 2014/2015 Projection: 36-46, fourth place Pacific Division, twelfth place Western Conference
Actual Finish: 29-53,
fourth place Pacific Division, thirteenth place Western Conference
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Projected 2014/2015
Finish
24 |
Actual 2014/2015
Finish
25
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Team
Statistics and League Rank
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Individual
Statistical Leaders
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SDH’s Hero to Honor: +DeMarcus Cousins
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SDH’s Face to Forget: Pete D'Alessandro
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Two years ago, it seemed as the sale of the +Sacramento Kings to billionaire Vivek Ranadivé and his commitment to stay in the city of Sacramento was a Godsend to a sports franchise that was virtually on life support and on the verge of collapse; however, three season's later, the Kings still remain in its rather sad state despite its best efforts to revitalize the franchise. The front office has done its best to reawaken this moribund franchise first by signing DeMarcus Cousins to a multi-year extension making him the face, heart and soul of the franchise while adding solid players around him such as +Rudy Gay and +Darren Collison, among others; however, nothing thus far has reaped any rewards as the Kings find themselves once again wallowing at the bottom of the Western Conference standing making many wonder whether keeping the team in Sacramento was a good idea. Although many credited Ranadivé and his associate for nobly keeping the team in Sacramento instead of moving to a more lucrative market such as Seattle, one has to ask the question if this noble act was in the best interest of the franchise. Had it moved, perhaps the new setting and a refreshing new fan base would have infused new life into every facet in the Kings organization--the coaching staff, front office and personnel--thus giving the team a virtual rebirth--the same way that the +Oklahoma City Thunder was reborn after leaving Seattle; instead it continues to spin its tires in the mud going nowhere as it continues to sink further to the point of completely disappearing altogether. If the Kings' direction does not change soon then frustrations from the players, most notably the team's star DeMarcus Cousins, will soon boil over and explode resulting in another disappointing rebuilding attempt and quite possibly the final death blow for this much maligned franchise.
At the opening tip off, it looked as if the Kings had finally turned a corner when it virtually shocked the basketball world winning nine of its first fourteen games and finished the first month of the season with a 9-8 record; however the hope of a Sacramento revival were swiftly shot down in the month of December when the team went 4-11 to finish 2014. Nonetheless, finishing the season 13-19 was far more than the ecstatic home crowd of the +Sleep Train Arena could have wished for even though the chances of reaching the playoffs were slim at best, especially in the Byzantine Western Conference, there was a glimmer of hope that this would be the start of something something special. Unfortunately, those hopes were quickly flushed down the toilet when the team's GM Pete D'Alessandro made a rash unwise move and fired head coach Michael Malone (12/15/2014), a man who the players greatly respected and was on the verge of changing the team's culture, after the team slipped into a short slump losing seven of nine games. What made the move especially thoughtless and reckless about Allesandro's was not only the fact that it was still early in the season and it would have been wiser to simply wait it out to see if the team can pull themselves out of it, but also the fact that the primary reasons of the Kings' struggle was because the team's star player, DeMarcus Cousins, had been sitting out those game due to illness. The team was only 11-13, which was quite an achievement in itself considering the Kings had come off its best start since forever, and as a result of the rather unjust and ill-advised handling of the coaching situation, Sacramento simply went into free fall and would never recover as the Kings winning just 18 games more to finish the season. To prove how insipid it was for D'Alessandro to fire Malone so early into the season, one can point out that no one expected for Sacramento to even reach .500, let alone contend for the playoffs this season and if one were to extrapolate that 11-13 start of the course of 82 games, then it would have been a great possibility for the Kings to finish with a 38-44 record had Malone stayed. Although it would not have been nearly enough to earn a playoff spot in the West, that certainly would have been a far better improvement from the teams previous seasons where the Kings won an average of just 24 games over the past six years and would have been at least a solid confidence booster for the team to move forward in the future. Unfortunately any progress or strides that the Kings could have made were completely sabotaged by a shortsighted move made by a witless GM who had severe delusions of grandeur of what his team--that in spite of the obvious talent in its roster, was still trying to feel its way in the NBA--was capable of accomplishing. Such a thoughtless