Sheppard hopes progression will continue into next year and trusts that a group entering training camp merely knowing one another has a better chance to force stops. “The continuity — Coach will tell you, it’s hard to roll out a new lineup every night and think you’re gonna be able to get a consistent effort defensively,” Sheppard said. “Offensively, we’ve always been able to score. It’s almost interchangeable. … But defensively, it’s hard to keep rolling in new guys all the time.”