SDH's 2014/2015 NBA End of Season Worst to First Countdown: 22. Charlotte Hornets

2014/2015 Projection: 45-37, third place Southeast Division, sixth place Eastern Conference Actual Finish: 33-49, fourth place Southeast Division, eleventh place Eastern Conference	Projected 2014/2015 Finish 14	Actual 2014/2015 Finish 22
Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 94.2 (28th) Points Allowed: 97.3 (7th) Team FG%: .420 (29th) Opponent’s FG%: .440 (8th) Team FT%: .748 (19th) Team Three Point FG%: .318 (30th) Rebounds per game: 44.1 (10th) Opponents rebounds per game: 44.1(21st) Turnovers per game: 11.2 (1st) Opponents turnovers per game: 12.0 (27th)	Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Kemba Walker (17.3) Rebounds per game:  Al Jefferson (8.4) Minutes per game: Kemba Walker (34.1) Assists per game:  Kemba Walker (5.1) Field Goal Percentage: Bismack Biyombo (.543) Free Throw Percentage: Mo Williams (.890)  Three Point FG Percentage: Cody Zeller (1.00) Steals per game: Kemba Walker (1.4) Blocked Shots per game:  Bismack Biyombo (1.5)
SDH’s Hero to Honor: +Cody Zeller  Last season Cody Zeller was seen as a an outright bust after being selected fourth overall in the 2013 NBA Draft and made such a weak impression with a rather pedestrian rookie season (6.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, .426 FG%); however this season, Zeller came back more confident and in instances showed why he was so highly touted as an NBA draft prospect.  Although his 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game do not look that much apart from his rookie season, his field goal percentage rose significantly to .461 and he even had a chance to start 45 of the 62 games that he played.  He certainly hit his stride in the first week in March where he posted 12.4 points, grabbed 7.4 boards and shot .611 from the field in the first five games--all of which his team won; however sadly the streak ended on a sour note as he fell to injury and failed to finish up the regular season.  Nonetheless, that small sample size in March proved that given time and touches, Zeller would certainly pose as a formidable foe in the paint and might just possibly become the Hornets new go to guy in the post once current starter Al Jefferson's contract expires and the end of next season.	SDH’s Face to Forget: Lance Stephenson After coming in with so much hype and anticipation, Lance Stephenson has to be considered as the most disappointing story-line of the 2015 NBA season as he came into Charlotte an up and coming star, but ended up a complete disgrace in the eyes of his supporters and fans.  Many applauded Stephenson's decision to decline the rather stingy offer that +Indiana Pacers boss +Larry Bird gave him after he had such an amazing season helping Indy to reach first place in the East while leading the team to the Conference Finals in which they would be eventually beaten by the +Miami HEAT.  His signing with Charlotte for fewer years and at less money was seen as a middle finger to both Bird and the Pacers organization as he looked to prove that he was deserving of an equally lucrative contract that his former teammate Paul George had receive; however, sad to say that his plan became quite awry when he came in looking out of sync and completely contrary to the confident young stud that led his team in assists, rebounds, and field goal percentage the season prior.  His once strong shooting stroke suffered drastically as he slowly became less of a factor with every passing game in the regular season to a point where he went from being a starter to almost slipping completely out of the roster rotation.  Now with the season over, his future in the Queen City looks rather bleak as he had not only himself, but those who gambled on him--namely owner +Michael Jordan and his right hand man Rich Cho--look like complete fools and may find himself and his market value plummet the same way his team did this season falling out of playoff contention.