move must have certainly knocked the wind out of DeMarcus Cousins confidence in the team, who was actually starting to build a rapport with the ousted coach and had already been wary of the team because of its considerable lack of stability at the beginning of his career. Now Cousins has to bear the weight of yet another disastrous and wasted season despite a rather magnificent individual performance and has nothing to look forward to, but yet another return to the lottery where he is reminded of how much of a wasted season that it was. If the team's fortunes do not change quickly, it will not be surprising to see that by the end of next season, both Cousins and his agent will be so fed up by the Kings' front office foolishness that they publicly demand to get the hell out of Sacramento thanks to the incompetence of both Ranadivé and D'Alessandro. From his interviews in the media and his general mannerism, it has become quite apparent that Vivek Ranadivé has no idea what he is doing since taking over the much maligned NBA franchise and despite what he or other Sacramento Kings fans want to believe, Pete D'Alessandro does not have the faintest notion, either. He wasted the eighth overall pick on a guy who was projected to fall late in the first round, allowed a future star in Isaiah Thomas to leave in free agency despite the fact that he only could have paid just a million more than he offered more to keep him, and this final debacle of Michael Malone's firing. That same player whom he simply discarded not only would go on to have an impressive season with the +Phoenix Suns, but also would go one to lead the +Boston Celtics to a shocking playoff run leaving both him and the organization looking like fools for letting him go in the first place. Stauskas, who was selected eighth overall in the draft, was an absolute disaster as he did not give the Kings the shooter that they desired him to be shooting just .365 from the field, failed to live up to the lofty expectations put upon on him for this season as he made little or no impact on the court thus further compounding on D'Alessandro's shortcomings as the team's GM. This season had so much potential to be a special one for the Kings because they had all the pieces in place, but poor managerial and personnel decisions robbed the team of achieving anything worthwhile leaving both the players and fans once again wondering if this team will ever return to what it once was in the late nineties and early 2000s. Both Rudy Gay and Demaruc Cousins have to be frustrated with the direction the team took because at this point in both of their career, neither one of them want to waste the prime years wasting away on a team going anywhere; however, with what has happened thus far, it is doubtful that things will change anytime soon unless there is a severe shake up in the front office (#firepetedalessandro). Unfortunately, what happened in past cannot be changed and the best thing to for both the players, the fans and the Kings organization to do is pick themselves up, dust themselves off, learn from their past mistakes, prepare for the draft, wait for next season to start, and keep pressing forward. Hopefully the Kings can turn things around before they really start to get ugly and once again fans in Sacramento will be wondering once again whether or not their team will remain their city, let alone finally make the playoffs. |
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Showing posts with label number 25. Show all posts
Showing posts with label number 25. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
SDH's 2014/2015 NBA End of Season Worst to First Countdown: 25. Sacramento Kings
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for November: 25. Sacramento Kings
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Overall Win/Loss Record (as of November 30th): 4-10, fifth place Pacific
Division
|
23
|
This Month:
25
|
Team
Statistics and League Rank
|
Individual
Statistical Leaders
|
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SDH’s Worst of the Month: Jimmer Fredette
 After having a promising sophomore campaign where he averages nearly eight points in under 15 minutes of playing time, it looked as if Jimmer Fredette was ready to take that next step and finally give his fans justification for rooting for him. Unfortunately, it seems as if his career has hit another speed bump with the arrival of Greivis Vasquez and the emergence of Isaiah Thomas has shoved him out back into the cold once again. In the month of November, Freddette had played just six out of fifteen games, but still managed to put up respectable numbers in limited minutes averaging four points, two rebounds and two assists in just over twelve minutes per game. The most notable of his numbers was that despite shooting .360 from the field in his limited time on the court, he still managed to stroke it from beyond the arc at .500. If he were just given the opportunity of have regular consistent, Jimmer Fredette would certainly provide fans quite a show if one were to stretch his numbers over a extended period of time; however, as long as he remains in Sacramento, he may never get that chance. |
SDH’s First of the Month: Isaiah Thomas
