SDH's 2014/2015 NBA End of Season Worst to First Countdown: 30. Minnesota Timberwolves

2014/2015 Projection:  23-59, fifth place Northwest Division, fifteenth place Western Conference Actual Finish:  16-66, fifth place Northwest Division, fifteenth place Western Conference	Projected 2014/2015 Finish 29	Actual 2014/2015 Finish 30
Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 97.8 (23rd) Points Allowed: 106.5 (30th) Team FG%: .438 (24th) Opponent’s FG%: .487 (30th) Team FT%: .776 (6th)            Team Three Point FG%: .332 (25th) Rebounds per game: 40.9 (27th) Opponents rebounds per game: 43.6 (17th) Turnovers per game: 14.3 (23rd) Opponents turnovers per game: 14.6 (8th)	Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Kevin Martin (20.0) Rebounds per game:  Gorgui Dieng (8.3) Minutes per game: Andrew Wiggins (36.3) Assists per game:  Ricky Rubio (8.8) Field Goal Percentage: Gorgui Dieng (.506) Free Throw Percentage:  Kevin Martin (.888) Three Point FG Percentage: Kevin Martin (.393) Steals per game:  Ricky Rubio (1.7) Blocked Shots per game: Gorgui Dieng (1.7)
SDH’s Hero to Honor: +Andrew Wiggins  Those who have doubted that Wiggins has what it takes to be a cornerstone of a franchise must have been certainly quelled given his rather impressive debut on the NBA scene.  Upon entering the league, the Canadian who was selected first overall by the +Cleveland Cavaliers, but then traded to the Wolves for +Kevin Love, was scrutinized by media pundits and scouts on everything from his shot mechanics and dribbling skills to his character and ability to lead a franchise; however, after a rocky start, he turned his game up a notch and silenced any doubters of his All Star potential.  The 19 year old certainly proved himself not to be a "hoser" as he led the team in scoring while improving his point production every moths from the paltry 12.3 points per game he finish November with to the whopping 23.3 per game he finished by season's end.  Not only has he proven himself the elite scorer that many were skeptical of him being, but he has shown signs thanks to his length and athleticism that he has the potential to be on of the league's elite defenders as well.  Although he had little or no competition for the rookie of the year race, Wiggins has certainly made it known that not only does he deserve the award, but also that he has a very long and bright future in the NBA.	SDH’s Face to Forget:  Anthony Bennett We now shift the discussion from one Canadian basketball player who has lived up to the expectations of being selected the number overall pick in the draft to the previous one, who has thus far failed miserably to achieve such feats.  Last season, Anthony Bennett went down in NBA history as possibly the worst ever rookie performance for a number one overall pick and had the opportunity to remake himself upon arriving to Minnesota with his teammate and fellow countryman Andrew Wiggins.  Unfortunately, his sophomore season was almost equally as bad as his freshman year in the NBA as he was almost a non-factor on the team appearing in just 57 games, and posted such pedestrian number as 5.2 points and 3.8 boards in just 15 minutes per game.  He started the season pretty good finishing the month of November with 7.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting a rather efficient .532 from the field; however, that was sort lived as both his production, his playing time, and his place in the roster's rotation soon began to disappear.  There is still hope that at the age of 22 along with his versatile skill set and size, he can still salvage himself a somewhat decent NBA career; however, do not expect him to be anything more than a solid role player, because if his play is a sign of what may come, his ceiling as a player has possibly already been reached.
