Kings of the Same Old Thing

In life, change is inevitable.

You experience new feelings, emotions, and interests throughout your ever-changing experience, and those changes mold you into the person you want to become.

It’s a wonderful part of the human condition that makes life on this planet so unique.

This logic, however, does not apply to the Sacramento Kings. 

Usually, during the season, you can find a few idiosyncrasies that stand out. Something that separates the team, in either a good or bad way, from what pundits, writers, and fans predicted before the season started. Very few teams are truly exactly what they were anticipated to be. The Kings break this mold like they’re a glass mug falling from a 20-foot ledge. Everything you thought the Kings were going to be? That’s what they are.

Are they more than the sum of their parts? No, they’re a mediocre-at-best team. Are they hamstrung by injuries to start the year? Yes, a little, but that doesn’t change the output. Did watching a Russell Westbrook triple-double in a win against the Warriors feel really good to see? Yes, undeniably so. Any win against the Lakers or Warriors will ALWAYS feel worth it, no matter what the season holds. Seeing Russ take over and be the guy we needed him to be was a fantastic sight. 

So what now? The Kings, as we all expected, were blown out by the top-seeded Thunder on Friday to fall to 3-6.

The schedule from here on out still does not get any easier, with 3 of their next 4 games against the Nuggets and the Timberwolves.

Where does this team move to move forward through the mess they are in?

Folks, there is a sad answer to that question, through the darkness. The only way out of this nightmare situation and team building the Kings have found themselves in is to just move directly through the coldest, bleakest moments. Gone are the days of hoping things will improve (those were great 2 years of that feeling). The familiar feelings of apathy and discomfort are winding their scales around us again, constricting the joy out of the team we all love. 

The only way I can think of to deal with it this year? It may not be for everyone, but I do indeed have an answer. Completely separate yourself from the wins and losses. Don’t even think about this season as a “year that has games”. That’ll just lead to the downward spiral of how we got to this point, so just remove it as a thing that exists inside your brain. Watch the games as if you’re unaware of the concept of “competition”. Winning? What’s that? Losing? Is that a word? I’ve never heard of it before. 

What I have heard of, however, is basketball. Maybe not good basketball, but basketball nonetheless. Maxime Raynoud and Nique Clifford are getting their opportunities to develop right before our eyes, and they’re actually not bad. We have no idea what is in store for the Kings in the coming seasons, but the better those two rookies are, the better our chance is of seeing something we can truly enjoy. 

We have a Hall of Famer and, in his own words, “the best rebounding guard ever,” playing for us. Russell Westbrook is a polarizing figure in the basketball world for sure.

Love him or hate him, though, it’s truly entertaining to watch. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan can go on big scoring runs at least once a game each; that’s a very good thing to witness.

In short, are we going to shock anyone this year? Nope, not even ourselves. The season has already been decided: we know what this team is. Now, it’s a conscious effort of what I want to enjoy out of this season.

And you know what? I’ll take whatever I can get. Just get me to the end of the ride.