 Probably one of the greatest feel good stories to ever come out from the onset of the 2013/2014 NBA season has to be the emergence of the Kings' third year point guard who was lucky to be taken with the final pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. Once considered nothing much more than an afterthought, Isaiah Thomas has exploded out of the gates as he has come of the bench to post a career high of 17.1 points per game, second on the team behind DeMarcus Cousins. Along with his phenomenal offensive production, Thomas has also taken a greater role as a leader on the team even superseding the recently arrived Kings' starting point guard Greivis Vasquez. If he continues his stellar performance, Isaiah Thomas will certainly be in the running for both the league's Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year Awards--that is if he does not bump Vasquez from the starting lineup before then. One thing is for certain, her will be certainly be in for a massive pay raise come season's end as he will be be a restricted free agent who will be paid a minuscule 890$ thousand for the year. |
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Despite the the rather poor 4-10 start, there is a much more bright and positive outlook for the city of Sacramento as it began the season with the knowledge that their NBA team that has been with them for more than 30 years is here to stay and a front office that has a new devotion to winning. No longer will their team be cruelly dangled in front of them only to be pulled away once they got too close and gone is the poisonous atmosphere that was spawned by the previous regime who schemed to rip the team out of its home for three decade. Now with new ownership who is not only committed to keeping the team in the Californian state capital but also determined to make this team a winner at the same time, there is not only a great sense of relief, but also joy that good times are just around the corner. No bigger sign there to show the commitment of the team's new direction was when they committed in the off season signing the talented and much maligned center, DeMarcus Cousins, to a maximum contract extension making him the official face of the franchise. Now with their key piece in the fold, the Kings can focus on the future as both the team and the city of Sacramento have been infused with a new breath of life and a light of hope as they have been literally given a second chance. So far, the results have been less than spectacular as the new look Kings still look more like the old tired Kings the previous season as they did not look that much different losing seven of their first ten games and ending the month of November, losing three of the team's last four games. Nonetheless, despite the poor start, the atmosphere still remains positive and upbeat instead of the team simply looking down upon themselves and accepting their fates as perennial losers, they look at each game as a chance to better and that attitude reflects both on and off the court. The story has not been so much about the Kings struggled at the start of the season as most of the talk has been about the improved chemistry and increased camaraderie among the players, coaching staff and front office. There has yet to be any stories about player in fighting, selfish play or any sign of the poor chemistry that had been rotting the team from the inside for much of the past four or five years as everyone has essentially put all that toxic past behind them and are pushing forward to a brighter tomorrow. In addition, it also seems that the players have started to buy into the new pervasive team culture and it has benefited them in ways that probably neither they or anybody thought could have ever been possible. The biggest change had to have come from DeMarcus Cousins who had gone from being labelled a spoiled selfish brat and team pariah to becoming a true leader and beacon for his team to follow, both on and off the court. He has already stepped up his performance on the court as he is posted the best numbers in his career leading the Kings on both sides of the court--in points, rebounds, steals and blocked shots per game--and his teammates have followed suit. Now tabbed as the focal point of the team's offense, DeMarcus no longer needs to force and take bad shots because he is all but certain to get the ball in the places he wants and has been able to take higher efficiency shots than he did. In turn, the rest of the team have diminished the number of turnover committed from the previous season as there is a clearer focus on what needs to be done, instead of simply winging it and having the ball be turned over once again because of careless play on their part. Instead of every player trying to make a play off isolation, there is actual ball movement which has led to better play on the offensive end and a better chance at getting back on defense when they get caught in transition. Although it has been evidently clear that the team has taken strides in not only improving their offensive execution and strengthening the defense, there still remain some wrinkles that certainly need to be ironed out if there are to go anywhere further. For starters, the Kings still remain one of the league's worst defensive teams when it comes to their opponents' field goal percentage as they allow opposing teams to shoot an incredibly high at nearly .470. Not only do they allow their foot to out shoot-them .470 to .430, the Kings also allow opposing team