After years of struggling to find its footing in both the +NBA and the public, it looked as if a new era of professional basketball was about to emerge in the city of Charlotte North Carolina as not only did the team finished well in 2014 making the playoffs, but also entered 2015 with a new look and a stronger roster.  Actually, to be accurate, it was more of a repossessed look as team owner +Michael Jordan decided, in his own words, to "bring the 'buzz' back," and renamed it the +Charlotte Hornets, after the original NBA franchise which broke the hearts of its fans, moved further South and became the +New Orleans Pelicans.  Although this was an obvious publicity stunt and marketing ploy, it seemed suitable for fans to see the name of their past franchise because they never assimilated themselves neither to the Bobcats brand or the orange and navy blue color scheme which seemed to clash with their collective tastes.  Jordan's primary henchman and right hand man Rich Cho, also went to work strengthening the team from the inside adding more depth to the roster with his most important being locking up one of the most prized free agents at the time, +Lance Stephenson--a player who felt spurned by his former team, the +Indiana Pacers, when the team's boss +Larry Bird offered a contract extension far lower than he expect and went to Charlotte to prove his doubters wrong.   Along with the additions of sharp shooting stretch four Marvin Williams, highly touted rookies +PJ Hairston and Noah Vonleh, as well as former +San Antonio Spurs point guard Gary Neal--a player with three NBA titles to his credit--the Hornets looked to be a team on the rise and not only return to the playoffs, but also  contend very heatedly for the Southeast Division title against the +Washington Wizards, +Atlanta Hawks  and +Miami HEAT.   Unfortunately upon opening tip off everything become completely unraveled as the team came out of the gates completely out of sync which resulted into the team that was once believed to on the rise becoming a complete embarrassment winning eleven less games and missing the playoffs.  Both Jordan and Cho must have wanted to crawl under the nearest rock once they saw their best laid plans crumble right in front of them as Marvin Williams, who was paid 7$ million per year for three years, became an absolute bust while both rookies Vonleh and Hairston failed to make any impact whatsoever as the played a combined 70 games only producing 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game; however their biggest shame came in the form of their greatest hope.  Lance Stephenson was supposed to be their "ace in the hole," as he came off a career season in 2014 not only finishing as the second leading scorer for the Pacers, but also the team's top assist man with 5.5 per game, second leading rebounder with 7.3, and most accurate shooter with a .491 field goal percentage; however, upon arriving to Charlotte, that all disappeared.  Upon opening tip off Stephenson's shooting proficiency completely disappeared while his defense, and despite showing flashes of the solid rebounding and passing that he gave in Indiana, he still remained a fraction of his former self leading many to believe that he was not the prized stud that many in the media propped him up as being. Throughout the course of the season, it seemed as if "Murphy's Law" had hit the Charlotte Hornets and their fans as everything that could have gone wrong did leaving both Charlotte deflated and discouraged and both Jordan's and Cho's faces red with embarrassment. What makes reliving this disgrace of a season even more painful was the fact that this team had most, if not all of the same roster from the previous year and came in deeper, not only in terms of talent but also post season experience as Williams, Stephenson, and Neal spent much of careers as big time contributors in the playoffs.  One would think that such extensive winning resumes along with their distinct skill sets could bring some much needed leadership to a young group of up and comers who just had a small taste of winning and had their mouths watering for more; however, those three proved to be pretty useless as they seemed even more clueless than the younger players who were looking to them for support and guidance.  That was certainly the case with Marvin Williams, the ten year veteran who had been originally tabbed by head coach Steve Clifford as the team's starting power-forward coming into the season, but was quickly pulled out due to his minimal offensive production (7.4 ppg, .424 FG%) and his equally terrible presence on the defensive glass (just 4.9 per game in 26 minutes of playing time.  Williams was supposed to be the perfect complimentary role player that was supposed to fit in seemingly into the team while quite offering veteran leadership and wisdom in the team's front court while Gary Neal was brought in to do the same in the back court supporting the team's rising star point guard +Kemba Walker; however, both would miss the mark as Williams' role diminished as the season passed and Neal was then eventually traded to the +Minnesota Timberwolves for another veteran, Mo Williams who proved to be a far better scorer than Neal, yet not good enough to lead the team to the playoffs.   Stephenson had to be the biggest disappointment out of all those players since he had both the most to gain and the most to lose as he gave up to 45$ million to prove not only Bird and the Pacers, but the world that he was worth a superstar's salary; however, along with his shooting touch, he also lost the most important facet of his game--his confidence.  At first, it did not seem as bad when he fell into that shooting stroke because he compensated for that with his passing, rebounds, and energy; however, with each passing game even that went into decline and it did not take long for him to be supplanted in the starting lineup by Gerald Henderson--a player who was expected to be on his way out upon Stephenson's arrival.  Nonetheless, his supporters, as well as Larry Bird's detractors, hope that this past season was just an aberration--a small bump in the road of what will be an otherwise a long and fruitful career--and that he will return to the form in which he wowed not only his fans in Indiana, but also made him a virtual household name.  At just 24 years old and in only his fourth season in the league, Stephenson is not near reaching his peak as player and hopefully he will write off this past season as a learning experience, figure out where he needs to adjust his game and move on from there because he simply too talented and has too many intangibles to allow one season to ruin his value as a player.  After finishing the first of what can be considered a less than satisfying season, Stephenson has two more left to show not only fans in Indiana and Charlotte, but also the world that he is truly an elite caliber player in which one--not the NBA, not the fans, not even Larry Bird--can no longer just simply underestimate and ignore. If worst comes to worse and Stephenson is not capable of returning to his 2014 form, then it will not be too much of a loss for the Hornets since they can easily unload his contract if they need to as it has just two seasons left with the last year being a player option so they can easily trade it during the off season or they can even waive him at the end of next season.  The same can be said for Marvin Williams who basically has just two years and 14$ million left so both Jordan and Cho can breathe a slight sigh of relief as their two gambles will not cost them long term; plus, in spite of the team's disappointing finish, the Charlotte Hornets still has plenty going for it with its young roster as well as cap flexibility and can easily bounce back to playoff contention next season.  Despite its less than desired result not making the playoffs, Charlotte finished 2015 among the league's top defensive teams as the Hornets ranked among the top ten teams in points allowed, opponents' field goal percentage and rebounding thus showing that there is still something worth salvaging on this team; however, defense is as only as good as the offense that comes from it and for the Hornets, that was their primary weakness.  If Charlotte wants to return to the post season, the team will have to find a way to generate offense from all the hard work they put on the defensive end because it will all be for naught if they can hold their opponents to 97 points per game and .440 shooting if they can only score just 95 and shoot .420 from the field.  At least fans in Charlotte can hold solace in the fact that their team has just that one missing ingredient and once that is finally added, then they can get back onto winning, returning to the playoff, and bringing back the NBA spotlight to a city that has missed it for so long.

SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for November: 22. Philadelphia 76ers

+Philadelphia 76ers Overall Win/Loss Record (as of November 30th): 6-11, third place Atlantic Division	Projected 2013/2014 Finish 30	This Month: 22
Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 103.7 (8th) Points Allowed: 109.3 (30th) Team FG%: .449 (17th) Opponent’s FG%: .455 (18th) Team FT%: .710 (24th) Team Three Point FG%: .323 (25th) Rebounds per game: 46.1 (5th) Opponents rebounds per game: 45.1 (26th) Turnovers per game: 17.8 (29th) Opponents turnovers per game: 16.9 (7th)	Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Evan Turner (21.3) Rebounds per game:  Spencer Hawes (10.3) Minutes per game: Evan Turner (36.9) Assists per game:  Michael Carter-Williams (7.4) Field Goal Percentage: Spencer Hawes (.531) Free Throw Percentage:  Evan Turner (.840) Three Point FG Percentage: Spencer Hawes (.491) Steals per game: Michael Carter-Williams (3.0) Blocked Shots per game: Spencer Hawes (1.6)
SDH’s Worst of the Month: ??? Even on the best teams in the league, there is always that one player who can be used as cannon fodder for critics to trash on; however, this is probably the first time ever where there is virtually no one to bash on this team.  With four of the teams best players performing way above expectations and one of them looking like a shoe in for rookie of the year, there is very little fault to be found.  Both Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes have been posting their best numbers in their career with Turner finally showing fans why Philly picked him second overall in the 2010 NBA Draft and Hawes disproving those who had already giving up on him being anything more than a mediocre big man.  Even the discarded +Tony Wroten, who came off a rather disappointing rookie campaign, have come of to have a breakout season as well far surpassing his numbers last season to become a front runner for both the Most Improved and Sixth Man of the Year awards.  In spite of the team's 6-11 record, the Sixers have player rather surprisingly cohesive and consistent basketball not giving anything up on each other or against their opponents thus making the entire roster untouchable of reproach--well, at least for now.	SDH’s First of the Month: Brett Brown Arriving as the Sixers new head coach, Brett Brown was given virtually nothing in term of his roster, any chance of competing, and any expectations whatsoever; however, despite what little he was given, he manage to turn a team that was expected to fall flat on its face to one of the most talked about stories in sports.  Upon stepping out on the court on opening tip off, Brown's team shattered any allusion that it would simply lay down and let their opponents have their way with them. Instead, the Sixers came out fighting and players who had been once considered as hopeless causes now look as if they have been injected with a new breath of life while at the same time giving its fans something to cheer for in this supposedly difficult transition period. All the credit for this has to be given to coach Brown who despite being surrounded around every turn by naysayers and doubters not only in the press and the media, but even within the organization itself.  With this in mind, perhaps the Sixers should try and rein their spark plug of a coach a bit considering that their plans to play bad enough to get a shot at receiving the number one pick in next years draft might be in jeopardy if Brown continues to boost the confidence of his players.
