10 NBA Teams That Need to Hit the Panic Button

The NBA season is young, but there are still a number of teams who have cause to be seriously concerned about their immediate future.

Prior to the start of the 2011-2012 campaign, some organization knew that there would be tough waters to navigate this season, while others have been caught off guard with regards to what this year would hold. 

A condensed season is no joke, because not only did these teams have little time to prepare for the campaign, but they have even less time moving forward to correct the ever-growing list of wrongs. 

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic are 4-2, yet the team has cause to panic moving forward.

Orlando's four wins have come against struggling teams like the New Jersey Nets and Charlotte Bobcats. The Magic have only played against one of the league's top teams thus far in the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they played less than admirably.

Furthermore, their most recent loss at the hands of the lowly Detroit Pistons was a pitiful display of both offensive and defensive execution. Factor in the uncertainty surrounding Dwight Howard's future and the team's inability to acquire any other substantial pieces to place around him, and there isn't much to be excited about in Orlando.

The Magic's offense has been inconsistent at best, with Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson being the biggest culprits in that department. Even Dwight Howard has reverted back to his less-than-flattering offensive tendencies at times.

Ryan Anderson has been a bright spot—and a steal for fantasy league gurus—but outside of him, someone else needs to step up on offense.

Aside from the team's performance against the Pistons, Orlando's defense has remained stable, but the panic button must be hit on offense if the Magic wish for Howard to even consider returning.

New York Knicks

While the New York Knicks are in need of some time to acclimate new additions to their system, there has been few things for the team and its fans to cheer about since Christmas day.

Carmelo Anthony is putting up 27 points per game, which is fantastic, but he and the rest of the Knicks team are relying too much on the three-ball. New York jacked up 35 shots from beyond the arc against the Toronto Raptors, knocking down only 10.

Additionally, while the Knicks' defense has improved, they lack visible communication on that end of the ball. Players are handling screens the wrong way and are abandoning their posts for reckless—and at times unwarranted—double-teams.

Tyson Chandler is also a major concern. Raking in nearly $15 million annually, the center should be the teams leading rebounder, yet he's not, and Anthony is. Time must be given for him to adjust, but boxing out and being aggressive on the boards is something he should do naturally, new team or not.

Factor in the injuries that are plaguing the team, specifically Amar'e Stoudemire's sprained ankle, and you have a team in serious need of continuity.

The Knicks have the potential to be a great team, and have shown they are deeper than advertised, but it is for that reason New York should be concerned with why it is taking so long for progress to be made.

Sacramento Kings

While the drama surrounding DeMarcus Cousins is a distraction, the Sacramento Kings do have other pressing matters to deal with.

The team is 2-4 and coming off a beat-down from a struggling Memphis Grizzlies team. Tyreke Evans has lacked effort numerous times so far this season and has been an ineffective floor general to say the least. Their defense is also letting up over 101 points per game.

If Evans is not going to emerge as the leader on offense, someone else is going to have to step up. Marcus Thornton may be scoring, but Sacramento needs a playmaker who can create for the rest of the team. Currently, the struggling Evans is the team's assists leader, dishing out a meager three per contest.

The Kings have a wealth of young talent on their team, yet few are performing up to par. This team needs a reason to stay motivated, and with the recent Cousins controversy, a little stability wouldn't hurt either.

It's going to be a long shortened season in Sacramento if players do not start meeting their production potential.

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are fresh off an impressive win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite having handed Kevin Durant and company their first loss, however, Dirk Nowitzki's team is in need of some serious tweaking.

Dallas' defense has been lackluster thus far, letting up nearly 100 points per game. Their leading rebounder is Brendan Haywood, who is grabbing a not-so-whopping 5.7 per game.

Aside from their defense, the Mavericks' new additions are not fitting in so well on offense. Lamar Odom looks lost outside of the Los Angeles Lakers' system and Vince Carter's most impressive offensive performance came against the Thunder.

Nowitzki and Jason Terry have been shouldering more than a bulk of the offensive burden, and they need help. Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd, Carter and Odom all need to pick up their game on that end.

Could the Mavericks turn a corner following their victory of the Thunder? Perhaps, but this will only be the case if the entire team—outside of Nowitzki and Terry—executes on both ends of the floor much better.

Should Dallas fail to develop a sound sense of cohesion, a 2-4 start will be the least of their worries.

New Jersey Nets

No one expected the New Jersey Nets to win a championship as currently constructed, but their 1-5 start is seriously unsettling.

Brook Lopez's absence has hurt the team substantially, as he was their anchor in the low post and second option on offense. Marshon Brooks and Kris Humphries have stepped up, but Humphries will now be sidelined thanks to a nasty shoulder injury.

The Nets are second from the bottom in terms of offensive production, barely edging out the lost Washington Wizards. There is a visible lack of cohesion on that end, and even Williams' numbers are suffering as a result.

New Jersey needs to see more out of players like Anthony Morrow and Mehmet Okur, and also needs to utilize the likes of DeShawn Stevenson and Shawne Williams much better, or get used to piling up losses.

The other course of action would be to acquire a second superstar to pair with Williams, but with Josh Smith and the Atlanta Hawks on a tear, and the Orlando Magic in no rush to deal Dwight Howard, this may not be a viable option.