to beat them on the glass, albeit by a rather slim margin; nonetheless, as long as the Kings allow teams to beat them both at the basket and on the boards, do not expect them going very far especially in the Western Conference. One glimmer of hope for Sacramento has been the team's ability to take care of the ball as can be seen by their rather low turnover rate at less than 13 per game, which is second in the league, and their assist to turnover ratio has vastly improved from the previous season as well. Another good point is that they also force more turnovers than they commit them making team's lose possession at an average of 16 times per game--a plus 3 margin; and despite allow teams to shoot at a high percentage, the Kings have thus far kept the scoring low allowing those who face them to score just 99.5 point while keeping the games relatively close as they have lost by an average of four points thus far this season. All point to signs that although they still have a long ways to go before they are anywhere near to taking on the best in the west, the Sacramento Kings seem to be heading towards the right direction. Although it is certainly a forgone conclusion that the Kings will most definitely return to the lottery at the end of the season as they have done for the past few seasons, one thing remains starkly different: and that is that unlike those season, there is a greater sense of hope for a brighter future. The team is now bound to their city for the long haul and has committed itself to a culture of excellence instead of allowing itself to remain the laughing stock that it has been for the last few years. What is also very apparent is that unlike past seasons, the Kings are not going to stand idly by and allow their losing continue; instead they have been continuously searching for ways to improve the team in order to get them on the right track. Recently, the Kings had already made two big trades sending swing man Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to the +Minnesota Timberwolves in return for Derrick Williams and swung a deal to get +Rudy Gay from the +Toronto Raptors. And don't think that the Kings are finished wheeling and dealing because with three months left until the trade deadline, it is almost certain that Sacramento is far from finished at tweaking the roster as they continue on their quest to return to relevancy. |
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Friday, September 20, 2013
SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 25. Utah Jazz
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Last Season’s Rank
17
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Projected 2013/2014
Finish
25
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Last
season’s Team Statistics and League Rank
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Returning
Individual Statistical Leaders
|
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Projected
Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact:
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Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact:
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Analysis:
It has finally arrive to the time where not only Jazz fans, but all who follow the +NBA have been waiting for--where we all finally get to see Derrick Favors unleashed to the world. Since he was selected third overall in the 2010 NBA Draft, hoops fans have been waiting eagerly to finally see what this unique human specimen can finally do. So far we have been teased by glimpses of his potential greatness as he had spent much of his young career stashed on the bench behind the likes of +Al Jefferson and +Paul Milsap; however, now with them gone of to greener pastures, Favors will finally have his chance to bask in the spotlight that has been denied from him four the past four years. Favors will not be the only player that have Jazz fans' mouths watering and chomping at the bit as he is one of numerous young talents the team posses who will finally have their moments in the sun. The first of these young prodigies who will soon become the foundation of a Jazz team for years to come is the young Turkish center who had very little basketball experience, but had the size, the build, the strength along with a plethora of skills to be someone that will be remembered in the NBA for a long time. When Enes Kanter entered the draft little was known about him other than he was deemed ineligible to play for the +Unversity of Kentucky Wildcats and the small glimpses that were seen in a +Nike Hoops Summit game so it was considered a gamble when Utah picked him third overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. Despite his limited basketball exposure, Kanter went on to prove that he belonged in the NBA as he played all 66 games in the lockout shortened 2012 season while posting rather respectable numbers in limited minutes--4.6 points, 4.2 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game while shooting .496 from the field. Last season Kanter took another step forward as he came onto the court looking leaner, meaner and to make a statement and he certainly did as he led the team in field goal percentage and upping his numbers to 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in a little over 15 minutes per game. Now that he no long has to play behind someone