To be a +Minnesota Timberwolves fan has certainly been an exercise in masochism as NBA fans in that state have been forced to endure not only countless losing seasons, but a failed rebuilding period to go along with very poor executive decisions from their team's head office which resulted in the departure of another franchise player caliber star in Kevin Love just to see the team start from scratch once again.  This time the Wolves started with a new foundation built on the number one overall pick in the NBA draft, a long and athletic Canadian teenager who turned pro after completing his freshman year at the +University of Kansas , to go along with a crew of ragtag misfits who were just as young, inexperienced, and physically out-matched as he was.  It did not help when what little veteran presence the team had were sidelined for the majority of the season leaving the rest of the team, comprised of either teenagers or young men who had just reached the twenties to fend for themselves.  As can be expected, such a team that was so ill-equipped to compete in a grown man's league was made short work of by the more seasoned opponents and made their poor young cubs look less like "Timber Wolves," and more like "Timid Lambs" who were sent to the slaughter; nonetheless, despite the horrific and traumatic outcome to those poor souls, there can still be some positive signs of hope for the future.    This team has a roster that can be considered a virtual treasure chest of young talent mixed with veteran experience and had the Wolves been at full strength, they certainly would have given any NBA team a run for its money; Plus, fans can hold solace in the fact that with a 16 win finish, that will be the lowest their team will probably ever go thus giving a sense of hope that there will be nowhere else to go but up. Even though the season was a complete wash, there were still a bright spots that shined through an otherwise bleak and dismal season which was primarily highlighted by Minnesota's young core of rookies and sophomores led by their two 19 year old phenoms Anthony Wiggins and +Zach LaVine--both of whom virtually carried their inexperienced and injury plagued team throughout the entire 82 games.  Wiggins shined brightest of all as he proved worthy of his first overall draft status as he led the team in scoring in place of the injured Kevin Martin thus earning him NBA Rookie of the Year Honors; however, the biggest surprise had to be LaVine--a player who at first was not expected to play at all, but was suddenly thrust into the spotlight thanks to injuries of the team's starting point guard, Ricky Rubio.  At first LaVine seemed quite overwhelmed often resembling a deer caught in headlights, but a the season progressed, he grew from an insecure youth who often looked confused and unsure of his rose on the court and blossomed into a a much confident player who showed that at the tender age of 19, he can still certainly hold his own in the NBA.  His first two months came with a mixed bag as he both gave what looked to be a solid contribution on the court with his 9.0 points, 2.5 five rebounds, and close to four assists per game, but those impressive numbers were offset by his rather shaky shooting (.404 FG%, .256 3ptFG%) which can be considered understandable considering his age as well as his limited experience and understanding of the professional game.  Unfortunately, LaVine would struggle the next two months of the season as both his playing time and his production would see dramatic decreases to the point where he finished the month of February averaging just 4.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.4 assist per game in just under 12 minutes of playing time; however, upon the start of March, he suddenly reawakened posting his best numbers of the season with 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting an amazing .426 from beyond the arc--and he was not finished yet. As if his sudden emergence was not good enough, LaVine took his game to stratospheric levels as he resembled an All Star finishing the month of April with 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game while shooting rather proficiently at .470 in the last 15 games of the regular season thus making his rookie performance almost as impressive as his 2014 NBA Draft classmate, Andrew Wiggins.  Wolves fans had to be delighted at the prospect of both their highly touted rookies exceeding even the most optimistic of projections, but that was not the last of good news as they would receive even more glad tidings and hope for the future with the breakout performances from second year players +Gorgui Dieng and Shabbaz Muhammad--two players who did not show much in their rookie years last season, but virtually stole the show from their most seasoned veteran teammates.  