Gut Punch & a new Era

Its strange not feeling a definitive singular anchor for our team.

After Hakeem it was Francis, then Tmac & Yao (some both, but separate as well at times), then shortly after, Harden. That strength and consistency is comforting, even if its not always culminating in championships.

Right now isn't as strange as the Kevin Martin-led timeframe, but it feels about as directionless, and its odd to feel floating without that compass.

Watching some trade clips, reports, and one showed some great Harden plays, along with some Paul appearances, and of course the play where the hamstring injury occurred.

Man, what a punch in the gut to see it, to remember that feeling of thinking we were about to climb the mountain and immediately being brought back down to earth. I didn't think we'd be cursed like that after what happened with Tmac AND Yao, but the bball gods have no mercy.

Personally, I do not dislike our team at all, but I know there's not a necessarily a consistent leader or star. I like the idea of grounded expectations and watching players who want to play play, but man it feels like an empty transition into a new era. I want these guys to have fun out there, and for injured stars to thrive in a new place, but we've become so used to Harden's greatness that his moving on leaves a black hole of uncertainty. Sports can be very comforting even in all the madness, but moments like this definitely come with discomfort.

I haven't watched that clip of Paul getting injured in years, tried to avoid it. Hearing the crowd, remembering where I was and how all of us felt, its probably one of those things that I will always remember and have few words that can describe.

The championships, the 22 game win streak, Yao's injury vs the Lakers, the Clippers comeback, the 65-win team, and the Paul injury. Those are some of my most potent Rockets memories, and half of them came during the Harden era. Feeling it today.

And now we move on.

 

Same, but yeah just feeling the weight of it today.