SDH's 2014/2015 NBA End of Season Worst to First Countdown: 23. Detroit Pistons

2014/2015 Projection: 38-44, fourth place Central Division, tenth place Eastern Conference Actual Finish: 32-50, fifth place Central Division, twelfth place Eastern Conference	Projected 2014/2015 Finish 21	Actual 2014/2015 Finish 23
Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 98.5 (18th) Points Allowed: 99.5 (14th) Team FG%: .432 (27th) Opponent’s FG%: .456 (21st) Team FT%: .703 (29th) Team Three Point FG%: .344 (18th) Rebounds per game: 44.9(4th) Opponents rebounds per game: 44.1(20th) Turnovers per game: 12.6 (7th) Opponents turnovers per game: 13.4 (18th)	Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Greg Monroe (15.9) Rebounds per game:  Andre Drummond (13.5) Minutes per game: Reggie Jackson (32.2) Assists per game:  Brandon Jennings (6.6) Field Goal Percentage: Joel Anthony (.581) Free Throw Percentage:   Jodie Meeks (.910) Three Point FG Percentage: Tayshaun Prince(.423) Steals per game:  Greg Monroe (1.1) Blocked Shots per game: Andre Drummond (1.9)
SDH’s Hero to Honor: Reggie Jackson Last season was a coming out party for Reggie Jackson as he exploded in November leading the +Oklahoma City Thunder in both scoring (19.5ppg) and assists (7.5) while the team's two stars, +Russell Westbrook and +Kevin Durant were hobbled by injuries; however, once the two came up and running, Jackson's role was then severely reduced which resulted in him wanting to break free from OKC and ascend from mere role-player to a future star.  He finally got that chance in February when he got traded to Detroit and it was like his spark from earlier in the season as he was given the freedom that he yearned for returning to his explosive way scoring the basket and taking full reins of his team on the court.  In his month and a half stint in the Motor City, Jackson was a virtual superstar averaging close to 18 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds per game finally giving Pistons fans something to cheer after suffering such an abysmal season that fell well short of expectations.  With two more years left on his rookie contract, there is no doubt that coach/GM Stan Van Gundy will definitely be on the phone with Jackson's agent to make sure he can lock this star in the making who will most certainly bring Detroit Pistons' basketball back into the spotlight.  Similar to the +Houston Rockets' +James Harden, Jackson grew to big for his britches in Oklahoma City and needed to spread his wings or else be suffocated and smothered by the immense presences of Westbrook and Durant which gives credence to the idea that the Thunder is a team where stars are made, but in order to become that, they will have to leave the team.	SDH’s Face to Forget: +Brandon Jennings  Years ago Brandon Jennings was viewed as an up and coming young star on the rise, yet at the same time as quite the enigma because although he had all the tools--the skill, speed, and athleticism--to become one of the league's greatest point guards, but only showed just small glimpses of the player that all who watched him hoped that he would become.  Unfortunately it seems as if time has run out for Jennings as both his luster and his reputation of being one of the league's top young talents have finally rubbed off and what we are left with is a shallow and empty husk of a player whose time in the limelight has finally passed.  Last season, former team president, Joe Dumars, tabbed Jennings as the team's point guard of the future when he brought him over from the +Milwaukee Bucks in a sign and trade deal and many saw this as the perfect opportunity for Jennings to finally step up and finally become the star that many who followed him hoped he would be.  Yet alas, over the past two years no fruit has bared from his arrival as it seems that at just the tender age of 25 years old, Brandon Jennings has fallen from grace and with next season being his last in the Motor City or possibly anywhere else for that matter.  He has been such a disappointment to so many people and with the arrival of Reggie Jackson, it seems as if the writing is clearly on the wall unless by some miracle he bounces back with a phenomenal season next year, he will be out of Detroit and out of the sight and minds of basketball finds everywhere.