Similar to LaVine, Dieng was thrust onto the center stage thanks to the unforeseen season ending injury of the Wolves' high priced center +Nikola Pekovic and did not fail to disappoint as he posted a rather respectable showing of 9.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocked shots in the 73 game he played--49 of which he started; however, Dieng would be outdone by Muhammad, who went from being an absolute disappointment his rookie year to a far improved sophomore campaign.  His rather poor rookie performance both on and off the court had placed Muhammad on the team's "Black List" and was expected to be discarded by mid season, but he bounced back his second year showing a far more improved, mature and focused player than he was before and turn him in the eyes of Wolves fan from "Complete Zero" to "Fan Hero."  Although his season was cut short after just 38 games, his bounce back performance from his forgettable rookie campaign was rather noteworthy as he came of the bench to average 13.5 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting a rather proficient .489 from the field and .392 from the three point line in number 23 minutes of playing time per game and had he continued playing, he probably would have been in the running for the league's Most Improved Player Award had he not been sidelined for the remainder of the regular season. So in spite of all of the chaos and turmoil that had marked this 2014-2015 campaign, Wolves fans still had plenty to cheer for thanks to the superb breakout performances of their team's two rookies as well as the rather notable contributions of two second year players to go along with it; however, the good times would not end there as they would be given an extra treat to help digest the prospect of a long road ahead until their team becomes respectable.  By the league's mid season trade deadline, they would receive to surprise parting gifts in big men +Adreian Payne and Justin Hamilton--two players that saw little if any playing time in their former teams, but upon arriving in Minnesota, made the executives whom callously discarded them look like complete fools as they too proved their worth with impressive finishing performances.  Upon being drafted by the +Atlanta Hawks, Payne had not seen any playing time whatsoever either spending much of his rookie season either riding the pine at the end of the bench or bumming around with the team's +NBA DLeague affiliate, the +Bakersfield Jam; however, upon arriving to Minnesota he proved to be quite a valuable asset providing a solid 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in the last 29 games of the season.  Hamilton had spent much of his NBA career bouncing from the +Miami HEAT and +Charlotte Hornets as well as the D-League, but had a chance to prove his truth worth in the last 17 games of the season with the Wolves where he put forth a solid performance that will certainly give numerous NBA teams the incentive to give him a second look with his 9.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.  Both Payne and Hamilton would have either spent the rest of their seasons either rotting in the bench or rushing to find their next paycheck had not the Wolves opened their arm to them and they showed their appreciation by giving solid contributions making it not only a beneficial transaction for both parties, but also more seeds of hope for a fan base that has suffered for so long. After all the turnover as well as the turmoil that has marred this past season, the Timberwolves have emerged from it much stronger than it ever has been with the prospects of having two potential superstars in Wiggins and Lavine as well as two emerging young talents in Dieng, Muhammad, Payne and Hamilton to go along with returning veterans +Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic and Chase Buddinger. Not only Wolves fans, but head coach Flip Saunders, must be salivating at the prospect of having all those players coming back next season as they could form quite an impressive nucleus to build upon for years to come and add the fact that they enter the off season with a chance to attain possibly the number one overall pick in this summer's NBA Draft makes the future even brighter for a franchise and a fan base that have had very little to be cherry about.  Just picture all the amazing highlights with Rubio at the helm pushing the ball with two young studs in LaVine and Wiggins on each side with Dieng, Bennett, Buddinger, and Muhammad witing in the wings for an alley-oop; however, all of this is just fantasy unless the team is is at full strength--a problem in which Minnesota has suffered to ensure for over the past few year.  So here's to keeping an open mind and optimistic attitude because right now that is all that T-Wolves fans have at this moment; however, at least both the team and fans have something going for them and that is that they cannot get any lower than they already are.

SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for November: 30. New York Knicks

+New York Knicks  Overall Win/Loss Record (as of November 30th): 3-12, fifth place Central Division	Projected 2013/2014 Finish 7	This Month: 30
Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 93.2 (25th) Points Allowed: 99.4 (15th) Team FG%: .422 (26th) Opponent’s FG%: .458 (21st) Team FT%: .742 (18th) Team Three Point FG%: .330 (20th) Rebounds per game: 40.0 (28th) Opponents rebounds per game: 43.7 (21st) Turnovers per game: 12.7 (1st) Opponents turnovers per game: 15.8	Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Carmelo Anthony (26.5) Rebounds per game:  Carmelo Anthony (10.0) Minutes per game: Carmelo Anthony (40.2) Assists per game:  Raymond Felton (5.2) Field Goal Percentage: Tyson Chandler (.600) Free Throw Percentage:  Raymond Felton (.920) Three Point FG Percentage: Pablo Prigioni (.464) Steals per game: Iman Shumpert (1.8) Blocked Shots per game: Andrea Bargnarni (1.0)
SDH’s Worst of the Month: +Carmelo Anthony He may lead the Knicks in scoring, rebounds and minutes played, but Carmelo Anthony has been far from spectacular as he leads an under-perfoming team that is currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and should be considered more of a hindrance than a help for his team.  His team leading 26.5 points per game has come from rather inefficient offensive production as has been shooting a woeful .429 from the field and .306 from beyond the arc.  In the month of November, Carmelo shot under .400 percent from the field in seven of the Knicks' 13 games while taking a lion's share of the team's shot attempts.  Add the fact that his poor defense has allowed his opponents to score just as many, if not more at a more efficient clip, does not make Anthony's supposed stellar numbers that much impressive either.  If the Knicks continue to struggle as they have thus far, both the team and Carmelo may have to think long and hard on whether or not their rocky relationship will continue as Anthony will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end.	SDH’s First of the Month: Andrea Bargnarni Despite having been run out of of the previous city he had played, Andrea Bargnarni has proven to be the sole bright spot on what has otherwise been a sad looking Knick team.  After a slow two game start in October where he posted 7.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game off .438 shooting, Bargnarni stepped up his game the following month posting nearly 17 points per game off of .474 shooting, which was the best field goal percentage for the entire Knicks' starting five. He certainly proved to be a more efficient offensive producer than his teammate Carmelo Anthony and has also shown a greater proficiency on the defnsive end as well, leading the team in blocked shots per game.  Although his rebounding still remains well below par for a player his size at just under six per game, Andrea's performance certainly give Raptors fan second thoughts about giving up on him.
The team had come into the 2013/2014 with so much hope for the future after it not only notched its first 50 plus win season in more than a decade, but its first playoff series win since 2000, and it seemed as if this would be the start of the Knicks' return to upper echelon of the NBA.  They had entered the season with many from last season's team and had also brought in additional fire power during the offseason to make the team even stronger than it ever had been before.  They brought in a bevy of veteran talent which included local product and 2010 NBA Champion Metta World Peace along with sharpshooting guard Beno Udrih and the number one overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft Andrea Bargnarni to their already strong core of returning players which included All Stars Carmelo Anthony, +Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.  Add the return of last season's Sixth Man of the Year JR Smith and Kenyon Martin who was instrumental in the Knicks' playoff run last season, +Madison Square Garden looked to be once again the basketball Mecca that it had once been.  Sadly, however, all the champagne wishes, caviar dreams, and visions of ticker tape parades dancing in the heads of New Yorkers' will soon go up in smoke as their home team would crash and burn upon the arrival of the regular season. The season started oddly enough rather flat with the Knicks winning three of their first seven games, but that did not really worry many New Yorkers as it was just the start of the season and they expected their team to storm through the rest of November as they had done the previous season. Unfortunately that did not happen as their Knicks would continue to lose dropping eight straight to finish the month at 3-12 leaving Big Apple fans shocked and dismayed to see their once mighty team come crashing down right before their eyes.  Shock and dismay soon were later followed by shame and disgust as fans were forced to witness their Knicks team lose one game after another and playing sluggishly and completely out of sync.  