else, look for Kanter's numbers to double as he might possibly be paired alongside Derrick Favors to give the Jazz potentially the most imposing and invincible front court duo the league has seen in a generation. One can liken a Kanter/Favors duo to have the same dominance and intimidation factor similar to what +Kevin McHale and +Robert Parish had while playing for the +Boston Celtics in the 1980s. Playing alongside the next Parish and McHale, the Jazz might potentially also have in its possession the reincarnation of the greatest Caucasian to have every played the game, +Larry Bird, and he comes in the form of a lanky, boyishly good looking, and understated Gordon Hayward. He did not look like much in his rookie season coming out of Butler University, but he started to show signs of potential greatness in his second and third season showing an innate ability to can the outside jumper while splitting his opponents' defenses. Hayward also showed an affinity to not only scoring but facilitating his teammates and finding them open with his 3.0 assists per game as well as a keen intellect on the court similar to the Larry Legend himself. Like Bird, Hayward's game is neither that flashy nor does he seem to be very quick or athletic either, but underestimating him will be a defender's downfall as he will make that person pay on both ends of the court. Many may scoff at what is being said right now, but that's because no one has seen him play, but once he gets unleashed people will remember what this guy's name is and in time, he might just eclipse Favors and Kanter as the face of the Utah Jazz. Finally, rounding out the Jazz's foundation of the future is the other first round pick that the Jazz selected in 2011 with the twelfth pick in the draft--shooting guard Alec Burks. Right now it is undetermined whether Burks will play the point or the shooting guard position on opening day because although he is listed on many sites as a point guard, his numbers have shown a completely different story. Last season Burks had given a rather solid performance coming off the bench scoring seven points per game in just under 18 minutes of playing time, but his assist to turnover ratio was almost even at one thus showing how unprepared he is to play that position. Also unlike the other three player mentioned, Burks may or may not be a part in the Jazz's long term plans because although he may have shown some potential when given more minutes, he does not seem to have what it takes to really set himself apart from all the other guards in the league. Nonetheless, he still remains an intriguing prospect that should be still kept an eye on as like his aforementioned teammates, also he has the potential to do big things. Despite all the hope and optimism of the Jazz's new youth movement, it does come at a price as Utah will enter opening day with one of the youngest and inexperienced team in the league. In the 16 man roster heading into training camp, nine of the players are aged 25 years an under while at the same time the Jazz have no real options at the point guard position. So far, their best option at the starting point guard is a 35 year old Jamaal Tinsley, a player whose career is nearing its end and has more baggage than a 747 heading on an international flight. Other than that, the veteran presence is rather weak as it consists of primarily rejects and has-beens that offer little if any leadership for this rather green team. Facing an ever strengthening Western Conference, expect the Jazz to take a lot of lumps this season as they look to finish near the bottom of the conference and the league; however, Utah hoops fans can keep in mind that during these harsh times, they have a fertile ground of young talent that willn soon take the league by storm. |
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
SDH Presents the 2013 End of Season NBA's Worst to First: 25 Cleveland Cavaliers
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Overall
Win/Loss Record (At Season’s End): 24-58, fifth place Central Division
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25
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At
Season’s End:
25
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Team
Statistics and League Rank (At Season’s End)
|
Individual
Statistical Leaders (At Season’s End)
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Taking a Look back at the Season that Once Was . . .
|
SDH Player of the Year:
Kyrie Irving 
It is unbelievable how fortunate the Cleveland Cavaliers have been over the last couple of years. Last year, after suffering one of the worst betrayals in sports history, Cleveland managed to acquire the number one overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft who turned out to be Kyrie Irving. After having a splendid start of his career earning Rookie of the Year honors, Irving has continued where he left off leading his team on both ends of the floor and has giving the city of Cleveland reason to be optimistic. At 20 years old and just in his second season, Irving has already his first All Star selection and has cemented himself as one of the top young players in the league. He has certainly helped Cavs fans forget that awful day three years ago when they had their hearts collectively ripped out when another player the team picked first overall jumped ship without any warning.
