Lead dog
It’s been said that if you are not the lead dog in the pack, your view never changes. I would add that if you are not the lead dog, and the lead dog just recently had beans for lunch before the trip, all the other dogs are going to be forced to endure some rather odiferous vapors all the way to the destination, while the lead dog enjoys the fresh air only available at the front of the pack. I would call that incentive to move up to the front or in the case of this entry,…….the top of the pecking order, if you will. But, I digress.
This was supposed to be about basketball, after all and more specifically about the local team, our Oklahoma City Thunder. If you are not a fan of professional basketball, the Thunder, or having been sleeping under a rock, you would not be aware that this team is currently sitting on the top of the NBA Western Conference with an 18-5 record. Count on one hand the number of teams that have a better record at this time, include the Eastern Conference Boston Celtics. From my easy chair in the den, I see that OKC is playing some solid B-ball, defense is clicking on all cylinders and in spite of some key players still recuperating from injuries, namely one Chet Holmgren, our big guy in the middle, we’re hounding our opponents to cause turnovers, scoring well in the paint, raining three-pointers on every opponent and usually when the final buzzer goes off, we’re walking away with the “W”. The difference I am noticing about this year, versus past seasons, is that when the pregame odds are shown to favor the home team, we are justifying those odds with a victory instead of playing down to the competition and losing the game. I could attribute that to getting past the growing pains of being a young team and the time it takes to gel as a cohesive unit to improve the flow of our game. But what do I know? I’m just a spectator, a fan of the game and yet I still grimace when we turn the ball over, miss a layup or squander an opportunity to score “free” points at the free throw line.
We’re not even half way into the season and some where close to perhaps making a good showing in this NBA Cup competition. Overall, things are looking up. So, from my comfortable chair, I do the only thing I can do…….wait (for the next game)….watch (hopeful but with no means to affect the outcome)……..be satisfied (when they have played well and won the game)………..and get very PISSED OFF ( when they play like dumba----) and break something when they end up losing because of it. Not really. I much calmer in my old age. Can’t get too worked up. I have a 75-year old heart to take care of. And for now….that’s all I have to say about that.