In the Freelance discussion, Otis made the following statement:

Honestly, Kenny Natt may be getting these guys back to basics and he may be getting them to play hard, but he’s pretty clearly overmatched right now from an X’s and O’s and rotation standpoint.

And I agree.  But that statement got me thinking, "What is the state of the Kingdom?"

The way I see it, we can choose from one of two mottos for the rest of this season:

1. Rome wasn't built in a day

2. Rome is burning

So let's discuss each view (All stats are current through 1/6/09)

1. Rome wasn't built in a day

• Bobby Brown - 15.4 MPG.  In the last 3 games, respectively, 12, 17, and 8 MPG
• Jason Thompson - 24.5 MPG.  Last 3 = 31, 26, 24
• Spencer Hawes - 28.4 MPG.  16 minutes vs Chicago, coming off injury.  Prior to the injury (just to keep consistent with looking at each player's previous 3 games), 22 minutes vs Boston and 25 minutes vs Toronto
• Kevin Martin - 35.7 MPG.  Last 3 = 39, 38, 37
• Francisco Garcia - 26.2 MPG.  Last 3 = 24, 21, 21

Now, there are obvious counter-arguments to the point I am making with these numbers (see MPG for Kenny Thomas, Mikki Moore, Beno Udrih).  However, let's think about what we so often pine for around these parts.  If we're not going to be competitive, we want our younger players to get some burn.  Well, the cornerstones to the youth movement are getting their minutes, yes?  Combine this with Natt's back-to-basics practices, and we're building a foundation.  Good things take time.  Rebuilding takes time.  Maybe we should show some patience.  After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.

2. Rome is Burning

This one's a little bit easier.  Walk into Arco, take a deep breath, smell the apathy.  Kenny Thomas is getting some burn.  We're 8-28, and have lost our last 4 games, including winnable games against Chicago, Jersey, and Indiana.  These four losses followed the team eeking out a victory over the lowly Clippers. 

All this being said, in order to see the silver lining we must first recognize and accept that there are dark and ominous clouds overhead.

Obviously, I am more in the "Rome wasn't built in a day" crowd (seems to be a lonely place recently).  We've been through the darkness before.  We know it's bad.  We know that someday it will be better.  Until then, we should grasp onto each glimmer of hope.

"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."  -Andy Dufresne