What was once a high octane offense that scored up into the hundreds last season completely dried up as their ability to not shots and score points had completely eluded them while at the same time they seemed completely lackadaisical on the defensive end as they allowed their opponents to score at will on them.   Although most of the losses were by relatively small margins, it certainly did not look like the same Knick team that won the Atlantic Division last season and was projected to challenge the +Miami HEAT for the Eastern Conference crown; instead, it looked as if all the accolades of the past quickly disintegrated as fast as they materialized leaving Knick fans deflated and dejected. It would not have been the case if New York had managed to pull out wins in the close games against the +Chicago Bulls (10/31), +Houston Rockets (11/14), +Indiana Pacers (11/20), or even the +Denver Nuggets (11/29) where the Knicks lost by a total of nine points. It would have certainly cushioned the impact of being manhandled at home by the +San Antonio Spurs by a whopping 30 point margin (11/10), or their two equally poor showings on the road against the +Portland Trail Blazers (11/25) and +Los Angeles Clippers (11/27).  Unfortunately, not only did they lose those games, but those heartbreaking losses were also compounded by the fact that they lost by far lesser caliber teams such as the +Charlotte Bobcats at the start of the season (11/5), the +Atlanta Hawks at home by 20 points (11/16), the +Detroit Pistons (11/19) and +Washington Wizards (11/23) on the road.  Had the Knicks have a possession or two going their way and their opponents missed a shot or two, they could have gotten at least three of those games making their rather embarrassing performance much easier to stomach as they would have been a somewhat more respectable 6-9 instead of a morbid 3-12.  Sadly that is not the case as the Knicks are stuck in a hole in which they may no longer be able to get out of and it is sickening not only their fans, but those who follow the NBA to the point of vomiting. What is even worse is that there is very little the Knicks can do in terms of changing their roster because they are well over the salary cap and have little or nothing to offer in a case of a trade.  They already have 70$ million committed to just four players--two of which who are either out of commission such as Tyson Chandler, or injured and a non factor on the court in Amare Stoudemire; plus, they have no first round draft picks as they have sent them to the Denver Nuggets to get Carmelo thus tanking the team will not do them much good either.  If they chose to simply chalk the season up for a loss and throw away the rest of the season, the only ones who will benefit will be the Nuggets as they will receive the Knicks' pick in this upcoming draft so New York has no choice but to press forward, salvage what's left of this season, and try to make the playoffs.  Fortunately for them, despite their dire predicament, the door has yet to close shut on the Knicks' hopes to reach the post season as they are just three games shy of first place in the Atlantic Division and about two short from the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  Thankfully they reside in a rather sad Eastern Conference making it far less surmountable to stage some sort of comeback and return to playoff contention; however, even with so much still going for them, it will still be a tall order for the Knicks, especially with the way that they have been playing, to be capable of even reaching .500 let alone manage to return to playoff contention. So all Knicks fans can do right at this moment is wait and hope for the best because their team is essentially lodge in between a rock and a hard place; however, it remains hard to stay optimistic for a team that has fallen so low on expectations and looks as if they have lost all the fight that is left in them.  It does not help that the team's leader, Carmelo Anthony, will be an unrestricted free agent by season's end and the team will have to decide whether to extend him for four more years at the tune of 110$ million or simply just let him go his own way.  With the current state of the team, both parties would definitely be apprehensive of locking themselves to any long term agreement which will also add insult to injury if the Knicks would not be able to resign him--especially considering what they gave up to bring him there in the first place.    For now at least, both have thus far kept quiet on the future as they both look to remedying their current situation and with the East in the sad state it is currently in, it is not far fetched that they can somehow make a run and return back to respectability.  In spite of their poor production thus far on both end of the floor, they still manage to be among the best in the league at protecting the ball and forcing turnovers so if they can possibly build on those strength then perhaps there is a chance for a comeback despite being in such dire straights.

SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 30. Philadelphia 76ers

+Philadelphia 76ers  Overall Win/Loss Record: 34-48, tied fourth place Atlantic Division	Last Season’s Rank 21	Projected 2013/2014 Finish 30
Last season’s Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 93.2 (30th) Points Allowed: 96.5 (9th) Team FG%: .444 (22nd) Opponent’s FG%: .454 (16th) Team FT%: .729 (25th) Team Three Point FG%: .360 (13th) Rebounds per game: 41.3 (20th) Opponents rebounds per game: 44.0 (26th) Turnovers per game: 12.6 (2nd) Opponents turnovers per game: 13.8 (19th)	Returning Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Thaddeus Young (14.8) Rebounds per game:  Thaddeus Young (7.5) Minutes per game: Evan Turner (35.3) Assists per game:  Evan Turner (4.3) Field Goal Percentage: Thaddeus Young (.531) Free Throw Percentage: Spencer Hawes (.780)   Three Point FG Percentage: Evan Turner (.365) Steals per game: Thaddeus Young (1.8) Blocked Shots per game: Spencer Hawes (1.4)
Projected Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: C. Spencer Hawes PF. Thaddeus Yong SF. Evan Turner SG. Jason Richardson PG. Michael Carter-Williams	Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: F/C. Lavoy Allen F/C. Arnett Moultrie F. Royce White G. Tony Wroten C. Kwame Brown
Analysis: There certainly will be no brotherly love showered on the 76ers and their fans as they both come in with a rather weak team and very poor prospects for the 2014 season.  Philly will be entering the 2014 +NBA season with a ramshackle team where its three best players probably would not even start for a team, let alone be a primary option.  Thaddeus Young would be at best a third or fourth option on a good NBA team as he is rather small to play the power forward position, yet neither has the range or the handle to play small forward in this league.  Although Evan Turner has shown some improvement, he still has yet to show that he has the goods to have been selected second overall in the 2010 NBA Draft.  And at 32 years old, Jason Richardson is no longer the explosive athlete that he once was when he first entered the league as injuries and the ravages of Father Time have both taken their toll on him. The rest of the team is not any better as it consists of no names and players who would not even make an NBA D-League team let alone on a regular NBA roster.  Spencer Hawes, the team's starting center, would be a backup on most team as his skills are quite limited, he is not quite athletic, and offers little if anything other than a mid range jumper.  The team's starting point guard position seems to be up in the air as there is virtually no one that has the experience nor the capability to actually run an NBA offense.  As for the bench, it contains the saddest groups of misfits, rejects and team pariahs that probably has ever been assembled--one of which include a player that has been blessed with so much talent and skill, but whose head is so screwed up that he can not bring them all together.  Afflicted with more phobias and mental issues that even Sigmund Freud himself could handle, Royce White's career did not even have a chance to start as he was quickly jettisoned by the team that drafted him, the +Houston Rockets and now he will join a 76er team that has even less stability than he himself has. From what was mentioned here, it seems as if this upcoming season will be an absolute disaster for the Philadelphia 76ers--a team that was supposed to be entering a new winning era. Unfortunately things did not turn out as anticipated as one of the major pieces of that revival, +Andrew Bynum, who the Sixers received in last season mega deal that sent +Dwight Howard to the +Los Angeles Lakers, was a complete no show.  Not only did Bynum miss all of last season recovering from an injury, but once the season was over, he jumped ship leaving as a free agent signing with the +Cleveland Cavaliers leaving the 76ers with empty hand and nothing to show for a deal that cost them a first round pick and millions of dollars.  Fearing the absolute worst, Sixers management also chose to tear the team down and start from scratch trade away another corner stone in +Jrue Holiday, trading the All Star point guard to the +New Orleans Pelicans in return for their first round pick, the + University of Kentucky's +Nerlens Noel.  Noel, who missed a bulk of his sole college season because of injury, will probably not be ready to play for Philly until at earliest December and it is doubtful that he will contribute greatly to the Sixers' cause due to his slight frame and his limited offensive ability. So this is where the 76ers stand--they enter the season with no point guard, a ramshackle roster with little or no one to speak of, and looking down the barrel of a very long and painful season. There is no deception or delusion given by the either team and its officials--they both know and fully admit that the 2014 NBA season is essentially a lost cause and they are simply hoping to be in a good place to acquire the number one overall pick in next draft.  