The opening of the regular season for the Philadelphia 76ers came with the anticipation one would have for a root canal or some other painful medical procedure as the team along with its fans, press and media had prepared themselves for the worst case scenario. There were no delusions or fabrications on what was going to happen as everyone involved had all accepted their fates that this would possibly be one of the worst seasons in Philadelphia 76ers history.  The Sixers would not even garner any mention or any venom from even the most hateful sports critics because many probably considered it wrong or even cruel to step on a team that would probably experience more much pain and humiliation than it can possibly take.  The first game against the +Miami HEAT was met by Sixers fans with a sense of peace that the loved ones of a person who is one his death bed--they simply wanted their team's end to be a quick one with limited suffering or further anguish. Then all of sudden, it happened and instead of the meaningless slaughter that they expected to witness in their team's first game of the season, they would be treated to one of the most enlightening and spectacular showings that could have ever been witnessed in 2013/2014 NBA regular season. It was as if all of a sudden Sixers fans were suddenly transported to an alternate universe where the fabric of space and time had been altered when they saw their team actually competing toe to toe against the NBA champions matching them shot for shot.  Not only did they witness a performance that was worthy as being one of the greatest games in its recent memory, but they also saw the emergence of a player than many had not even bothered to pay attention to in the team's rookie, Michael Carter-Williams.  Carter-Williams would put on a show in his rookie debut that had never captured the imagination of Sixers fans since that of superstars such as Allen Iverson and the good doctor himself, Julius Irving as he posted a near QUADRUPLE DOUBLE--something that was thought of to be a myth or legend.  From that point on, the basketball viewing populaces' view of the Sixers immediately changed as Philly would win four of its first eight games and even took hold of first place of the Atlantic division for a short period of time.  And even when Philly started to slide approaching the end of November, they manage to do so in style as the Sixers put up phenomenal scoring numbers hitting the hundred point mark in half of the team's games, and only went below the 90 point mark just twice in that month--not bad for a team that no one expected to put up such high number, let alone be anywhere close to relevant this season. Nonetheless, in spite of Philly's losing eight of their last ten games to finish the month, they still managed to keep within striking distance of the Atlantic Division crown and still close enough to stay in playoff contention as well.  That was primarily due the rather disappointing start of the Eastern Conference, which was supposed to have greatly improved during the off season thanks to big trades and a few Western Conference defections; however, all of that failed to materialize as come November's end, only three teams would sport winning records--namely the +Miami HEAT, +Indiana Pacers and most surprisingly, the +Atlanta Hawks.   Two of the teams who were expected to control the Atlantic Division--the +New York Knicks  and +Brooklyn Nets--fell well below expectations have even worse records than Philly while at the same time, three teams who were expected to take the league by storm have yet to come out of the gates.  Both the +Cleveland Cavaliers and the +Detroit Pistons made huge waves during the off season with their big name free agent signings and Cleveland winning the first overall pick in the draft for the second time in three years.  Unfortunately, neither team have benefited from their off season acquisitions as the both rest in the same boat as the Sixers and as for the Cavs number one pick . . . let's say that he has yet to live up to the stature of being the first overall selection of the NBA Draft. So far the Sixers are nestled in the middle of the pack in the East as the entire conference seems to be in flux at the moment thus giving Philly adequate camouflage to not be noticed as it treads through what looks to be a very long season; yet one would not think think so with the way that they have been playing.  Philly certainly does not look like a team that plans to tank the season in order to secure the number one pick on the draft; instead, the Sixers actually look like a team who plans to compete through the season and let the chips fall where they may.  With the emergence of Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner coupled with an already solid performer in +Thaddeus Young and a rookie of the year candidate in Carter-Williams, Philly has the makings of a solid young foundation in which to build a winning franchise from.  Tony Wroten, a former first round pick who had fell out of favor with his previous team, looks to be a potential candidate for the Most Improved Player of the year award coming of the bench to give the Sixers a solid 13 to 15 points per game.  With such a solid foundation of young talent to build upon, instead of looking to tear down the whole team in hope of rebuilding through the draft, the 76ers look as if they are just a player or two away from actually becoming a true playoff contender. Regardless, despite its impressive start to the season, there still remains the consensus that the Philadelphia 76ers will still finish in the lottery because even the high scoring and exciting play cannot hide the fact that there is still plenty of week to be needed unit the team is even remotely playoff ready.  For starters, although their offense is ranked among the best in the league in terms of scoring, their ball management is terribly poor as they ranked second to last in the league in the number of turnovers per game.  Fortunately, their problems of protecting the ball on offense is offset rather well by the the team's ability to force their opponents to turn over the ball at almost the same rate ranking among the top ten in that category; however, their ability to pressure the ball on defense has not stopped the 76ers from allowing a league high 109 points per game which shows a greater weakness in terms of protecting the rim.  Nonetheless, Philly still attempts to offset their defensive flaws by trying to out shoot their opponents and it has been rather entertaining to watch them attempt to do so as they rank among the top ten teams in the league in points per game while losing by a six point average margin.  Unfortunately, unless they can improve on their defense and protecting the ball, the 76ers, although being one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2014 regular season will simply remain a fast and flashy team that is headed nowhere.

SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 22. Charlotte Bobcats

+Charlotte Bobcats  Overall Win/Loss Record :  21-61, fourth place Southeast Division	Last Season’s Rank 30	Projected 2013/2014 Finish 22
Last season’s Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 93.4 (26th) Points Allowed: 102.7 (29th) Team FG%: .425 (30th) Opponent’s FG%: .471 (27th) Team FT%: .750 (18th) Team Three Point FG%: .335 (27th) Rebounds per game: 40.3 (27th) Opponents rebounds per game: 44.1 (27th) Turnovers per game: 13.1 (4th) Opponents turnovers per game: 13.6 (21st)	Returning Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): +Kemba Walker  (17.1) Rebounds per game:  +Bismack Biyombo  (7.7) Minutes per game: Kemba Walker (34.7) Assists per game:  Kemba Walker (17.1) Field Goal Percentage: +Michael Kidd-Gilchrist  (.458) Free Throw Percentage: +Ramon Sessions (.840)  Three Point FG Percentage: Ben Gordon (.385) Steals per game: Kemba Walker (2.0) Blocked Shots per game:  Bismack Biyombo (1.8)
Projected Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: C. Al Jefferson PF. Bismack Biyombo SF. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist SG. Gerald Henderson PG. Kemba Walker	Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: G. Ramon Sessions G. Ben Gordon G/F. Jeffrey Taylor F/C. +Cody Zeller  F/C. Josh McRoberts
Analysis: For a team that once looked like a hopeless mess, the Charlotte Bobcats have reinvented itself to a potential playoff contender simply by executing one of season move.  Last season the Bobcats could not even buy a bucket as they were the worst shooting team in the league, but by adding just one player, they have systematically transformed themselves into a far more efficient and consistent offensive output.  This player has not gotten much exposure due to him spending most of his career on losing teams and was essentially swept under the rug; nonetheless, he gave his teams a 20 point and ten rebound per game player and had he been on a good team, he would have already been a multiple All Star selection.  Al Jefferson is by far one of the most underrated and under-appreciated players in the league as he has posted All Star worthy numbers, but with little or no recognition whatsoever. Even when he helped carry the +Utah Jazz to its last playoff appearance in 2012 and to a 43 win season barely missing the post season by just two games, Jefferson has yet to be given any credit for his contribution; however, now signed with Charlotte, Jefferson may finally have his moment in the sun as he will be called upon to be the Bobcats primary offensive option come opening tip off. The addition of Jefferson completely changes the dynamic of this Bobcats because not only does it give them a consistent 20-10 producer day in and day out, but also opens up the court for the other players as well.  Before Charlotte had to get most of their offense via the perimeter as the team did not have a viable offensive threat in the paint thus leading opponents to crowd them on the outside knowing full well that they had nothing to worry about in the paint.  Jefferson's presence changes all of that because he now forces Charlotte opponents to think twice on leaving the post alone on defense thus opening the court enough so players such as Kemba Walker and Gerald Henderson have the spacing to attack the rim more and not settle for long jumpers.  Defensively, Jefferson adds another protector of the rim and more of a physical presence in the paint that will aid the much smaller yet feisty Bismack Biyombo who at time got overwhelmed despite his best efforts.  With Jefferson in the fold the Bobcats now look far more deeper and talented they have ever looked in their rather short history as an NBA franchise and a potential spoiler come late season when teams start making a push for the playoffs. Jefferson arrival to Charlotte somewhat resembles the same dynamic as when the +Chicago Bulls signed +Carlos Boozer turning a marginal team that scraped to get to the playoff to a major player in the Eastern Conference race and a hopeful spoiler to the current champion +Miami HEAT.  Similar to the Bobcats, Chicago was a team that struggled to put points on the board as their offense was very perimeter oriented with them living and dying by the jumper.  Boozer's presence changed all that turning the tide thus making Chicago one of the most dangerous teams in the league that was able to kills their opponents on both the outside and the inside.  In Boozer's first year on the team, Chicago went from being just a mediocre .500 team that got quickly ousted in the playoff in 2010 to being the Eastern Conference's best winning 62 games--the first time they ever did that since the +Michael Jordan led Bulls did it in the 90s.  That is not to say that the addition of Jefferson will suddenly turn Charlotte into a championship contender--far from it; however his signing is a sure sign that the Bobcats are on the right track when it comes to turning this wayward franchise around. Last season the Bobcats tripled their win total going from a league worst sevens game in 2012 to 21 in 2013, and that was without an ace presence in the paint such as Jefferson.  Now with Jefferson, the Bobcats have a chance to boost their win total yet again; however it will not be as dramatic as with the Bulls in 2011 when Boozer arrived, but nonetheless it will still be impressive to say the least.  Taking into account of all things being equal and not discounting such occurrences as injuries, league suspensions or other extenuating factors, the Bobcats most conservatively be estimated to win at least the same 14+ game rate as they did the previous season.  They are by no means a playoff team by any sense of the imagination--at least they will not be this season; however come the following season when the Bobcats will officially drop their name and colors in order to return as the Charlotte Hornets, they will certainly make their case for being a true contender in the Eastern Conference.  After years of fumbling around in the dark, it seem that team owner Michael Jordan and his brain trust have finally gotten things right and given a year or two by getting Charlotte a first class big man to be the central cog of the team's offense. Although Jefferson should by no means the player that Charlotte builds their team upon, he does give the Bobcats a strong buffer to aid in the development of the younger players--namely their most recent prize, Cody Zeller who the team selected fourth overall in this years's NBA Draft. Instead of throwing him into the fray like a lamb to a pack of wolves to simply get devoured, Zeller will spend much of his time learning the game under an excellent mentor in Jefferson for the next three years or so.  Once the time comes, the Bobcats can then part ways with Jefferson who will have just turned 30, allowing him to sign with a team that has a chance of going for a championship and have Zeller take his place as the center piece of this young budding new Charlotte Hornets team. Although this is all conjecture and speculation at best, it does give a sign of hope for a franchise that has struggled not only in the league but also in being accepted by the local population due to their traumatic loss of their previous team.  Now with a new name, which happen to just be the old one, Charlotte can finally return to the NBA basketball loving town that it once was and will finally bring back the prestige and honor that once surrounded professional basketball in North Carolina.

