SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for January and and February: 12. Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors Overall Win/Loss Record (as of February 28th) :  33-25 (second place, Pacific Division)	Last Month: 8	This Month: 12
Team Statistics and League Rank (as of February 28th) Points Scored: 101.2 (7th) Points Allowed: 101.6 (25th) Team FG%: .456 (10th) Opponent’s FG%: .441 (8th) Team FT%: .799 (2nd) Team Three Point FG%: .398 (1st) Rebounds per game: 44.8 (3rd) Opponents rebounds per game: 42.9 (23rd) Turnovers per game: 15.3 (26th) Opponents turnovers per game: 13.2 (29th)	Individual Statistical Leaders (as of February 28th) Scoring (ppg): Stephen Curry (22.0) Rebounds per game:  David Lee (11.2) Minutes per game: Stephen Curry (38.0) Assists per game: Stephen Curry (6.5) Field Goal Percentage: Carl Landry (.531) Free Throw Percentage: Stephen Curry (.910) Three Point FG Percentage: Stephen Curry (.455) Steals per game: Stephen Curry (1.7) Blocked Shots per game: Andrew Bogut (1.6)
Worst Player of the Month: Andrew Bogut To think this guy was the number one overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft still boggles the mind.  Andrew Bogut must be considered as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history after wasting his entire career in Milwaukee before being traded to the Warriors last season.  In the past two months, the man has played a grand total of seven games missing most, if not all of the regular season due to injury.  What's worse is that the Warriors are basically stuck with this loser for another year at nearly 14$ million making him all but untradable.  At least his absense has not his team as the Warriors are currently holding onto second place in the Pacific Division trailing the LA Clippers which makes his presence, or lack thereof, on the team more bearable.	First Player of the Month: David Lee Forget about that overhyped and overrated piece of garbage who currently sits on the end of the Minnesota Timberwolves bench.  David Lee should be truly be more deserving of all the praise that so called superstar Kevin Love has received as unlike his so called peer, actually plays like a true power forward.  Unlike Kevin Love who spends his time mostly around the three point arc doing a very poor Larry Bird impression, David Lee actually plays the way a power forward should, with his back to the basket and getting his points down low in the paint.  He is rarely flashy and is often overshadowed by his higher profile teammate, Stephen Curry, but David Lee is the true backbone of this resurgent Warriors team.  Gladly NBA coaches recognized that as well as they selected Lee over Curry to represent the Warriors in the 2013 NBA All Star Game.
Analysis The Golden State Warriors have certainly been one the pleasant surprises in the 2013 NBA Season going from perennial Western Conference cellar dweller to becoming a playoff contender.  Many were shocked when the Warriors started the season with a startling 9-6; however, from the Warrior's previous and rather pitiful history, most believed that it certainly would not last.  So imagine the shock and amazement of fans from the Bay Area and beyond when the Warriors would not only continue to win, but also arose to become one of the best teams in the league finishing 2012 with 21-10 record. Some may say that it was a given that Warriors would play so well--after all they did come into season sporting one of the deepest and most talented young rosters in the NBA; however, this is the Golden State Warriors we are talking about.  They could have 12 All stars on their roster and still bomb a season simply because they have been virtually cursed for most if not all their entire history. Remember all the failed draft picks, all the unwise free agent signings to go along with all the rotten luck that can ever befall a franchise.  The Warriors were in the same boat as their fellow perennial loser neighbor, the LA Clippers as both teams simply seemed forever destined to remain wallowing at the bottom of the season standing.  Now all of that has changed as the entire Pacific Division has been turned on its head as two of the divisions are now sitting up atop the conference while the the two team that have dominated the division for so many years, namely the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns find them selves scrounging on the bottom.  To quote an old biblical phrase, It seems as if that at least in the NBA, the meek have finally inherited the Earth, as two of the teams that were once considered laughing stocks have now risen to center stage to the relief and amusement of their fans.  So much so, that one can go as far to say the Warriors rise from the dank depths is probably one of the most monumental events not in the NBA, but all of professional sports as well. It has been so long since Golden State Warriors fans had something to cheer about after having to endure one losing season after another.  Now they find themselves in a strange and unfamiliar place with the team finally on the opposite end of the loss column and it is almost seems that sooner or later they would soon wake up and this would all be a cruel dream.  Unfortunately for Warriors fans, it looked as if the good times were coming to an end as their home stead would start the new year stumbling out of the games after a rather impressive performance to finish 2012.  Golden State started January losing five of its first seven games, but managed to right the ship finishing the month winning six of their last eight. Sadly the momentum of that 6-2 run did not last as they would have a treacherous February losing six of their first seven games and finishing the month 4-8. What was worse about February was not how many games the Warriors lost, but its was the manner in which they lost as the Warriors simply did not lose to their opponents, they simply got clobbered.  They lost by an average margin of 15.1 point per games getting thoroughly blown out losing half by 15 or more points.  Golden State lost their first game in February against the Rockets at Houston by an unfathomable 31 allowing the Rockets to outscore them 140 to 109 (2/5/2013). They then followed that lackluster performance by an equally horrendous effort at Oklahoma City where they would get simply abused by the Thunder by 21 (2/6/2013).  After those two humiliating loses, the Warriors would put up a solid effort yet lose a close one to the Memphis Grizzlies by just six points (2/8/2013); however, Golden State would then lose horrendously to the tune of 25 points at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks (2/9/2013).  Such devastating loses certainly gave fans an about face watching their team that looked so good throughout the season get beaten so badly; however, they still should not lose hope. Although the Warriors have gone through a rather rough patch for the past couple of months, they still have not lost much ground in the Western Conference standings.  They still rest upon second place in the Pacific Division with a healthy lead over the third place Los Angeles Lakers and still remain rather respectable with a record of eight games over .500.  Unfortunately, with a little over a month in the regular season left, the Warriors will have really dig deep to get themselves out of the hole they have dug themselves before it is too late.  With the Lakers starting to find their stride late in the season, Golden State may soon no longer have that comfortable lead that they have enjoyed throughout the season and if they continue losing at this pace, they may find themselves up the creek without a paddle falling out of playoff contention thus shattering the hope and dreams of all of their home fans.  For the sake of their fans, hopefully the Warriors can pull themselves of this nosedive and salvage what's left of their season, because their fans deserve so much more than what they have been getting for so many years.