Hughes plays with alot of emotion, and when the team repeatedly comes out flat and the season rolls on towards 8-8, his play will reflect that. Add that to a nagging injury (even if its a small one) and there isnt much reason to "get up" for a game this time of year on this team.
I feel like the players have a gut feeling early on in the year that they have a real shot at making a run or not.
I think that TT's play this year has deflated alot more than just the fans. The coaches and players were waiting for him to take that next step, too.