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Analysis:
One has to be overjoyed if he or she is a Cleveland Cavaliers fan because not only has their team replaced the immense void of losing their franchise player with another in Kyrie Irving, but also have the chance to get another superstar caliber player. In one of the most shocking and surprising examples of lightning landing twice the same spot, the Cavaliers won the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft--the second time in three years. Talk about luck--the Cavs must have had some higher power watching over them as the odds of a team winning the lottery twice in short a short period of time is mind boggling the say the least. The only other time such an event occurred was twenty years ago when the Orlando Magic won the lottery earning the number one overall pick twice consecutively for both the 1992 and 1993 NBA Drafts. Now armed with yet another number one pick, the Cavs have a chance to add another superstar to pair alongside the franchise's conrner stone, Kyrie Irving, making the Cavs possibly one of the league's most exciting team coming into next season. That is not to say that the Cavs are heading for an NBA title anytime soon, or even that they will be even make the playoffs at all for a quite a while; nonetheless, with their second straight number one draft pick in three years, there is certainly a cause for celebration. There might be a hint of skepticism as many analysts have downplayed this draft as being one of the most shallow draft classes in NBA history; however, these same analysts had the same pessimistic projection in 2011 saying that there had no star potential whatsoever in that draft class. They were certainly proven wrong as the 2011 class proved to be one of the most surprising in recent memory and Kyrie Irving not only went to show that he not only belonged in this league, but also he has the pedigree to become one of the top players in the game. Similar to the 2011 draft as well, the top prospect player that everyone anticipates to go first the draft is one whom missed most if not all of his season dye to injury--similar to Kyrie Irving; however, given Cleveland's penchant for good luck thus far, it is certain the once picked, the Cavs will boast another diamond in the rough and future superstar as Irving. With 19 year old Kentucky Wildcat center Nerlens Noel being tabbed as the consensus number one overall pick, the Cavs have a potential to have a potent inside/outside combination with him and Irving together on the floor thus giving them a solid foundation to build upon for years to come. To think that just two years ago the Cleveland Cavaliers were in complete disarray after the team, its fans and the entire city were rocked to the core when Lebron James broadcasted his infamous decision to leave the city where he had been idolized for warmer pastures. No one could have ever predicted that both the team and city would bounce back from such an emotionally traumatic such as that, but they did and in rather spectacular fashion to say the least. The team had won just 19 games in year one of the post Lebron era after they had won 61 games the previous season and it looked as if it would be the start of a long and painful rebuilding period; however, all that changed in June when the Cavs were blessed with the number one overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. That blessing, despite the rather dim projections of the draft pool gave both a team and its city a glimmer of hope regardless on whether or not the pick will ever be able the fill the massive void that Lebron James had left. Fortunately for the Cavs and the city of Cleveland that number one pick would not only fill that void, but erase any hint of the Lebron James era with Irving earning the Rookie of the Year award and followed that season with a selection on the Eastern Conference All Star team. Despite the near immediate replacement of the franchise's "chosen one," and the team's and city's new found hope after their dreams had been so cruelly shattered, progress remains rather slow to say the least. They had just won three games more than the previous year leading the Cavs to part ways with head coach Byron Scott, who in three years had won just a total of 54 games; however, regardless of the apparent lack of progress, there is still a greater sense of hope as this team has plenty of youth which has yet to reach its full potential. Only two players on the roster are over thirty while the vast majority of the team are under the age of 25, and to top it all off, the Cavs have oodles of salary cap space and close to 15$ million in expiring contracts. With most of the players' having short term contracts of three years or less, the Cavs are in excellent shape financially as they have the flexibility that most NBA franchises wish they had. Add the fact that they currently hold on to the number one overall pick in this summer's NBA Draft gives the team all the requirements they need to turn a down and out franchise into a potential playoff contender within a year or two. So in effect, Lebron James dumping Cleveland in favor of the shores of South Florida was probably the best thing to ever happened to the Cavaliers as none of this would have been possible if it were not for him leaving. They would not have had the opportunity to have not just one, but two number one picks in the past three years--a happening that is comparable and to winning a lottery jackpot not once, but twice. It just goes to show that it may