation to win it, even if/when the horrible shot doesn't fall.