we're simultaneously boring and mediocre

[mid-post]

I know we had sort of a dream run last season, I was definitely stoked about getting to the WCF. But tearing down the team and building it in the new ownership's vision doesn't seem like it was worth it now. This is not the team that I grew to love in these recent years. Not even close.

I get that as a small market team there are certain strategic maneuvers that have to be made in order to strike that balance between profitability and success. But those two concepts don't have to be at odds with each other. I understand that roster and coaching changes are inevitable. But it felt unnecessary when it happened, and it feels even worse now. I'm legitimately saddened about where we are right now. Where's the energy? Where are the explosive, perfectly timed counterattacks? Where the hell is the DEFENSE!? The Grit and Grind!? Watching this team now, all I can think is that the new guys fokt with the formula to save some cash and now this team is boring to watch. I was afraid that this was going to happen last March, but Lionel and the remaining core squeezed just enough out of our sub-par trade acquisitions to get us over the (WCSF) hump.

At the time of the trade, I felt people (from fans to management) didn't understand how delicate a team's chemistry can be, and they obviously don't understand just how instrumental Hollins was as a coach and as a leader. The guy knows what it takes to be a champion. That's huge! He took a terrible team and molded it into something really really special. I seriously thought (starting sometime in 2010) that when our team was healthy, we could be a championship squad. There was just something magical with the team (both offensively and defensively) that I couldn't put my finger on.

Anyway...I'm not posting all this as some sort of gloating, self important vindication; I said I was basically OK with the trade after I came to terms with the idea that we were a different team now, and that moves are made in professional sports (and I was especially OK with it when it looked like we had a shot at the finals). But I'm heartbroken here with the way things are looking and I needed to vent. What I was initially afraid of (blowing up my favorite team so that the new management can start fresh) seems to be inevitable at this point. Barring some miraculous turnaround in the way these guys are playing, I'm afraid we're going to be saying goodbye to these players we've grown to love sooner rather than later.

Again, not trying to rub anyone the wrong way with all this, but this is honestly how I feel as a fan here and need to get all this off my chest. I really love this team, but I'm dreading what seems to be coming down the pike and this sucks.