SDH Presents the 2013 End of Season NBA's Worst to First: 22. Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards Overall Win/Loss Record (At Season’s End):  29-53,  third place Southeast Division	Preseason Prediction: 19	At Season’s End: 22
Team Statistics and League Rank (At Season’s End) Points Scored: 93.2 (28th) Points Allowed: 95.8 (8th) Team FG%: .435 (27th) Opponent’s FG%: .440 (5th) Team FT%: .733 (23rd) Team Three Point FG%: .363 (10th) Rebounds per game: 43.2 (9th) Opponents rebounds per game: 44.2 (28th) Turnovers per game: 14.6 (24th) Opponents turnovers per game: 13.9 (18th)	Individual Statistical Leaders (At Season’s End) Scoring (ppg): John Wall (18.5) Rebounds per game:  Emeka Okafor (8.8) Minutes per game: John Wall (32.7) Assists per game:  John Wall (7.6) Field Goal Percentage: Trevor Booker (.491) Free Throw Percentage:  Martell Webster (.850)   Three Point FG Percentage: Martell Webster (.422)   Steals per game: John Wall (1.3) Blocked Shots per game: Emeka Okafor (1.0)
Taking a Look Back at the Season that Once Was . . . SDH Worst to First Recap Time Period Wins/Losses Rank Change (+/-) By November 30th 1-13 30 -11 By December 31st 3-11 30 none By February 28th 14-14 28 +2 At Season’s End 11-20 22 +6	SDH Player of the Year: John Wall He missed the first 33 games of the regular season, but upon returning, John Wall showed Wizards fans and the NBA why he was selected first overall in the 2010 NBA Draft.  Before he returned to the lineup, the Wizards had just won five games for the entire; however, once he got back up and running the team's fortunes immediately improved.  With John Wall leading the charge, the Wizards finished January winning six of their last eleven games then continued playing strong into February going 8-5 for that month as well.  The Wizards went from starting with the worst record in regular season to finishing third place--albeit a DISTANT third place--in their division behind the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks.  If he were to have started the season at the opening tip off, Washington could have probably been been in playoff contention; however, that is all speculation at best.
Analysis: Despite finishing the 2013 NBA regular season with only 29 wins Wizards head coach Randy Wittman deserves plenty of credit for how he has changed the team's culture from a lazy and clueless team to a more focused, hardworking and cohesive unit.  Although Washington finished with one of the worst records in the league, it also finished among the top ten defensive teams in the NBA as they ranked 8th in the league in points allowed and 5th in opponents' field goal percentage.  In spite of their inability to put the ball in the basket, the Wizards balanced that out by ranking 9th in the league in rebounds per game and only lost by a slim margin of 2.5 points per game.  What the Wizards lacked in talent and firepower they made up for in heart and effort as they continued to fight and battle through the season win or lose.  Most teams would have thrown in the towel after starting the season 4-24, but not the Wizards as they never wavered in the face of adversity and remain together through thick and thin. Usually there would have been plenty of off the court drama such as internal fighting, conflicts with the coach, and one public relations disaster after another, but not this time.  This season's Washington team maintained its composure, its players kept out of the spotlight and showed great poise, professionalism and maturity even through the toughest of time.  If anybody were to characterize this past regular season for the Washington Wizards, he would she would definitely considered a character building season, something that the team had been so lacking for quite some time.  To think that all it took was a simple purge of the roster and a fresh infusion of veteran maturity to turn this team which had degenerated into a virtual laughing stock, into a model of professionalism and unity.  In spite of the poor regular season finish, head coach Randy Wittman still laid the foundation in which his team will lead the way to a prosperous future. Much of the Wizards' problems had to do with their poor offensive execution and that could be attributed to the absence of the team's star player and 2010 number one overall draft pick, John Wall.  With Wall sitting out much of the first half of the season, Wittman had a dickens of a job trying to find a player who was capable of bringing the ball past center court, let alone execute their offensive set.  Much of the team's back court consisted of young and inexperienced guard who were more suited to receiving the ball rather than distributing it. Add the fact that the team's primary front court scorer, Nene, was also out of commission for a huge chunk out the season making it even more of a problem to find someone to put the ball in the basket on a consistent basis.  Yet in spite of those dark time, the Wizards continued to now show any sign of wavering even in the most dire of circumstances and maintained their defensive intensity despite being unable to convert on the other side of the floor. Although their defense did not win them many games, it sure kept the Wizards close enough within striking distance to keep their opponents sweating somewhat.  