Every NBA Team's Worst-Case Scenario in the Second Half

In the NBA, optimism will only get you so far.

While it's motivating and often insightful to hope for the best, it's ignorant and self-destructive to not prepare for the worst.

Every team attempts to position themselves as best as possible with regards to their ultimate goal, but original agendas don't always pan out.

Regardless of the blueprint, there are always unforeseen bumps in the road, some which can effectively ruin the rest of the season.   

Atlanta Hawks: Trading Josh Smith

Back when the NBA lockout was a reality, the Hawks were gauging league-wide interest in Josh Smith.

Then came the regular season, and all was quiet. Until now. Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting that Smith has asked to be dealt, but if Atlanta has the team's best interest at heart, he'll stay put.

There's a reason the Hawks have been able to win without Joe Johnson, and it's because of the two-headed beast in Smith. He produces on both ends of the floor and has proven, on more than one occasion, he can carry the team.

Coping with the injuries of Johnson and Al Horford has been difficult, but making a playoff push without Smith is damn near impossible.

Boston Celtics: Moving Rajon Rondo

The Celtics have remained adamant that their not looking to trade Rajon Rondo, but between now and March 15, anything can happen.

For Boston's sake though, hopefully this doesn't.

The Celtics need to rebuild and are not going to find a better foundation than Rondo. He can get inside, has exceptional court-vision and is the best rebounding point guard in the league.

If Boston winds up moving Rondo, not only will the future outlook seem bleaker, but any hope of making a splash in the postseason will go with him. 

Charlotte Bobcats: Playing Their Way out of Last Place

As painful as it is to have the worst record in the league, the Bobcats are in a great position to land Kentucky big man Anthony Davis in this summer's draft.

That said, wins like the one over the Magic will only hurt their chances at snagging the first overall pick, and render there future more uncertain than it already is.

Charlotte has come this far, there's no reason to give teams like the Hornets or Wizards a better opportunity at grabbing the 6'10" prodigy.

Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose's Back Spasms Return

The Bulls are 7-3 without Derrick Rose, but if the reigning MVP's back spasms creep up again, they're in trouble.

Chicago sits atop the Eastern Conference, yet aside from Rose, their team lacks a closer. If he misses extended time once again, the Bulls run the risk of dropping the East's top-seed.

And the last thing Chicago wants to do is allow the Heat to enter the postseason with any more momentum than they will already have. 

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving Hits Rookie Wall

Kyrie Irving is a near lock to win rookie of the year, but the Cavaliers will become significantly harder to watch if he hits the infamous rookie wall.

Irving has revived what was a dying franchise last season. He has given Cleveland hope for the future and created numerous opportunities for his teammates to step up, specifically Antawn Jamison.

The Cavaliers most likely won't make the playoffs, but Irving has rendered them competitive. If he tapers off though, so will the rest of the team.

Dallas Mavericks: Missing the Playoffs

For those that think the reigning champion Mavericks are a lock to make the postseason, think again.

Dallas has been the poster-child for inconsistency all season. They've blown big leads, lost to inferior teams and looked downright old.

The Mavericks currently have a hold on the West's sixth-seed, but there are four talented teams in the Nuggets, Blazers, Rockets and Timberwolves that are more than capable of surpassing them.

Following up an NBA title without a playoff appearance is a horrifying possibility. Just the worst. 

Denver Nuggets: Never Getting Healthy

The Nuggets have dealt with a myriad of key injuries this season. And that's an understatement.

Nene and Danilo Gallinari are back in action, but Timofey Mozgov, Kosta Koufos and Rudy Fernandez have all become question marks. Even Ty Lawson has been hit by the injury bug.

At full-strength, Denver rose as high as second place in the Western Conference. Since injuries have become prevalent though, they've dropped to seventh.

If the Nuggets continue to be plagued by injuries, they potentially could fall out of playoff contention altogether.

Detroit Pistons: Playing Themselves out of Bottom 10

Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey have given the Pistons hope, but in this case, there is such a thing as too much hope, too soon.

Detroit is playing much better as of late. They've played .500 basketball over the last 10 games, and Monroe looks like a future superstar.

But if the Pistons continue to rattle off wins, they could find themselves out of the top-10 in this year's draft. A pick that high could be extremely valuable in a trade or result in the selection of a promising swingman like Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Lamb or Bradley Beal.

The playoffs are out of reach, and while it's fantastic that the Pistons have the opportunity to play spoiler, they also run the risk of spoiling their own future plans.

Golden State Warriors: Trading Monta Ellis

If the Warriors trade Ellis, they aren't going to get the star they crave in return, unless that star actually is Joe Johnson.

Trading your leading scorer is rarely a smart move, and even harder to justify when he leads the team in assists per game as well.

Ellis doesn't always take the highest caliber of shots, but he puts points on the board consistently, something his teammates have failed to do.

Moving him now would be detrimental to the team's already lackluster development. 

Houston Rockets: Allowing Playoffs to Get out of Reach

The Rockets, for the moment, have fallen out of the Western Conference's playoff picture.

