Rebuilding Blues

I’m trying my best to keep a positive attitude about this Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team but it hasn’t been easy. The pains of being in a rebuilding phase is something that I (as a fan) am struggling to keep in perspective and trying to see the big picture. Tonight, they lost another one, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies, another team with little probability of making the playoffs. The score was Memphis with 152 (yes, you read that right….152) to the the Thunder’s 79 points. That’s an ass-whipping if there ever was one. That makes seven losses in a row, I believe. So, what was I expecting to happen? In my efforts to understand what occurred tonight and see the big picture, I must consider some things about this young team. Maybe I’m just expecting too much this year. OKC is a team with just a few veterans, no marquee players and mostly rookies. It must be those nights when the team is playing so well against championship caliber opponents, keeping the score close and even pulling out a win here and there. As a fan, it creates some excitement, hope and thoughts that maybe this team is better than we thought. Then reality hits you on those nights filled with turnovers, poor shooting and a lackluster defensive effort. Perhaps my expectations are way too high and I should just be thankful when they win and understanding when they don’t. Everybody likes a winner, right? Why can’t I just accept the probability that they won’t win very many games this season? Life in the cellar is never fun and no team that’s losing like they are, gets any respect from the media, even when they win. As a fan, I’m on the outside looking in and I can imagine that for the players, losing is a bitter pill to swallow, as well. I’d like to be a “fly on the wall” to hear what the coach says to his players to keep them inspired and focused before each game and after a loss. I’m not sure that I’m ready to stop watching the games and maybe I just need to check my attitude and just try to enjoy the game. But if I’m being honest, I believe any team can win against any other team (without regard to win/loss record) and at the end of a losing effort I find myself recalling the turnovers, missed free throws and layups and how these things (combined) contributed to another loss. There was a time when every seat for a home game seemed to be occupied. That is no longer true. It’s sad but I have hopes that as the season progresses that the team will get better and the games will be more enjoyable to watch.