10 reasons we’re thankful the NBA is back

3. The struggle is real

Schadenfreude is a natural human sensation, and it extends into sports. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching teams with high expectations and payrolls prove incapable of meeting their lofty goals. Again, it’s way too early to assume these usually “good” teams are actually “bad,” but let’s just be thankful for the drama their struggles naturally create.

The most surprising member of this unfortunate club is the Houston Rockets, who are off to a much slower start than anticipated. Chris Paul getting suspended for two games wasn’t an ideal way to begin the season, but this is a hole the Rockets can’t be too happy about having dug for themselves. At least they reportedly dropped the dead weight that is Carmelo Anthony already.

Another team in desperate need of a jump-start is the Washington Wizards, who at this point look like they may be legitimately bad. The chemistry issues between John Wall and Bradley Beal are well-documented, but no one predicted this team would unravel so quickly. They’re currently the most likely contenders to make a drastic, franchise-altering trade.

Other teams that are currently trending in the wrong direction include the New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers in particular are must-see TV every night as they try to figure out how to make this roster coalesce into a true contender around LeBron James.

Hopefully these teams turn their seasons around asap. If not, we can still all be grateful for the pleasure we all receive from witnessing their early-season pain.