Most certainly, the 76ers will probably finish the with the worst record in the league; however, at least they can hold solace to the fact that despite being terrible, they will never be as terrible as they were in 1973 when they won a league worst nine games. Now the bar has been set even lower thanks to the +Charlotte Bobcats as they currently hold the record for fewest wins in an NBA season at just seven so Philly fans can take comfort to the fact that no matter how bad things will become, they will never be as terrible as they were once before. In a season where the is virtually nothing to look forward to, it is hard for Sixers fans to be excited for as their team's fate has already been sealed and the only encouragement they have to look forward to is the chance to get the first overall pick in the draft, which is not a certainty by any means.  Losing only increases the percentage of the number of the balls being popped out in the lottery thus the Sixers can still get the shaft upon entering the draft. Fortunately for them, however, at least the lowest they can fall in the draft if they manage to finish with the league's worst record is at number two, but that will certainly not take the sting of losing--not by a long shot.   With so many teams in the East having improved and vying for a playoff berth, it is a forgone conclusion that Philly essentially will have a huge target on its back to be the league's whipping boy for the upcoming season.  So it will be wise for Sixers fans to prepare themselves to witness their team get crushed losing by rather huge margins and finishing dead last in the league in every statistical category. Nonetheless, despite the gloom and doom project, every dark cloud does have a silver lining and that is is certainly the case for Evan Turner, a player who has yet to live up to being picked second overall in the 2010 Draft.  Thus far, he has been less than impressive, but with little or no talent on his team, he will certainly be called upon and given the green light to take as many shots attempts as he wants.  This can be a great opportunity for him to pad his stats and with him entering the fourth year of his rookie contract, he will be eligible to sign a possible long term extension from the team.   Depending on how well he plays, he can be looking forward to make a whole lot of money and all he has to do is essentially jack up as many shots as he can which he will certainly have an opportunity to do so.  With Philly in shambles and with no one really capable of putting up very big numbers, watch for Turner to turn tragedy into opportunity as he has the potential to give the downtrodden 76er fans at least some glimmer of hope.

SDH Presents the 2013 End of Season NBA's Worst to First: 30. Charlotte Bobcats

Charlotte Bobcats Overall Win/Loss Record (At Season’s End): 21-61, fourth place Southeast Division	Preseason Prediction: 30	At Season’s End: 30
Team Statistics and League Rank (At Season’s End) 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)	Individual Statistical Leaders (At Season’s End) 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 (1.0)
Taking a Look back at the Season that Once Was . . . SDH Worst to First Recap Time Period Wins/Losses Rank Change (+/-) By November 30th 7-8         14 +16 By December 31st 1-16 28 -12 By February 28th 6-20 30 -2 At Season’s End 7-17 30 none	SDH Player of the Year:  Kemba Walker On a team that was simply terrible in every aspect this season, Kemba Walker was the sole bright spot on a team that had virtually nothing really to look forward to as the season wore on.  In only his second season and at the tender age of just 23 years old, Kemba not only provided scoring, exceptional facilitation of his teammates, and solid care of the basketball on the offensive end; he also provided great poise and leadership on a team in desperate need of it.  His energy was especially evident on the defensive end where he not only led his team, but also finished the season fifth in the league in steals per game.  Although it will be quite a while until the Bobcats return to any sort of respectability, if the team's front office continue to find players that can complement Kemba's fiery passion for the game and competitiveness, this future will be certainly be brighter with every season that passes.  And if Walker continues such fabulous play and effort as he has shown, eventually he will get the recognition and notoriety that he deserves.