Kevin Love and the Timberwolves have been surging, but Houston continues to be an enigma; one game, the Rockets look like a playoff team, and the next, they look like a lottery-bound organization.

If consistency continues to be a foreign virtue in Houston, outside of the playoff bubble is where the Rockets will remain.

Indiana Pacers: Roy Hibbert Goes Down

For the first time since Jermaine O'Neal was in his prime, the Pacers have, in their possession, a dominate low post presence. Should they lose that, any hope of making some noise down the stretch vanishes.

Roy Hibbert is an incredible difference maker. He opens up the floor for guys like Paul George and Danny Granger, and allows David West and Tyler Hansbrough the opportunity to score some easy points in the paint.

Indiana, while inconsistent at times, is playing better than most could have imagined. Without Hibbert, overachieving becomes impossible.

Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul Becomes Overburdened

Without Chauncey Billups, a larger burden has fallen upon Chris Paul's shoulders in the Clippers' backcourt.

Los Angeles has lost three of its last four, and the last thing the team needs is for its best player to be overworked.

Paul has been visibly tired by the end of games, and has had more than his fair share of ball-protection issues as of late.

Blake Griffin may be the most exciting player on the Clippers to watch, but Paul's the one that makes them tick, and without him at his absolute best, they aren't going anywhere.

Los Angeles Lakers: Age Catches Up with the Black Mamba

Kobe Bryant has been sensational this season. For the most part.

The Lakers' road woes have continued, as they have dropped games to both the Wizards and Pistons. Bryant is a combined 17 for 57 in those two contests and appears to be completely out of sync on offense.

Bryant is the Lakers. Without him, they aren't even a playoff team. And while he has struggled before, only to come out of it, this time, it's different.

The Black Mamba has defied the rigors of age and injury on countless occasions, but should either of the two finally catch up with him, both he, and the Lakers, will be living a nightmare. 

Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph Becoming a Liability

Knee injuries are as fickle as they come, and Zach Randolph has 10-years worth of NBA mileage on his, so there is no guarantee his transition back into the lineup is a seamless one for the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies will revel in his return, but if he is unable to regain his explosiveness on both ends of the floor, he stands to become more of a liability than an asset.

Memphis is in dire need of some depth in the low post, a service Randolph is expected to provide. Should his knee continue to hinder him though, the Grizzlies will be left scrambling.

Miami Heat: Chris Bosh Suffers Significant Injury

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are the Heat's two biggest stars, but it is an injury to Chris Bosh that sets the team back the most.

Miami has already proven that James can run things on the outside without Wade, and vice versa, but without Bosh in the low post, the Heat are liable to be exploited.

Bosh is not a top-tier defender, but he gives Miami a body to place on opposing bigs, and helps spread the floor on offense.  

Both the Jazz and the Lakers punished the Heat in the paint, a reality they would have to become accustomed to without Bosh on the floor.

Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings Goes Cold

Without Andrew Bogut, and alongside an inept Stephen Jackson, Brandon Jennings has had the best season of his career.

Jennings' improved shot-selection has him shooting a career best 40.2 percent from the field, and his ability to carry the Bucks' scoring burden on his own has never been more prevalent.

If Jennings reverts back to his inconsistent tendencies though, Milwaukee loses all of hope of remaining competitive; should he begin to taper off, the Bucks will finish off the season in all-too-familiar territory: Irrelevancy.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love Gets Injured

Kevin Love needs to become a bigger part of the MVP conversation.

As of right now, Love has the Timberwolves back in the playoffs. Alongside Ricky Rubio, the power forward has restored hope to a franchise that hasn't considered the playoffs since the days of Kevin Garnett.

Without him, Minnesota would be nothing. Fittingly enough, losing him to injury would all but obliterate the Timberwolves' postseason aspirations.

New Jersey Nets: Standing Pat at the Deadline

The Nets may be on a collision course with Dwight Howard, but they can ill-afford to place all their hopes in him.

If New Jersey is unable to land Howard by the trade deadline, it is imperative that the team ensure another star is on the way. Deron Williams can, and will, opt out of his contract at the end of the season, if he is not surrounded by at least one other high quality player.

The Nets cannot let it get that far. If they opt to take their chances with Williams and other players via free-agency, they open the door for tragedy to strike in the form of being left empty-handed.

New Orleans Hornets: Failing to Capitalize off of Chris Kaman

The Hornets would be doing themselves a great disservice by failing to move Chris Kaman by the trade dedline.

While New Orleans could hold on to him and allow his salary to come off the books, the fact is cap space is of little value to them. Hardly any premiere free agents will opt to sign with a team so far away from contention.

Moving Kaman is sure to land the Hornets at least one credible asset. Failing to trade him, though, handicaps New Orleans even further in its attempt rebuild.

New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony Becomes a Bust

As tempted as many may be to call the Carmelo Anthony acquisition a bust, it's still too early.

That being said, time is running out.

Anthony has been unable—or perhaps refuses—to commit to Mike D'Antoni's seven seconds or less system. While that was a concern from the beginning, it has become an even more urgent one now that he's shooting barely 40 percent from the field.

