>> 3) surprisingly ineffective team play, and 4) another weak defensive performance
Unless it was Mika's fault, and/or unless coaches can help guys change mindsets I'm concerned about #3. It's especially concerning with talk of a lack of leadership.
Why do you suppose Hardnett had more wins than others this summer? Without seeing him play I'm guessing he did a lot of penetrating and passing (#3). Was he effective at all on defense? I wonder how much was he "knows how to play winning ball", and how much was that others don't know how to play winning ball. If he's not a projected starter and he's winning the most, that catches my attention.