They even managed to pull of some impressive wins against the "creme de la creme" of the league pulling off surprising upsets against such NBA powerhouses as the Miami Heat (12/4/2012), Oklahoma City Thunder (1/7/2013), Denver Nuggets (1/18/2013), Los Angeles Clippers (2/4/2013) and New York Knicks (2/6/2013).  In fact, among their 29 wins, 16 of them came at the expense of teams that either posted above .500 records or had qualified for the playoffs, and had won 13 of them by convincing margins of ten points or more.  The Wizards may also have finished with the fourth worst record in the league, but keep in mind that the team started the season winning just four games and then finished third place in their division in spite of their rather horrid start.  Such a finish in addition to the poise and effort given by Washington certainly give Wizards fans at least a small bit of satisfaction and hope for the future.   This off-season will certainly be a crucial one for Washington as John Wall will be eligible for a contract extension thus giving the Wizards plenty of pressure to prove to him that it is worth it for him to stay with the team.  That not only means being able to offer him the most to remain wearing the red and white stripes, but also surrounding him with the talent and sufficient firepower to make a run at the playoff.  He certainly will not want to remain on a team that is headed nowhere, regardless of how much money the Wizards can throw at him, and as it stands right now, the Wizards have been severely lacking in that department.  Fortunately thanks to the low cost, short term and expiring contracts they posses along with the third overall pick in this summers NBA draft, the Wizards certainly have the assets to be a major player in the offseason.  The playoffs may still be quite a ways out of reach, but if Wittman and his Wizards play with the same effort and focus as they did this season, Washington may find itself contending for the post season sooner rather than later.

SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for January and and February: 22. Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons Overall Win/Loss Record (as of February 28th) :  23-37 (fourth place, Central Division)	Last Month: 26	This Month: 22
Team Statistics and League Rank (as of February 28th) Points Scored: 94.9 (21st) Points Allowed: 97.5 (14th) Team FG%: .446 (15th) Opponent’s FG%: .448 (15th) Team FT%: .695 (28th) Team Three Point FG%: .363 (11th) Rebounds per game: 43.2 (8th) Opponents rebounds per game: 42.4 (18th) Turnovers per game: 15.1 (21st) Opponents turnovers per game: 13.5 (25th)	Individual Statistical Leaders (as of February 28th) Scoring (ppg): Greg Monroe (15.6) Rebounds per game:  Greg Monroe (9.6) Minutes per game: Greg Monroe (32.8) Assists per game: Jose Calderon (7.2) Field Goal Percentage: Andre Drummond (.592) Free Throw Percentage: Rodney Stuckey (.790) Three Point FG Percentage: Brandon Knight (.378) Steals per game: Greg Monroe (1.4) Blocked Shots per game: Andre Drummond (1.7)
Worst Player of the Month: Jonas Jerebko Can it be time to show this once promising prospect the door?  After having an impressive rookie season, many hoops fans in Motor City saw this young Swedish national as a diamond in the rough and a future piece of the Pistons' return to respectability; however, for the past couple of years, he has lost much  of his luster and his value has greatly diminished as well.  Hampered by injuries, both his minutes and his production have dropped sharply--his scoring went from 9.8ppg in his rookie season to just 6.0 per game and he has been shooting an abysmal .400 from the field compared to the near .500 he shot in his rookie year.  Jerebko did not start 2013 off very well as he played just three games, averaging just 3.0 points in only 10 minutes per game; however, his numbers improved greatly in February as his scoring doubled from the previous month while his shooting spiked up to .529 while he scorched the perimeter shooting .462 from beyond the arc.  Perhaps his improved production may be enough of a reason to keep or it can be the perfect selling point for Dumars if he wants to orchestrate another trade to upgrade the roster yet again.	First Player of the Month:  Jose Calderon Since being exiled from his home of seven years in a trade that sent former Memphis Grizzly leading scorer Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors, Jose Calderon has been a literal godsend to a team whose offense lacked consistency and ball movement.  He has finally given the Pistons what they have sorely needed and have tried and failed to obtain--a true point guard who's focused on protecting the ball and setting up his teammates.  The Pistons' offense has run so much smoothly since the Spaniard's arrival to motor city as the team's offensive execution has improved leaps and bounds from before.  Upon arriving to Detroit in the month of February, he has been absolutely stellar contributing on both sides of the court averaging 12.3 points, 7.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals per game while shooting .500 from the field and an amazing .511 from the three point line.  At 31 years of age, Calderon has probably reached his peak as a player and will never get any better than he already is; however, through his impressive performance thus far in Detroit, Jose will certainly garner much attention for his service and most definitely earn a sizable amount once he becomes an unrestricted free agents at season's end.
