The difficulty with being patient

I'm finding it difficult to be patient.

In the 2012 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers were one pick behind the Kings.  The Kings were picking fifth, the Blazers sixth.  Both teams were, by any objective measure, bad.

The Kings had been bad longer.

The Kings selected Thomas Robinson.  Reports later came out that Robinson was selected because the front office wasn't sure the team's owners would pay to retain Jason Thompson, who was entering restricted free agency.  The owners did pay to retain Thompson, and Robinson failed to receive consistent playing time.  He often looked lost on the court when he did play, but his Per 36 numbers showed promise.

At the trade deadline of his rookie season Thomas Robinson was traded to the Houston Rockets.  The team had given up on Robinson, and brought in Toney Douglas, Cole Aldrich, and Patrick Patterson.  Douglas was allowed to walk in free agency, and is now a member of the Golden State Warriors.  Aldrich remains, as of my writing this, an unsigned free agent.  Patterson remains, but he'll enter restricted free agency next offseason.  Patterson is being discussed as a potential starter, as part of Sacramento's logjam at power forward.

The Blazers drafted Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard.  The Blazers exceeded every expectation last season, including the expectations of their own front office.  Blazers GM Neil Olshey admitted that he would have worked harder to build Portland's bench for last season if he had only known how good his starting five was going to be.  Portland was just outside the playoffs last year.

This season, Portland is widely expected to be in contention for the playoffs.  If they miss the playoffs, the expectation is that they would barely miss.  The starting five returns, and the bench depth has been marvelously addressed.  The Blazers drafted C.J. McCollum and Allan Crabbe, and signed or traded for Mo Williams, Robin Lopez., Dorell Wright..and Thomas Robinson.

I've been at the forefront of preaching patience with the Kings new ownership and new management.  The Kings have been so bad for so long, it's simply unrealistic to expect the new regime to turn things around in one summer.  Especially in a summer where management had to hire a new head coach and a new GM.  The team made some moves, but they weren't franchise-altering.  Or at least they don't appear to be at the time.  Forgive me, I was young, but I don't recall anyone thinking the Vlade Divac signing was a franchise-altering acquisition at the time.  Maybe Greivis Vasquez or Luc Mbah a Moute are franchise-changers.  Who knows?

But even when I know I'm supposed to be patient, it can be difficult during the offseason doldrums.  August is an incredibly slow month for the NBA.  After the whirlwind of activity Kings fans have endured over the past several years, we're now left with nothing but free time to sit and examine the roster.

I have faith that the new ownership and the new management will right this ship.  I believe the best days for Kings fans lie ahead.  But those days probably aren't happening this season, and right now I'm struggling to remain patient.  I'm sure these issues will go away once the season draws near, and I'm slapped upside the head with the realization that holy crap we saved the Kings and just be happy you dummy.  But until then I'll sit around and examine the roster and pass the time impatiently.