I think the answer is yes especially with a young team. I could go back and do some calculations but if I remember right there are 8 crucial players younger than JT. I think that gives hope for the future but for the present, bleah! To blame it on something else is to say our team isn't any good. Of course that's possible but I'm not willing to accept that. Look at out focus on the team sale. I'm sure the players are focused no less on the sale than we are. After all, they are the ones that may have to move, etc.
I'm not sure we can use youth as a reason for failure any longer. Certainly it comes into play, but of itself alone, its just not an excuse.
Thunder roster with current age:
J. Lamb: 20 years old
P. Jones: 21 years old
D. Orton: 22 years old
R. Jackson: 22 years old
S. Ibaka: 23 years old
K. Durant: 24 years old
R. Westbrook: 24 years old
D. Liggins: 24 years old
E. Maynor: 25 years old
H. Thabeet: 25 years old
T. Sefolosha: 28 years old
K. Perkins: 28 years old
K. Martin: 30 years old
N. Collison: 32 years old
Average age for the team: 24.8 Years old.
Kings roster with current age:
T. Robinson: 21 years old
D. Cousins: 22 years old
T. Honeycutt: 22 years old
T. Evans: 23 years old
J. Fredette: 23 years old
I. Thomas: 23 years old
M. Thornton: 25 years old
J. Johnson: 25 years old
J. Thompson: 26 years old
A. Brooks: 28 years old
T. Outlaw: 28 years old
C. Hayes: 29 years old
F. Gracia: 31 years old
J. Salmons: 33 years old
Average age of team: 25.6 years old
As you can see, the Thunder are considerably younger than the Kings, but they're also considerably better. By the way, the current age of the Warriors is 25.2 years of age. So they're younger as well, and better. So what is it? Youth, Talent, or lack there of, or coaching? Or a combination of all three? The truth is, there are teams younger than the Kings, and they're also better, some considerably better, than the Kings. So I don't think youth has anything to do with it at this point. So either we lack talent, or we have a coach that doesn't know how to use the talent we have. There is a third choice by the way. And its that we have talent, but a lot of it doesn't compliment one another, and no coach would be able to have success with this group.
I do think there's some truth to the last scenario, but I also think that a good coach would get more wins out of this group. How many is anyone's guess. Purely subjective! As to the question you were responding to, the answer is, yes, I think some of the players are still trying to do what Smart asks. Cousins implied as much with his post game comments. But I think for the rest of the players, they're looking beyond the end of this season, and see the remaining games as an audition for the rest of the league. As I said in another post, expect to see a lot of one on one basketball. Think about it for a moment. Your I. Thomas, and you have no guaranteed contract for next season. Don't you think there's going to be a huge impulse to show off what you've got? Even at the expense of the team? He knows that Cousins and Evans will get their big payday, but he's guaranteed nothing beyond this season.