Basketball in the Motor City has basically set in neutral for the past six years after eight year period of post season glory that included two trips to the NBA Finals; however, after an overhaul of the team's front office which included the exit of former GM Joe Dumars and the arrival of new coach and GM Stan Van Gundy, fans in Detroit finally had hope that their team will turn on the ignition once again. Stan Van had never managed a roster as he usually worked with he had doing rather well to say the least as he brought both Florida teams--namely the +Miami HEAT and the +Orlando Magic--both to the playoffs with one appearance to the 2011 NBA Finals where his Magic would lose to the eventual champion +Los Angeles Lakers four games to one. Van Gundy gave the +Detroit Pistons and their fans what they have been lacking for years--a tough defensive minded coach whose attention to detail and focus on excellence and accountability would be a welcomed breath of fresh air; however, it would not only his coaching that he will be judged, but also his ability to build another championship caliber team. Unfortunately his predecessor did not leave him much to worth save for two top rated big men in +Greg Monroe and +Andre Drummond, an elite caliber athlete in Josh Smith, plus a point guard that had yet to live up to his billing as an elite caliber point guard in +Brandon Jennings.  Nonetheless hopes were still high that Van Gundy would somehow bring things all together and the Pistons will bounce back after years of spinning their tires in the mud going nowhere and finally get out of the mud pit that Dumars got them into the first; however, it proved harder than many had ever expected. The first two months were rocky at best as the Pistons won just eight games by the end of 2014 thus causing coach GM to take drastic measures which led to him making probably the most questionable personnel move in the 2015 NBA Regular Season as he he waived Josh Smith and buying out the remaining 27$ million of his contract.  There is no question that Josh Smith's arrival to Detroit was not necessarily a "slam dunk"as his offensive production and efficiency, but regardless, that decline did not deserve such a rash and extreme measure because he was not a team parriah or completely worthless on the trade market--in fact it was the complete opposite.  Despite his inability to mesh in the Pistons, Josh Smith was still considered as one of the premier athletes in the NBA, plus at the age of 29 along with his ability to score in transition as well his defensive prowess as a rebounder and shot blocked, given time Van Gundy could have found a viable trade partner; instead, he simply let Smith go--a player who has yet to even hit his prime--paying out around 7$ million for the next four years, receiving nothing in return. Smith went on to be picked up off waiver by the +Houston Rockets where not only would he and the team would finish second overall in the Western Conference and be playing in the Conference Finals against the +Golden State Warriors, but he would still be paid by Pistons for doing it.  To add insult to injury, over the course of the next three seasons while the Piston continue to struggling to find the right mix, in they might certainly do, the team will still be paying Josh Smith not only win for other teams, but also possible be eligible to receive an equally lucrative deal compounded upon that as well since he will be entering free agency once the Rockets' playoff run ends. Pistons fans will argue until they are blue in the face justifying what the majority of common sense individuals will consider one of most stupid and illogical player transaction in possibly the history of sports claiming that Smith never fit in with the team and his departure opens up a piddling 8$ million cap exemption in which the Van Gundy can use to sign second or third tier free agent.  Even Kelly Dwyer of +Yahoo Sports' +Ball Don't Lie went into great length and detail explaining the justification for this crime against financial logic and common sense by basically writing a dissertation using charts and graphs (12/22/2014); however, even he must have felt ridiculous trying to explain such this half-baked argument that chemistry and poor performance was the reason of SVG basically donating 27$ million to Josh Smith.  The whole team chemistry excuse holds absolutely no water, because if Josh Smith was such a detriment to his team, he would have been suspended and SVG could have sat him out for the season until he was able to find a proper deal for him that would would benefit the team in the long run; also instead of just paying the guy off quite handsomely for the next four years, why couldn't Van Gundy just wait and see if another team would be interested?  