smart ideas, thanks.
if we're going to change anything
off the court, it's got to be the excuses. they're not the problem so much as they're the symptom of the problem, but it's getting unbearable for me.
"18-17! we were 15-20 last year after 35 games! i'd say this is a good start." anytime they say this i cringe. it's as if we're thankful that we started last year 2-9, as if that team was comparable to ours. you don't find relevance in comparing how you are now to some specific period in the past unless you want to. if our record today is to be compared to anything, imo, it should be the end of last year. that's a far more relevant peer than the
beginning. the beginning of last year is only relevant if you're searching for an excuse. if we started last year 18-17, we'd look for something else.
in other words, comparing yourself in november to how you were in the previous april is more meaningful than comparing yourself to how you were last november. that's obvious- unless you choose not to see it, that is, which is what i think the raps are doing.
"improvement is a gradual process." why? gradual because you actually believe it, or gradual because you need an excuse for your lack of improvement? you almost never see it for the former; it's almost always used for the latter. how long did it take utah to improve after selecting a point guard, no less, in the 2004 draft? or worse, how long was the buffer period for boston from the end of last year to the beginning of this year? our team, imo, would call for time to adjust if we were put in utah's or boston's position. why do we have to adjust for longer (much longer) than they do? because we want to believe it, that's all.
last point: what is this team waiting for? seriously. what? where is the upside to the raptors (honest question)? how are we going to get better? i guess minnesota in 1995 was waiting for garnett to develop but do we have a raw project like that? some would say bargnani but again, that's imo because they
want to believe it more than they actually
do. this is not molecular engineering. bargnani has a lot to learn, don't get me wrong, but so does garnett
today. you always have a lot to learn. andrea's not learning to dribble or shoot free throws, for example. his skills are there and should allow him to move up the curve faster. but he's not. for the team it's the same thing: they're waiting to... wait.
it's a thin line between patience and complacency. patience is wise, complacency will kill you. this team's repeated use of excuses signals complacency, imo, and that's why i'm paranoid. i don't know how you fix it, though, but i had to vent again. points for you if you got this far. you have patience.
peace