take something terrible to happen in order for the extraordinary to occur--sometimes a heart needs to be broken in order for it to find the true love that it has been yearning, searching and hoping for its entire life. Sure, they may continue to remain at the bottom of the standings for the next couple of years, but this a marathon not a race and every losing season will the Cavs even closer to not only returning to respectability, but to contend-ability as well. One all the magic is done and the era of Miami's "big three" has run its course, it will be the city of Cleveland that will have the final laugh as its Cavs team will return from the darkness it had once came and possibly this time they will be able to accomplish what Lebron James could not do in his time there--to bring a NBA championship trophy to the city of Cleveland. |
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Saturday, March 16, 2013
SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for January and and February: 25. New Orleans Hornets
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Overall
Win/Loss Record (as of February 28th) : 20-39 (fifth place, Southwest Division)
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27
|
This Month:
25
|
Team
Statistics and League Rank (as of February 28th)
Points Scored:
94.2 (23rd)
Points Allowed:
97.7 (15th)
Team FG%: .452
(14th)
Opponent’s
FG%: .464 (25th)
Team FT%: .770
(10th)
Team Three
Point FG%: .371 (7th)
Rebounds per
game: 41.1 (23rd)
Opponents
rebounds per game: 40.4 (5th)
Turnovers per
game: 14.3 (9th)
Opponents
turnovers per game: 13.4 (26th)
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Individual
Statistical Leaders (as of February 28th)
Scoring (ppg):
Ryan Anderson (16.7)
Rebounds per
game: Al-Farouq Aminu (7.6)
Minutes per
game: Greivis Vasquez (34.1)
Assists per
game: Greivis Vasquez (9.4)
Field Goal
Percentage: Robin Lopez (.552)
Free Throw
Percentage: Eric Gordon (.850)
Three Point FG
Percentage: Ryan Anderson (.397)
Steals per
game: Al-Farouq Aminu (1.3)
Blocked Shots
per game: Anthony Davis (1.8)
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Worst Player
of the Month:
 Aminu started off quite well at the season's tip-off; however, since posting career numbers in November of 9.8 points per game, his scoring has gradually diminished with each passing month as the season wears on. From looking as if he had the potential of becoming a quality player and a possible building block for the future, Al-Farouq Aminu has become an almost non factor as both his minutes and production have taken downward turns. Despite his significant drop in offensive production, Aminu has still remained rather efficient shooting close to .470 from the field off of only six shot attempts per game. His rebounding and defense are probably the only two reason why head coach Monty Williams has kept Aminu in the roster, as he currently leads the team in steals per game and is second in rebounding as well. Unfortunately, as a result of him being an almost non-factor on the offensive end after starting so strong, Aminu's stock has certainly diminished as a result and just might end up a roster casualty once the season draws to a close. |
First Player
of the Month: Greivis Vasquez
 Forget about Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon or even Ryan Anderson--it is Greivis Vasquez who has been the Hornets best player thus far in the season and possibly one of the best kept secrets in the NBA as well. From coming off the bench last season, Vasquez has become the catalyst of the Hornets offense leading the team in assists per game along with being fourth in league as well. His impressive skill set, his superior court vision and basketball IQ along with his size, at 6' 6" and 211 lbs, make Vasquez a virtual match up nightmare to opposing defenses and possibly one of the most dangerous players in the league. His play is certainly reminiscent of another Hall of Fame point guard whose size, skills, and abilities led to him to be heralded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. If Vasquez continues his stellar play at the point, he may earn himself the nickname of "Latin Magic" as he will certainly become a player to keep a eye on. |
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Analysis:
Although they have only risen a couple of spots from the previous month, the New Orleans Hornets have still continued to perform rather admirably as they continue to show their opponents that despite their losing record, they still should not be underestimated in the least. After finishing 2012 winning just seven of thirty games, the Hornets buzzed into 2013 as a fierce swarm stinging their opponent by winning seven of their first ten games. They stumbled at the start losing their first two games against the Atlanta Hawks (1/1/2013) followed by the Houston Rockets (1/2/2013); however, they found their stride winning four straight beating three of their division rivals including an impressive upset against the first place San Antonio Spurs (1/11/2013). After having their winning end abruptly thanks to the New York Knicks (1/13/2013), the Hornets bounced back yet again winning three of their next four games losing a heart breaker to the Golden State Warriors by just four points (1/19/2013). Unfortunately January ended on a sour note as New Orleans finished the month winning just one of their last five games; however, despite the lackluster finish, the Hornets gave plenty of reasons that will keep their opponents wary and their fans optimistic for the future.