There would have certainly been interest in Smith during the trade deadline because his contract was not as bad a people made it out to be because he had only two years left on it plus he would have been a perfect addition to a team that either wanted to make a playoff push or add a extra weapon for the post season.  No matter how many ways the Detroit media or fan want to spin it, Van Gundy's decision was simply foolish because letting go of player of significant talent such as Smith not only shows his ineptitude as a GM, but also as a coach since he was simply unable to incorporate such a gifted player who fits into his defensive coaching philosophy. Sure, one can point out that after Smith left, the Pistons won seven straight and followed that by winning five or their next eight games, giving credence to the ridiculous notion that all that was the result of the forward's departure;  however, that streak was short lived as the Pistons ended up finished the month of January losing four their next five games and just managed to win 15 games after that to finish the season.  Plus, in hindsight, had Van Gundy actually had the patience to try to work Smith's strengths into his system or kept him until the trade deadline, more than likely the same result probably would have occurred anyways--the Pistons probably would have finished with close to the same record and by mid February, there would have been plenty of interest in Josh Smith at the trade deadline.  One can list even more reasons why the whole Josh Smith situation was a such a blemish on Stan Van Gundy's inaugural season as both Detroit head coach and general manager; nonetheless, it happened, it is now in the past, and now both the Pistons and their fans have to push forward with the upcoming draft and the prospect of possibly having to lose another elite caliber player in Greg Monroe.  Last season, Monroe, who was a restricted free agent at the time--meaning that the Pistons would have been to match any offer a team gave--could have signed a long term extension worth around 60$ million; however he chose not to take the extension offer and instead optioned to take a one year final qualifying offer thus making him an unrestricted free agent--meaning he can to ANY team he wants with the Detroit having no say whatsoever--come season's end.  From all the information that has been circulating throughout the media, it has become quite apparent that Monroe, who led the Pistons in scoring this past season and ranks as one of the top free agent prospects in the off season, has little, if any interest in returning to Detroit thus adding more stress to Van Gundy's rebuilding effort plus further damaging his reputation as an NBA executive. It is still too early to judge Van Gundy's tenure as both coach and general manager of the team because very few had the Pistons making the post season this year anywhere; nevertheless, the whole Josh Smith situation will probably haunt him forever and what happens with Greg Monroe will also make or break his legacy in the Motor City.  At least he could hold solace in that inspite of the result, the Pistons did play pretty well in that they were competitive in every game losing by slim average margin of just one point per game and that was an achievement in itself because not only was Detroit the fourth worst shooting team in the league, but the fact that they allowed their opponents to shoot nearly .460 from the field against them. Unfortunately, right now the team in complete disarray with no real foundation or balance in the roster and with all the uncertainly surrounding the off season, no one, even Van Gundy himself, has any real idea of what is going to how will it turn out in the end.  There will be plenty of time between the official start of the off season in July to when next season officially starts in October, so a lot can happen in that time; however, as of now, things are looking pretty bleak for Van Gundy, the Pistons, their fans and the city of Detroit.  To add pressure to this already tense  time is not on his side, because this impatient fan base who has been accustomed to winning and has had enough with all this chaos and losing so if Van Gundy has a plan, he better be quick to initiate some sort of positive change because it won't be pretty if he fails; however, the Josh Smith situation definitely forced the Pistons to take two steps back, so hopefully that will bee a small blemish in an otherwise fruitful era for Pistons fans.