Analysis: No matter how many ways you look at both Bobcats team owner Michael Jordan and his general manager Rich Cho must be grinning from ear to ear.  Despite finishing the 2013 regular season winning just 21 games, their Charlotte Bobcats surpassed even the most optimistic of expectations tripling their win total from the previous season where they won just seven games--the worst ever in NBA history.  The team had already matched last season's  win total by the end of the first month making the rest of the season seem like gravy.  If they would have won just one game for the rest of the season, it still would have been considered an improvement; however, Charlotte exceeded even the expectations of the team's top brass with their rather impressive showing.  Now, instead of coming into the next season with lower expectations, the Bobcats have raised the bar as they look to build upon their impressive showing from this finished regular season. What makes this season even more special for Charlotte is that it came into the regular season with little or nothing at all.  Save for the team's leader in scoring, assists, and steals Kemba Walker, there was little or nothing else in terms of depth in the Bobcats' roster as many of the team's other players failed miserably in coming up for their team.  Many anticipated the return of big man Byron Mullens after he had a breakout season the previous year, but he fell rather flat scoring a little under eleven per game while shooting a woeful .385 from the field.  Many also hoped that Ben Gordon, who had been virtually invisible for the past three years after signing a whopping 50$ million contract, would return to his old form thanks to a change of scenery.  Unfortunately that did not happen as he continued his rather uninspired play and even became a team pariah and off the court distraction as the season wore on. Even their rookie whom they selected second overall in last year's 2013 NBA draft was not write home about either.  Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who many expected to have one the better rookie performances of the 2013 regular season, did not even a make a blip on the NBA radar despite being touted as the second best prospect coming out in the NBA Draft behind his former University of Kentucky teammate, Anthony Davis, who was picked first overall by the team that used to play in Charlotte, the New Orlean's Hor . . . er, I mean Pelicans (God, what a terrible name!!  More on that later, however).  Although he had plenty of opportunities to do so being on a young and developing team, he never really asserted himself only posting just nine points and under six boards per game.  In fact, one can go as far to say that his fellow rookie who Charlotte picked late in the second round, Jeffrey Taylor, outperformed Kidd-Gilchrist as he averaged about the same per 48 minutes production as the former second overall pick in the draft.  Per 48 minutes, Taylor averaged 14.9 points per game compared to MKG's 16.6--quite impressive considering that MKG came in with greater hype and supposedly more talent and athleticism; unfortunately for Kidd-Gilchrist, the same cannot be said, however. As for the rest of the team, there really was not a huge wealth of talent as the roster went from two extremes: either the players were young, athletically raw and unprepared, or old, over the hill, washed up and useless.  The team's depth in the front court was exceptionally shameful to say the least as it consisted of an aging Brendan Haywood who contributed next to nothing.  Tyrus Thomas continued to rub into Michael Jordan's face how much of a mistake he made signing him to a five year deal worth $50 million as he finished with another forgettable and regrettable season.  And finally second year Bismack Biyombo, who despite leading the team in rebounds and blocked shot, proved to be completely inept on the offensive end as his lack of size and fundamentals were more of a hindrance than a help. As for the rest of the roster, it consisted of broken down and useless spare parts whose only value were their expiring contracts at the end of July. Regardless of the team's shortcomings, the few people that call themselves Bobcats fans can hold their heads up high that their team managed to improve so greatly from the previous season winning three times more games than last time.  The Bobcats also exit the regular season possessing the third overall pick in this summer's NBA draft, so they will be able to add another young talented piece to pair alongside their developing young core of players.  Led by the diminutive yet determined Kemba Walker, the Bobcats will look to build upon this season's gain as their look to bring themselves back to respectability; however, don't expect that to happen anytime soon as Charlotte will have plenty of obstacles to overcome with hungry up and coming teams such as the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors looking to punch their tickets into the post season while falling teams such as the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks look to hold on to as much ground as they possibly can.  All those teams mentioned will certainly be looking to use Charlotte as a stepping stone for their future endeavors making the playoffs still quite a ways for this young expansion team; however, at least Charlotte will at least march into the future with a strong sense of inner piece and calming thought that there is nowhere else for this downtrodden team to go but up.