Analysis: Although they may still rest at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and relatively remain ignored by the most part, the Detroit Pistons have swiftly and silently returned to becoming a force in the NBA.  Their once stifling defensive play that had all but disappeared since team GM Joe Dumars rashly and incomprehensibly threw a grenade on the veteran team that brought Detroit so much glory has finally returned as the Pistons currently rank among the top half of the league in points and field goals allowed.  Detroit has also been a strong presence on the boards ranking eighth in the league in that category, while on the offensive end have been surprisingly lighting it up from the perimeter as they currently sit eleventh in the league in three point field goal percentage.  Despite their rather lackluster record, the Pistons have proven to be quite the relentless adversary only losing by just three points per game thus far while statistically matching their opponent toe to toe in rebounds, field goals and turnovers. In one season the Pistons went from being unbearable to watch to actually being rather pleasantly appealing to eyes of late and it looks as if there will be a new Motor City Renaissance and every NBA team, especially in their own Central  Division would be wise to take notice. In January, the Pistons started the new year with a BANG by winning three of their first four games beating the Sacramento Kings (1/1/2013) and the Atlanta Hawks (1/4/2013) in two hard fought games at home while simply decimating their division rival Milwaukee Bucks on the road (1/11/2013).  After that short 3-1 run, they suffered two straight loses falling at home in a three point heart breaker against the Utah Jazz (1/12/2013) followed by an embarrassing blowout loss at home courtesy of the New York Knicks (1/17/2013); however, the Pistons won three of their next five handing blowout losses to the Boston Celtics (1/20/2013) and the Orlando Magic at home (1/22/2013) while narrowly escaping the Magic yet again for the second time--this time on the road. Detroit would, could and should have possibly won four of five if they managed to hold on to beat the Chicago Bulls (1/23/2013); however, despite being  to 85 points and .437 shooting, Chicago still manage to sneak past the Pistons by just three points.  That game would have certainly been a major confidence boost and would have also been also a great morale boost as they finished January on a sour note losing their last two games rather badly by an average margin of 23 points at the hands of division rival Milwaukee Bucks (1/29/2013) and the Central Division leading Indiana Pacers (1/20/2013). February would both start finish rather bittersweet as they began the month by torching the Cleveland Cavaliers (2/1/2013), but would later lose their next three--two of which by a total of four points against the Los Angeles Lakers (2/3/2013) and the Brooklyn Nets (2/6/2013).  The Pistons did bounce back strong however, by taking four of their next six games--first by upsetting the league's best San Antonio Spurs by ten points (2/8/2013), then by avenging their previous humiliating loss to the Milwaukee Bucks (2/9/2013).  And despite losing badly at home to the New Orleans Hornets  (2/11/2013) and the Memphis Grizzlies (2/19/2013) Detroit still grabbed two key wins taking down fellow Eastern Conference cellar dwelling teams in the Washington Wizards (2/13/2013) and the Charlotte Bobcats (2/20/2013).  Unfortunately their 4-2 run would end as soon as it started as they would suffer soul crippling blowout losses not just once (2/22/2013), but twice (2/23/2013) at the hand of the first place Indiana Pacers followed by an eleven point drubbing by the Atlanta Hawks (2/25/2013).  The Pistons would however manage to salvage the month finishing the month by earning a hard fought victory against the Washington Wizards just scraping by just one point (12/27/2013). In those two months, one recurring theme remained rather dominant in the production and success of the Detroit Pistons and that was their unrelenting effort on the defensiive end.  Despite going 10-15 in January and February, the Pistons held their opponents to under 100 points in fourteen of those games winning half of them--four of them by 15 or more points.  Of the ones that they did lose, four of those games were rather tightly competitive as they lost them by a total of nine points--that is just a little over two points per game lost.  On the flip side the Pistons were not as lucky when they allowed their opponents to score over the century mark as they went 3-8 in those games.  Surprisingly the Pistons were 3-1 in games decided by ten points or less; however, as for the rest of those games, they would lose and lose badly by an average margin of 16 points in those seven other games. Through observing the numbers, it becomes rather apparent that the Pistons are at their best when they focus on playing stifling defense as opposed to trying to outscore their opponents.  Once they started loosening the reins and played lackadaisical defense, they would simply get run over by their competition as Detroit neither has the offensive power to match them or the Pistons simply would not be able to crawl out of the holes that they had dug themselves in.  Nonetheless, despite their rather inconsistent and sputtering offensive, their defense has been the driving force of keeping them a competitive team for a majority of the regular season.  Although they are still nowhere near to returning to their champion contending status from five years ago, if Detroit continue to grow and develop their chemistry and consistency on the defensive end, they can certainly become a playoff team in a year or two.  With another top ten pick coming their way along with oodles of salary cap space once the season ends, Detroit might find themselves becoming a playoff ready team possibly sooner rather than later, and that will put a lot of stress and anxiety for their Eastern Conference rivals.