SDH Presents the NBA's Worst to First for November: 23. Orlando Magic

+Orlando Magic  Overall Win/Loss Record (as of November 30th): 6-10, fifth place Southeast Division	Projected 2012/2013 Finish 26	This Month: 23
Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 99.6 (16th) Points Allowed: 101.0 (21st) Team FG%: .462 (8th) Opponent’s FG%: .446 (11th) Team FT%: .747 (16th) Team Three Point FG%: .387 (8th) Rebounds per game: 43.3 (13th) Opponents rebounds per game: 41.1 (6th) Turnovers per game: 17.4 (26th) Opponents turnovers per game: 14.1 (7th)	Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): Arron Afflalo (21.9) Rebounds per game:  Nikola Vucevic (11.0) Minutes per game: Arron Afflalo (36.9) Assists per game:  Jameer Nelson (6.3)  Field Goal Percentage: Nikola Vucevic (.547) Free Throw Percentage:  E’Twaun Moore (.910) Three Point FG Percentage: Arron Afflalo (.513) Steals per game: Victor Oladipo (1.6) Blocked Shots per game: Kyle O’Quinn (1.0)
SDH’s Worst of the Month: Jameer Nelson It is not so much for his game that Jameer Nelson has been placed as November's worst, but for the mere fact that he simply does not belong on this young up and coming team in Orlando. Nelson is essentially a dinosaur from a bygone era and should have never been re-signed by the Magic after the team sent +Dwight Howard away to the +Los Angeles Lakers.   For much of his time in Orlando, Jameer was much less of a facilitator and more of a spot up shooter who got the ball off screens and from kick out from the paint.  Now he is expected to perform in a role that he has not done in his entire career which has resulted in him in not being as efficient on the offensive end as he once was.  Plus, his presence takes away minutes from the Magic's up and comers such as third year point man E'Twaun Moore and Victor Oladipo thus making him more a hindrance than a help in Orlando's youth movement.	SDH’s First of the Month: Nikola Vucevic Last season Vucevic was one of the pleasant surprises of the 2013 NBA season as he burst out the gates with a splendid sophomore effort averaging a double-double in points and rebounds. This season, he has raised the bar going from being a decent NBA caliber center to a potential All Star posting phenomenal numbers yet again averaging a new career high in points in 15.0 per game while hitting his shot with a splendid .557 accuracy. By the end of November, he scored in double figures in all but two games with eight of them being 15 points or more while at the same time posting eight double-double games as well.  Certainly, Vucevic has proven to be more of a blessing for an Orlando team that had lost a superstar big man a season prior and may possibly be in line to be the next great center to play in South Florida following the path of such greats who have passed through there such as Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard; however, unlike them, he was not selected first overall in the NBA Draft nor was he expected to have a major impact as his predecessors.  If he maintains his stellar production, Vucevic will certainly be in the running for the Most Improved Player Award or even an All Star team selection; nonetheless, his stock has definitely increased and will certainly be one of Orlando's top priorities to secure once he becomes eligible for a contract extension after this season.
Last season when many had expected the Orlando Magic to simply slip away into oblivion after trading away their star of the past seven years Dwight Howard, Orlando did the opposite as it showed to still have plenty of fight left in them.  And despite finishing with the league's worst record, the Magic proved to be one of the teams to watch out for as the finished the regular season with by compiling a treasure trove of young talent that would rival any in the league.  In what many would consider rather dark period, the Magic made the best of a bad situation by discovering quite a few diamonds in the rough with limitless upside in young athletic talents such as Arron Afflalo, Nikola Vucevic, Andrew Nicholson, Maurice Harkless, and Tobias Harris, to name a few.  Armed with the second pick of last summer's NBA draft who happened to be Victor Oladipo, this young and surprising talented Orlando Magic team planned to certainly turn some head this upcoming season and they have certainly surpassed even the most optimistic of expectations.  So far, despite their 6-10 start, the Orlando Magic have played with such a poise, coherence and consistency that is rarely seen in most young rebuilding teams and while many still expect this team to return to the lottery once again at season's end, those doubters will certainly be in for quite a shock as this Magic team looks to defy all expectations. It is sad to say that many have so far overlooked the Magic due to its 6-10 start, but upon closer analysis, one will see that this team is far more better than their record would appear as they have thus far statistically outperformed their opponents in the first 16 games of the season in spite of their losing record.  The Magic rank among the top ten teams in field goal percentage, and have thus far kept their opponents to shooting under .450 percent from the field while at the same time forcing them to turn over the ball at a rather high rate.  Upon looking at the numbers, one can see that this is a truly focused and disciplined team despite the majority of its roster being under the age of 25 and unlike most team who are in the same situation, the Magic have not allowed themselves to allow their inexperience be an impediment to them.  