If one thing is for certain, it's that the Nets must step up their play on both ends of the floor, and rush to develop a sense of cohesion. If they don't, Williams will be looking for a new home this summer.

Charlotte Bobcats

The good news for the Charlotte Bobcats is that D.J. Augustin and Kemba Walker do not seem completely incapable of playing alongside one another. The bad news though? This team is headed nowhere, and fast.

Few expected the Bobcats to make any noise this season, but their lack of leadership is disturbing. No one seems to be taking the reigns of communication on either offense or defense, and Charlotte remains misguided as a result.

Currently, the Bobcats are near the bottom of the league in terms of points scored per game, and are allowing 105 points per game on defense, putting them in dead last for that category.

Charlotte needs a leader who can serve as a pillar for the team on both ends of the floor. The team also needs a lethal offensive spark, because while the Bobcats are spreading the ball well, they lack a necessary closer.

If the Bobcats want to prove that better days are on the horizon, a leader must emerge from this group of young and inexperienced athletes.

Memphis Grizzlies

Rudy Gay may be the team's leading scorer, but his presence has visibly disrupted the chemistry the Memphis Grizzlies established toward the end of last season.

That being said, Gay is one of the few consistent offensive weapons Memphis currently boasts. Outside of him, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, the team has been inconsistent on both ends of the floor. The aforementioned three are not only the organization's top three scorers but rebounders as well.

There is no doubt that injuries have hampered this squad, with Mike Conley only just returning and Zach Randolph preparing to miss some games due to a nasty knee injury, but the Grizzlies prided themselves on depth last season, an attribute that his been nearly non-existent this year.

Once Conley is fully healthy, he needs to elevate his level of play and run the offense more efficiently. Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo also need to shoulder more of the offensive burden and play tighter defense.

Memphis' victory over the Sacramento Kings was impressive, with numerous players on the bench stepping up, most notably Sam Young, but efforts such as these need to become the expectation. 

Two key players have already suffered injuries this season, and with the schedule condensed the way it is, the road ahead is only going to get tougher. If the Grizzlies cannot regain their composure on both ends of the ball, the postseason may prove to be out of reach.

Washington Wizards

Only one team in the entire NBA remains winless, and that team is the 0-5 Washington Wizards.

John Wall and company weren't supposed to make a championship push this season, but they weren't supposed to make their fans wish it was over already, either.

The entire team is struggling on the offensive end and is consequently dead last in points scored per game. Wall is the most notable culprit, as he is only averaging 13.8 points and shooting just over 31 percent from the field. 

While Wall's struggles early on are of concern, Nick Young, the offensive powerhouse from last season, isn't scoring nearly as much or often as he was last season. This is a huge problem, given that he is not known for doing much else.

No one player on Washington has stepped up, and even though there are 61 games left to play, time is not on their side. The little time they have off must be spent working on the basics, especially offensive execution. The pick-and-roll needs to become a staple for them, and Wall needs to regain his swagger.

This team is as only good as their best player, and if Wall doesn't find his groove, this shortened season is going to last far too long for the Wizards. 

San Antonio Spurs

As far as kicking off the season, the San Antonio Spurs got off to an impressive start, but it became time to panic when Manu Ginobili was forced to leave their most recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a broken hand.

Without Ginobili on the court, the Spurs' offense looked lost. Their leading scorer is a the poster-athlete of consistency, and his absence could prove fatal to their postseason aspirations.

Tony Parker is going to have step up his game on the offensive end if San Antonio is to stay relevant. Tim Duncan cannot be expected to do anymore, and Gary Neal won't return until at least this weekend, and he is going to need time before he can become effective once he does.

Ginobili's importance to the Spurs' success has never been more evident. Like Paul Pierce, he is now the heart and soul of this aging team. His loss is going to be detrimental to San Antonio moving forward, and that just cannot be stressed enough.

Unless someone outside of the rotation is ready to light it up, the Spurs may need to look outside the organization for a consistent sharp-shooter to help carry the offense for the interim.

Whatever the solution for the time being is, San Antonio must find it, or it's going to make for a long, unsuccessful season.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are 4-3—and now atop the Pacific Division—but this is no time for the team to become complacent.

Los Angeles has struggled to compete with the elite teams all season, and while much can be attributed to the opening absence of Andrew Bynum, a bulk of their misfortunes are due to a lack of depth. Lamar Odom left a gaping hole, one that no one else has stepped up to fill.

Outside of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Bynum, no one has stepped up on offense. Bryant has been forced to shoulder not only a majority of the scoring duties, but the play-making ones as well.

While the Lakers' big three should be the team's top performers, they should not be the only ones performing. When Steve Blake is your most impressive supporting player, there is a clear need for depth. Jason Kapono, Troy Murphy, Metta World Peace and Josh McRoberts have all disappointed thus far, and they have even become major liabilities at times.

At their current pace, with the Lakers make the postseason? Yes, but the chances of them advancing past the second round are slim.

Bryant is playing through a wrist ailment, and while he has put up impressive numbers, there is always the chance that he aggravates it. Bynum isn't exactly the quintessential example of durability either.

Unless someone outside of the Lakers' big three begins to produce on either side of the ball, Los Angeles' lack of depth will prove detrimental moving forward.

You can follow Dan Favale on Twitter here @Dan_Favale.