New York's success is directly related to how hard Anthony works to familiarize himself with the concept of team basketball.

If he fails, the Knicks are hardly a playoff team, let alone a title contender. 

Oklahoma City Thunder: Turnover Issues Go Unresolved

At nearly 17 per game, the Thunder commit more turnovers than any other team in the NBA, yet they still have the league's second best record.

Despite success amidst flaws, Oklahoma City can only get by for so long committing such an obscene number of mistakes. 

If the Thunder take their lackadaisical decision-making into the playoffs, hopes of winning achampionship will be dashed as soon as the first round.

Orlando Magic: Trading Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard has carried the Magic for nearly a decade, but his reign in Orlando may soon be coming to end.

As currently constructed, the Magic are not going to win any championships. At best, their a top-tier Jekyll and Hyde act. And try as they might to bring in a Monta Ellis like talent to appease Howard, their assets suggest such a deal isn't in the cards.

The Magic are wildly inconsistent with Howard, so just imagine how much they would struggle without him.

Philadelphia 76ers: Failing to Win Atlantic Division

At one point, the 76ers had a healthy lead on the rest of the Atlantic Division.

After losing seven of the last 10 though, Philadelphia finds both the Knicks and Celtics hot on their trail. And

If the 76ers fall out of first place, they are liable to slip to a much lower playoff seed.

A seed that puts them up against the Heat or Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

Phoenix Suns: Dealing Steve Nash

The Suns have been surprisingly competitive this season, a reality that will cease to exist if either Steve Nash or the organization changes their stance on a potential trade.

Nash has allowed Marcin Gortat to broach the level of stardom, helped Grant Hill salvage what's left of his career, turned Channing Frye into an outside threat and made the most of Jared Dudley's limited skill set.

The 38-year-old point guard makes everyone around him better. Shipping him out in favor of younger assets turns Phoenix into an act not worth watching.

Portland Trail Blazers: Missing the Playoffs

From the front office to the hardwood, the Trail Blazers are in a state of chaos.

Raymond Felton looks lost, Jamal Crawford has struggled to find a stable role, and the curse that is Greg Oden continues to haunt all of Portland.

The Blazers added a plethora of talent to the roster over the offseason and were supposed to contend for a title, but their clearly not there yet.

And after generating so much hype, failing to make the playoffs would be the absolute worst way to close out the season.

Sacramento Kings: Marcus Thornton Aggravates Thigh Injury

Marcus Thornton missed seven games earlier in the year with a left thigh injury, and the Kings dropped all seven.

Sacramento has played strong on the offensive end as of late, which has allowed them to remain in games they would have otherwise been blown out of. Thornton, the team's leading scorer, is one of the biggest reasons why.

The playoffs are out of the question, but Thornton has helped take some of the burden off both DeMarcus Cousins' and Tyreke Evans' shoulders. If he aggravates his injury and gets sidelined again though, the Kings will be in for a long second half of the season.

San Antonio Spurs: Repeat of Last Season

The Spurs have played dominant basketball all season, just like last year. For their sake though, they better hope a top-to-bottom repeat is out of the question.

Last season, after picking apart the rest of the league on a daily basis, San Antonio closed out the year by dropping eight of its last 12 before getting eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs.

While the Spurs aren't exactly young, they are playing with a youthful exuberance. They just better hope they don't fail themselves down the stretch.

Again. 

Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani Disrupts Team Chemistry

Andrea Bargnani is nearing a return to action, and he might be the only seven-footer in the league who runs the risk of ruining his team's chemistry.

The Raptors haven't been winning games in bunches, but they have had a bundle of close games contests against formidable opponents over the past month. Toronto seems to be one or two players away from becoming a legitimate threat.

Bargnani, more likely than not, is not that player. He spends an awful lot of time camped out on the perimeter, but what the Raptors really need is a low post scorer, which predominantly, he isn't.

Factor in the injury risk involved and you have a big man who is more likely to be a liability than a catalyst.

Utah Jazz: Standing Pat at the Deadline

The Jazz have a surplus of talented big men on the docket, but if they fail to parlay one or more of them into perimeter depth, their season is all but over.

Utah came out strong, surprising the entire league, but now they have shown their true colors, which aren't that of a playoff team.

Derrick Favors is reportedly being dangled as bait, yet the Jazz haven't been too assertive in moving him.

And with so much uncertainty surrounding the point and shooting guard positions, having an abundance of bigs in their possession could turn out to be a terrible mistake.

Washington Wizards: John Wall Gives Up

John Wall is the only member of a troubled Wizards team that leaves it all on the floor consistently, and Washington must hope that he too doesn't abandon all hope.

The Wizards have an abundance of youth on the roster, yet the pieces they've assembled have simply not figured out how to play alongside one another. And any attempts to do so have been ugly and half-assed. 

Washington managed to pull out a win against the Lakers without too much assistance from their star point guard, but if Wall were to disappear like that more often, the Wizards would have a record worse than that of the Bobcats.

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