In fact, one can go as far to say that the Magic are in fact a far more polished team that most of their opponents in their own conference, especially from such veteran teams who should be performing way better than they have been in the +New York Knicks and +Brooklyn Nets.  And despite their losing record, in an Eastern Conference that has been relatively sad thus far, the Magic, with their rather impressive team numbers can might just become a dark horse in the conference and might just surprise many a spectator with a unexpected playoff appearance which will certainly dumbfound many a commentator who had Orlando at the bottom of their regular season projections. The only true weakness that has been holding back the Magic is their high propensity of turning over the ball on offense as can be seen by them being near the bottom of the league in protecting the ball which can be blamed on their lack of a true point guard.  At it stands now, the team's most senior member at the point guard position has spent most of his career as a catch and shoot player while the other two are either too green to be trusted full time at the point or simply past his prime and can no longer make a major impact.  Other than acquiring an elite caliber point guard, there are really no other major gaps in terms of roster depth for the magic as they already have two All Star caliber players to build on in swing man Arron Afflalo, who currently leads the team in scoring, and Nikola Vucevic, who has truly blossomed in his third season as a go to player in the paint.  Both of them are surrounded by a bevy of athletically gifted and talented players who are both quite versatile having the size, shooting range, and skill to play numerous positions which can prove to be an even greater asset than acquiring the number one draft pick in next season's draft.  With the treasure trove of talent the team possesses, they can easily pull of a trade to acquire one or even two marquee name players the same way that Danny Ainge did with the +Boston Celtics gathering enough desirable assets to pull off a trade to get +Kevin Garnett and +Ray Allen to play alongside +Paul Pierce.  And we all know what happened as a resulted--namely four Atlantic Division titles, two NBA Finals appearances, and the Celtics' first NBA tile since 1986--which will certainly gives fans in Orlando plenty of hope for the future whether or not their team's front office decides to make a move or not. It was originally believed that Orlando would face a long hard road to rebuilding right after the massive Dwight Howard trade, but in fact it was the complete opposite as the Magic actually came out far better off than the other teams involved in that trade.  The +Los Angeles Lakers, the team who acquired Howard struggled to make the playoffs last season with him in the lineup and not only did they lose Dwight in the off season, but they also seem to be heading downhill very fast and may probably be heading to lottery upon season's end. The +Philadelphia 76ers got equally gipped in the deal as their major acquisition, +Andrew Bynum, who now plays for the +Cleveland Cavaliers, was lost to them for all of last season and probably will never return to his All Star form due to his chronically arthritic knees.  Finally, the +Denver Nuggets would come out of the whole deal on top of the other three as the presence of +Andre Iguodala helped the team win a franchise record 57 games last season; however, that satisfaction would be short lived as Iggy would bolt in the off season signing with the +Golden State Warriors leaving the Nuggets empty handed and headed for a downfall of their own.  Now, the Magic have come up smelling like roses as they not only acquired a bevy of young talent in the deal, but also possess three first round picks from the Lakers, Sixers and Nuggets which all may end up as high lottery picks with the way all three teams have been playing.  As it stands now, Orlando is not only on the fast track to return to playoff contention, but if the Magic uses their assets wisely to pull off a big trade and get a marquee player either by the trade deadline or in the off season, can potentially become a force in not only the Eastern Conference, but the entire league.  Already the Magic are still in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race despite currently resting at the bottom of their division barely behind the +Atlanta Hawks, +Charlotte Bobcats, and +Washington Wizards by just a few games to a point where a well placed run can jockey Orlando to second place.  Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen until the Magic manage to figure out a way of holding onto the ball and not allowing their opponents to score an estimated 31.2 points per game off their turnovers.  Nonetheless, the Magic are still on the right track on the road to return to respectability as they have shown through their solid execution and consistent play on both ends of the floor.  It will be interesting to see what will happen in the coming months as Orlando has an overflowing war chest of young talent which most NBA team can only dream of having and just one mid season move can change the the team's destination from returning to the lottery to making a potential post season run.  As the months go by and as teams become more desperate to shake up their rosters in an effort to make the playoffs, watch the Magic to be mentioned in numerous trade rumors and scenario as they will certainly be a team to watch out for as the regular season rolls on.

SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 23. Sacramento Kings

+Sacramento Kings  Overall Win/Loss Record :  28-54,  fourth place Pacific Division	Last Season’s Rank 29	Projected 2013/2014 Finish 23
Last season’s Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 100.2 (10th) Points Allowed: 105.1 (30th) Team FG%: .447 (19th) Opponent’s FG%: .472 (28th) Team FT%: .769 (11th) Team Three Point FG%: .363 (12th) Rebounds per game: 40.6 (25th) Opponents rebounds per game: 43.6 (24th) Turnovers per game: 14.0 (16th) Opponents turnovers per game: 14.1 (15th)	Returning Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): +DeMarcus Cousins (17.7) Rebounds per game:  Demarcus Cousins (9.9) Minutes per game: Demarcus Cousins (30.5) Assists per game:  Isaiah Thomas (4.0) Field Goal Percentage: Patrick Patterson (.512) Free Throw Percentage: Isaiah Thomas (.880)   Three Point FG Percentage: +Jimmer Fredette  (.417) Steals per game:  Demarcus Cousins (1.4) Blocked Shots per game: Jason Thompson (0.7)
Projected Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: C. DeMarcus Cousins PF. Jason Thompson SF. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute SG. Ben McLemore PG. +Greivis Vasquez	Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: G. Marcus Thornton F.  Carl Landry F. Patrick Patterson G. Isaiah Thomas G. Jimmer Freddette
Analysis: Finally everything has been settled and both the city of Sacramento and the Kings are finally out of the tug of war limbo that they have been in for years.  The Maloofs have been finally been driven out of town and with what they had perpetrated to the team, the city and its fans, it is hopeful that they will never be able to own a professional sports franchise ever again.  They have been replaced by a new ownership group dedicated to keep the Kings in the California state capital and determined to make this team a winner once more.  With new ownership and a fresh new attitude, it looks as if the Kings will start to resemble the once classy franchise committed to excellence rather than the wasteful refuse that it had unfortunately degenerated into.  The team's front office started on a very positive note by addressing a lot of the issues that troubled the team last season and by acquiring players that will represent the franchise's renewed commitment to the city has supported them through thick and thin over the last 30 years. The team first addressed their poor offensive execution that ranked at the bottom of the league in assists per game last season by acquiring one of the best passing point guards in the league. Greivis Vasquez came off a surprisingly excellent season with the now +New Orleans Pelicans as he not only led the team but also finished third overall in the league in assists per game.  Seeing a player of his size (6'7", 210lb) with such skill and ability who was so good at getting the ball to his teammates seemed reminiscent of another big point guard who not also dazzled fans with his amazing passing skills, but also brought his team to championship glory. Some may say that it is pretty presumptuous to liken Vasquez to one of the greatest players to ever play the game in Earvin Magic Johnson, but he certainly has the goods to be one of top point guards in the league.  He probably will never reach Magic's stature, but Greivis Vasquez can and should be considered as his Latino counterpart and should also give the Kings that pass first mentality point guard that they have lacked for so very long. In addition to bolstering the team's passing game, the Kings' font office also went about adding players who brought toughness and professionalism to act as strong role models to a group of wild young studs who had lost their way.  They acquired the burly and physical work horse Luc Richard Mbah a Moute from the +Milwaukee Bucks in return for a couple of second round pick which can be considered as a major steal.  In his time in Milwaukee, Mbah a Moute was never a big impact maker on the offensive end, but he provided plenty of effort and energy on the defensive end which is much needed on a team that allowed a whopping 105 points per game last season.  What also makes him special is not only the grit and determination he has shown on the floor, but also his ability to guard the perimeter with his length and quickness while the same time have the size and strength to guard the post and protect the rim.  