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If Bogut is as healthy as he says he is... the Warriors may legitimately be a title contender.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) October 2, 2013
As a Golden State Warriors fan, I've conditioned myself to keep expectations low so as not to exacerbate my perpetual disappointment.
Even after exciting seasons like the 2007 playoff run or this spring's run, I do my best to cut through the preseason hype and expect the worst.
Tim Kawakami's in-depth interview with Andrew Bogut about his health should be enough to break to move even the most rigid pessimists: as Matt Moore of CBS Sports wrote in response to the interview,
If this bears out, and Bogut avoids re-injury, it would be absolutely huge for the Warriors...It's forgotten that Bogut also has alot of offensive skill, with good touch around the basket and smart instincts. He's a willing passer. It was painful watching him try and operate in pick and roll sets in the playoffs, but if his movement is back, there's no reason the Warriors, in all honesty, can't contend for a Finals berth.
Of course, the pessimistic Warriors fan inside me is fixating on that "avoids re-injury" phrase. But Moore's point about touch really helps to fuel the optimism: Bogut mentioned that he "lost a lot of touch" after his elbow injury in 2010. He was having a career-year prior to suffering that elbow injury, playing a career-high 69 games and recording his best PER, Win Shares, and - to the point about his ball skills - turnover rate, according to Basketball-Reference. Since then, he's either been fighting that "mental demon" of the elbow injury, out due to injury, or getting back into game shape.
If all of that comes together - the conditioning, health, and mental aspects - Bogut could be poised to have a career year because he's never had the weapons around him to flourish in quite the way he could with this roster. That alone should be enough to break the Cycle of Pessimism.
S/O to J-Ridah for posting this in the comments yesterday.