For starters, among the eight games that they lost to in January, five of the those losses were by single digit margin with four of them being rather close at five points or less. If the ball would had bounced the Hornets way and they would have had a couple of key defensive stops, the Hornets could have had those close games. Against such quality teams such as the Spurs (1/23/2013), Los Angeles Lakers (1/29/2013) and the Utah Jazz (1/20/2013) the Hornets lost by a total of just fourteen points--that's just about four points per loss. It all boiled down to defense as New Orleans struggled against team that they allowed to score 100 points or more whereas the Hornets won all except one when holding their foes to under 100 points losing to just the Atlanta Hawks despite holding them to just 95 points. Once those games reached to the 100 point mark, the Hornets simply could not hold on and were simply outlasted by the Warriors, Spurs, Lakers and Jazz or if they were not outlasted, they were blown out by the likes of the Knicks by 13, and twice by the Houston Rockets to the tune of 12 (1/2/2013) and 18 points (1/25/2013). Unfortunately, February would not start as well as it did the previous month losing their first two games rather embarrassingly against the Denver Nuggets by 15 (2/1/2013) and the Minnesota Timberwolves by 19 (2/2/2013). Similar to what happened in January, the Hornets would bounce back winning four of their last five games losing to the Toronto Raptors (2/10/2013) on the road. Unfortunately it was the same story following that four win run as the Hornets simply just could not hold on and would lose yet again by rather slim margins. Despite holding the Chicago Bulls to 96 points, the Hornets simply could not make shots on the other end of the floor as they ended up losing by 9 points (2/19/2013) followed by two heart breaking defeats against the Cleveland Cavaliers (2/20/2013) and the Dallas Mavericks (2/22/2013) by a total of just eight points. They managed to take their frustration out on the visiting Sacramento Kings by simply crushing them on their home floor (2/24/2013), but as it would often happen, the Hornets could not carry that momentum as they would lose yet another heart breaker to the Brooklyn Nets by just four points (2/26/2013) followed by a humiliating loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder (2/27/2013).
Although a two month record 13-16 may not much be to brag about, it is certainly a step in the right direction for the New Orleans Hornets as that was certainly far better than sole seven sole victories that they had in November and December combined. Also, considering that eight of those sixteen games were losses of just four to five points, if luck were on their side, the Hornets could have potentially finished January and February with 21 instead of just 13 games, thus tripling their win total. A quick look at the number would also show that despite resting at the bottom of the standings, the Hornets certainly kept their opponents on their toes as their matched them almost exactly in terms of shooting, rebounding and committing turnovers. In essence, January and February can be considered as a microcosm of the the Hornets' general performance thus far in this season--they have fought and have continued to fight regardless of the outcome. They will certainly not gain a playoff spot, but they have probably gained something far more valuable--respect from their opponents and the league in general.
It may not look like it now, but a huge and deadly swarm is on its way and the other 29 nine teams in the NBA need to stand up and take notice. This young hungry Hornets team will not stay at the bottom for long and are more than likely a season or two away from becoming a force to be reckoned with in the NBA. With each passing season they will grow stronger and in time, the teams that had once scraped past them will become the victims instead of the victors. If they manage to maintain the talented young core of players that the Hornets currently possess, there will be no stopping the Swarm once it reaches to full strength. So look your doors, batten down the hatches, and run for cover, because a storm is brewing in the Bayou and once it hits, no one within an earshot will be spared from the merciless swarm that will soon approach--just remember, you all have been fore-warned. |
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