A player of that caliber will certainly add the maturity, professionalism and character that had been lacking in this wayward franchise and with Vasquez leading the charge, the Kings can prove to be quite the conundrum for opponents.  The Kings also bring back a familiar face back to the realm in veteran power forward Carl Landry, who did not live up to expectations his first go around in Sacramento; but his gave such a speldid come back performance last season, it made the team take a second look at him.  Landry was a crucial piece in that +Golden State Warriors team that reached the second round of the Western Conference playoff as he aptly back up the team's All Star power forward David Lee.   Coming off the bench for the Warriors Landry posted an efficient eleven points and six rebounds per game in just 23 minutes of playing time giving Golden State on of the league deadliest and most dominant second unit last season. Landry certainly does not have the goods to start anymore, but he does provides a consistent and reliable scoring presence and excellent support off the bench for a budding young front court that consists of DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and Patrick Patterson. Put all those pieces together with an solid crew of returning young players and the Kings have a team that will be making plenty of noise once the season starts back up again.  It will be a long shot, however for them to make the playoffs this season as the West is as strong as ever to the point where teams that once made the playoffs will no longer to be able to return this time around. Nonetheless, Sacramento will certainly be considered as one of the biggest turnaround stories in the NBA going from a shameful laughing stock to a up and coming playoff contender.  As long as they maintain that same standard of excellence that they wish to return to the maligned franchise and the city it resides in, then the Kings are on the right track to return to stand among the leagues elite.  So long as they remain steadfast in their cause to revitalize and regain the faith of a fan base that has been so mistreated over the past few years, whether they make the post season or not, the Sacramento Kings should still be considered a winner.

SDH Presents the 2013 End of Season NBA's Worst to First: 23. Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves Overall Win/Loss Record (At Season’s End): 31-51,  fifth place Northwest Division	Preseason Prediction: 7	At Season’s End: 23
Team Statistics and League Rank (At Season’s End) Points Scored: 95.7 (20th) Points Allowed: 98.1 (15th) Team FG%: .439 (24th) Opponent’s FG%: .468 (24th) Team FT%: .742 (21st) Team Three Point FG%: .305 (30th) Rebounds per game: 42.0 (14th) Opponents rebounds per game: 42.1 (16th) Turnovers per game: 14.1 (17th) Opponents turnovers per game: 15.3 (2nd)	Individual Statistical Leaders (At Season’s End) Scoring (ppg): Nikola Pekovic (16.3) Rebounds per game:  Nikola Pekovic (8.8) Minutes per game: Andrei Kirilenko (31.4) Assists per game:  Ricky Rubio (7.3) Field Goal Percentage: Nikola Pekovic (.520) Free Throw Percentage: Mickeal Gelabale (.888)    Three Point FG Percentage: JJ Barea (.346) Steals per game: Ricky Rubio (2.4) Blocked Shots per game:  Greg Stiemsma (1.2)
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 17 -10 By December 31st 7-5 15 +2 By February 28th 6-22 23 -8 At Season’s End 11-16 23 none	SDH Player of the Year: Nikola Pekovic On a team that was completely decimated by injuries, Nikola Pekovic did his best to keep the floundering Timberwolves afloat to little or no avail.  He took the lead role for the team leading in points and rebounds, while being the teams most efficient scorer as well having the best shooting percentage.  Pekovic certainly proved himself  an important piece of the Timberwolves future and if it were not for all the injuries, he would have certainly been given All Star consideration had the situation been different.  He has certainly given fans and the media a reason to keep an eye one him in the least and hopefully this performance will not be a one season affair, and be the start of a bright future for a player who had been selected low in the second round of the 2008.
