As you said, expectations just lead to disappointment and suffering. If you expect the worst and hope for the best, your mind will be much more at ease. I always say I’d rather watch a team that maybe didn’t have as much talent as others, but tried its hardest all the time, than one who had a ton of talent, but often underutilized it. I’d rather be a Rockets fan than a Wizards fan.

We have to hold ourselves to some sort of standard. We’re a good team and need to have that confidence. If you say you’re not a title contender then what are you playing for? Every team should start each season off with the mentality that its their year.

Now I may hope that the Suns beat the Lakers in a one-off mid-season match up, but I expect them to win if its a best-of series.

Hope will rise above emotions such as hatred, jealousy, bitterness, and anger, that are created by false or unmet expectations.

It’s the safe way to go, the way to follow the Suns and not be hurt by them.

But I think to win, you have to take chances. You have to “expect” instead of simply relying on hope’s “luck.” Nash can’t just hope to hit the game winning shot, he’s got to know he will every single time. I don’t hope the Suns win their first title, I know they can if they work hard enough and want it bad enough.

I wanted to say “expectations” because that implied some kind of established quality of play in the context of the Suns. But I had to go with “hope.” It’s much more enjoyable rooting for a team in which every outcome is theoretically in doubt because I’m not quite sure what they’re capable of. Every game’s a mystery (more so after the New Orleans debacle) and that’s fine with me.

The minute I start having expectations I can be disappointed, although is hard not to expect this team to win every game.