(Photo by yours truly)
Ask me why am I not happy? Go ahead. I've calmed down since yesterday, so I'm not going to go berserk.
IT'S BECAUSE A CERTAIN....just kidding. It's because a certain NBA team that I root for can't seem to get over the hump or progress accordingly. They are stuck in neutral and have been for the past three years. The situation has become so troubling that this franchise has turned into something I didn't wish what it has manifested to: a punchline. A freaking punchline.
15 consecutive seasons without a playoff berth, tied for the most in NBA history. They are now on a list of North American sports teams with the longest drought without entering a playoff season. Yep, a freaking punchline. How could it be like this? Well, there have been some positives during this season that add hope for the future.
De'Aaron Fox has become the undisputed leader of the franchise. He should have been an All-Star with a 25.2 PPG, 7.2 AST, 3.5 REB clip. Fox will be a staple for the basketball club since signing an extension before the season.
When the state capital of California's NBA team drafted Tyrese Haliburton, it was considered a steal due to his potential. He hasn't disappointed, emerging as one of the top rookies in the league. Unfortunately, an injury ended his season early. Hopefully, the club could maximize his potential and play him more next season......Again, hopefully.
Richaun Holmes is an energy lightning bolt for the squad when they need it. He exhibits the toughness needed in the paint. His contract expires and the franchise should do everything in its power to ink him an extension.
Mark Jones is a breath of fresh air that the team needed on commentary after the suffocating controversy of Grant Napear and his departure. In the few games I watched this season, he and Doug Christie seemed to mesh well together and could be entertaining to watch in the future.
Oh, and whoever runs the social media accounts on this basketball group deserves a raise.
I can't get a read on GM Monte McNair. So far, he did clear the contracts of Nemanja Bjelica and Cory Joseph in trades. He was wise enough to snag Haliburton when he fell in the first round. McNair has this squad headed in the right direction......for now.
Now, here comes the negatives. Well, fudge.
Buddy Hield......Buddy, Buddy Hield. The team gave him a huge contract before last season in the hope that he would progress. He hasn't. He has been spotty. Can't pay someone $24 million a season to be spotty.
The regression of Harrison Barnes has been sad. I feel bad for him, because he was supposed to be the next big thing since high school. His career has been solid, but this team gave him a contract over 20 million a year despite this. It's been hard to watch.
Same with Marvin Bagley III. If he could stay healthy......key words are "stay healthy", he can carve out a great career. NBA experts are giving him the runaround by mentioning how he was drafted before Luka Doncic and Trae Young, making him look the lesser of three. But honestly, he is.
Hassan Whiteside signed a one-year deal with the club in a homecoming of sorts to help the defense. He was a healthy scratch in many games and the defense was one of the worst in the league.
As much as this team shows confidence in him, I don't see that in Luke Walton as head coach. In his second season, the squad was the same as last year: close, but no cigar. Don't get excited for next campaign.
If you want to see a definition of how the season went, I follow an Instagram account called kings.everything. The person who runs the account watches every game and crunches the numbers through certain situations. This is what you call a diehard. When the club has a winning streak, the individual is optimistic and shows pride. When they have a losing streak, the individual shows malaise and shame. After the Spurs beat the basketball club, kings.everything admitted that the season was over, despite many persons insisting that mathematically there was a chance at the playoffs. I feel this male or female's pain.
The 2021-2022 season will be a turning point for the franchise in question. Can the team finally break through or is it going to be another "close, but no cigar" scenario?
(Also, if you notice I didn't name the actual team throughout this?.....I'm still a little perplexed.)
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