Sioux Falls Skyforce
(Dan Peters/KSOO)
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A 50-game season takes a lot of patience to navigate.  During the cycle that composes the better part of five months, it takes a certain amount of composure to not lose hope or take things for granted.  Slow starts and hot stretches are all part of the NBA Development League and any team is a couple of roster moves away from being a whole different team for good and bad.

Once Thursday arrives, the Sioux Falls Skyforce will have played their 25th game and we will have gained a measure of perspective.  That midway game is with the Iowa Energy who have been neck and neck with Sioux Falls since the season tipped off before Thanksgiving.   First, a 15-9 record puts the Skyforce within reach of the best D-League teams. Only three teams have won more games going into play on Tuesday night.  Iowa (16-9) is one of those teams.  The next three games the Skyforce plays will be against the Energy.  Thus, the middle of the season isn’t exactly time to catch a breather.

In a wider picture of the league, ten teams currently have winning records and only eight make the playoffs.  For a picture of how fortunes have changed, Idaho started the season winning eight straight, but are 5-11 since then losing their last three games by a combined nine points.  Los Angeles and Reno struggled at first, though now both are in the playoff hunt.  Tulsa and Erie are among teams that were absolute messes not long ago and are fast approaching relevance.

About the only thing the Skyforce haven’t had to endure is heavy roster turnover.  Plenty of season left to rectify that.

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