As I sat on my couch late Saturday night, I once again found myself shaking my head in frustration and confusion. Only thirty minutes ago I was hopeful that this night, this game, would be different. As the night would show, however, those hopes would not come true. So there I was, stuck in the same emotions that have become ever so common throughout the past month. The fourth quarter blues were in full effect.
With a risky move last may, the Oklahoma City Thunder hired long time University of Florida coach Billy Donovan to replace the recently fired Scott Brooks. Brooks had just finished his worst full season as the head guy for the Thunder. A season riddled with injury to his top players. A season where his point guard cemented his name among the greatest to ever play the position. A season where his team of battered athletes missed the playoffs by a lone game. A season that would be his last. The man that brought our city's first ever professional team from the depths of last place to three conference championship series in four years, was let go. At the time the majority of the fans seemed to be pleased with the decision. Admittedly, I was in that group. But, oh, how long ago that was.
Since February the Thunder have blown 12 fourth quarter leads, the most in the NBA. Something that doesn't seem right when this was supposed to be the deepest, most talented roster the Thunder have ever had. So what's wrong with this team? An inexperience college coach that seems to be drowning in quick sand. Billy Donovan took the keys to a Ferrari, and it seems like the only thing he's done is run that Ferrari into the ditch. Somehow he's lead a preseason title contender into a team that has no hope among its fan base, one of the most loyal in the NBA. Changed the feeling that superstar Kevin Durant would return from optimistic to almost no hope. Taken a roster with two all-star starters, the only team in the NBA to achieve that, to a dismal 3rd in the West and struggling to keep that. All things that this city is not used to. All reasons for outrage. But where is that outrage, where are the callings for Billy's job? Last season it seemed so easy to do it to the man that brought greatness to our organization. Why does it seem so hard now?
I honestly believe it seems so hard because we were wrong. We don't want to be wrong again. It's easy to want more when you're so close to the top, but we got greedy. Instead of attacking the man that lead us when he struggled, maybe we should have supported him. Instead of sending him packing from everything he's built, maybe we should have given another shot with a healthy roster. Instead being forced into a risky, unproven hire, maybe we should have stuck to what got us here. So on behalf of this great city, on behalf of our great fan base, and on behalf of my friends, I say sorry Scott. I also say thank you Scott, for giving us six years of greatness. For putting this city on the map. For giving us taste of winning it all. It was certainly better than getting beat every night in the fourth quarter.
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