Analysis: There was so much hope coming into the 2012/2013 season for Minnesota Timberwolves fans as they looked forward to finally climbing out of the pit of despair and returning to the road of respectability.  Their team came into the season with its returning leader, Kevin Love, along with second year point man Ricky Rubio, up and coming big man Nikola Pekovic and a slew of fresh new faces that gave Timberwolves, at least on paper, one of the most talented rosters in the NBA.  During a rather busy offseason, the wolves added two former NBA All Stars in Andrei Kirilenko and Brandon Roy via free agency along with acquired high flying versatile swingman Chase Budinger in a draft day trade with the Houston Rockets.  Added along with a solid crew of role players such as Luke Ridnour, JJ Barea, and Derrick Williams along with being guided by their well renowned head coach Rick Adelman, the Wolves looked to finally come out of its hibernation to take the league by storm.   The day had been a long time coming for Minnesota hoop fans as there was a common sentiment that something special was going to happen this season; unfortunately, however none of this would happen as the Timberwolves would be struck by the worst case of bad lucked this side of the Twin Cities. It all started with the revelation that Ricky Rubio would not be ready to start the regular season as his rehabilitation had been taken longer that anybody had anticipated.  Then during the preseason, the Wolves would suffer yet another harsh blow as Kevin Love, the teams leader and cornerstone of the franchise, would fall to injury because due a freak accident and would be lost for the entire regular season.  Love tried to come back up the lineup during the season, but was then forced to pack it all in for the season after just playing only 18 games leaving the Timberwolves and their fans without their leading scorer and rebounder. The dominoes continued to fall as player after player would fall one after other leaving a team expected to have one of the most talented rosters in the league became a hollowed out husk of its former self.  And although they managed to show a brave face marching through the season starting the season rather respectably at 14-3, the injuries were simply too much to overcome as the team finished the season winning just 17 games losing the rest. This was supposed to be a season of resurrection, renewal, and resurgence, but ended up being an epic disaster and tragic drama that unfolded as the season progressed.  The saddest story of them all had to be that of Brandon Roy, who was earlier forced into early retirement at the tender age of 27 years due ongoing knee problems; however, after sitting out a year and a reported breakthrough procedure he had done in Europe, Roy was to make his big comeback to the NBA.  Unfortunately the long awaited come back story of the year did not come to pass as the three time NBA All Star could not last even five games without having to pack it in yet again and return to retirement.  Much was also expected from Chase Budinger, who many anticipated to have a breakthrough season after showing glimpses of potential while at Houston; however within the sixth game of the regular season, he would later be sidelined soon after and would only return in late March, when the season was all but over.  Within the month of the regular season, the Wolves had a third of their roster sidelined for most if not the entire regular season. Despite the roster's near decimation in the season, the Timberwolves still managed to stay afloat thanks to efforts of veteran Andrei Kirilenko, who had spent a season away playing in the Euroleague after falling out of favor in the NBA once his had contract expired.  Nikola Pekovic also put forth an All Star effort leading the team offensively and rebounding in the place of Kevin Love; however, neither Kirilenko or Pekovic could completely avoid the injury bug as they both would miss 20 regular season games.  As a team, the Minnesota Timberwolves lost a total of more than 200 games due to injury with only six players that finished the regular season with at least 70 games played.  The losing season proved too much for Wolves GM David Kahn, as he was immediately fired upon the end of the regular season and quickly replaced by Flip Saunders--former head coach of the team and fan favorite for bringing the Wolves to the playoffs for eight straight seasons.  Many may consider Kahn as the scapegoat for the team's failures; however much of those failure were the results of Kahn's poor personnel choices and even poorer use of the draft picks he had, so from that standpoint, Kahn dismissal had been a long time coming. Now the Wolves along with their fans will be hoping that Lady Luck will bless them next season as things would have been far different if it had not been for all the injuries. Minnesota possibly could have had it's first winning season and their first playoff appearance since 2006.  Instead of being unceremoniously canned, David Kahn would have been celebrated by fans and hailed as a hero with folks having forgotten the gaffe he did in the 2009 NBA Draft wasting the 6th overall pick on Jonny Flynn, who is currently no longer in the league, ahead of a perennial All Star Stephen Curry, who was selected subsequently right after by the Golden State Warriors at seven.  For those who do not remember Kahn had previously used the 5th overall pick to select Ricky Rubio, who many considered a major gamble at the time before he foolishly looked over a sure thing like Curry and chose a player who many did not really have going that high on the draft.   That draft would forever haunt Timberwolves fans as their team could have had an All Star starting lineup combination of Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Stephen Curry for years to come and probably would have had returned to respectability much sooner instead of still wallowing at the bottom.  Now with Kahn gone, it will be up to Flip to move his team forward from the past towards the future and hope that lightning will not strike twice for this long struggling franchise next season.