Every NBA Team's Biggest Mistake This Season

The 2011-12 NBA season has been full of exciting and memorable moments, but it's also been full of head-scratching acquisitions and trades with big-time mistakes that will cost teams down the stretch of the season.

These massive mistakes range from the Orlando Magic buying into the Dwight Howard drama all the way to the New York Knicks' coaching staff not inserting Jeremy Lin into the starting lineup early on enough in the season.

Some of these mistakes have the potential to make a serious impact on the way the regular season plays out, as well as the way the playoff picture looks as we head into the month of May.

Ahead is a list of the every NBA team's biggest mistake this season.

Atlanta Hawks: Not Moving Joe Johnson by the Deadline

Joe Johnson isn't a bad player, but he's certainly not worth the $20-plus million that the Hawks are paying him every year.

With Josh Smith taking over as the star player this year, averaging 18.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, and the youthful talent the Hawks have on their roster, the Hawks would've been wise to move in a direction that doesn't include Johnson.

This trade deadline would have been a perfect time to deal Johnson, as his value would have been through the roof.  While losing his production may have hurt immediately, there's no doubt that unloading his massive contract would have paid dividends moving forward. 

Boston Celtics: Not Moving Garnett to Center Earlier

Since the Celtics moved Garnett from the power forward position to the center position, they've been on a tear in the East, recently crushing the mighty Miami Heat on national T.V.

With Garnett at center, the Celtics have even snuck into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  While that's all well and good, this move would have been more impactful a month or two ago, as it would have helped the Celtics contend for the top spot in the East, which is something that they certainly need.

Luckily for the Celtics, their mistake won't necessarily hold them back heading into the home-stretch of the 2011-12 season, but making it earlier certainly would have helped them out quite a bit. 

Charlotte Bobcats: Hmmmm ... Where Do I Start?

Not only are the Charlotte Bobcats the worst team in the NBA, they are also the proud owners of one of the worst 12-man rosters in the history of the NBA.

Usually if a team isn't all that good one year, they at least have potential on their roster that gives them hope for the future. While the Bobcats have Kemba Walker and Gerald Henderson, aside from those players they don't have a lot of talent moving forward, which means the future isn't bright in Charlotte.

The Bobcats biggest mistake this season, without writing an entire book, is the fact that they failed to sign anyone significant or trade for any potential talent.  The Bobcats are the same terrible team they were when the season started, and that's bad news for Bobcats fans.

Chicago Bulls: Involving Themselves in the Dwight Howard Trade Talk

It's hard to think of a mistake that the Bulls made this season because, well, they've been as close to perfect as you can come, with a deep bench and legitimate All-Star talent.

If there's one mistake the Bulls made, it's that they indirectly got themselves involved in the saga known as the Dwight Howard drama that went on for months this season.  The only reason why it was a mistake is because it planted seeds in the heads of Bulls' players that there's a possibility they could be traded.

While that might not be such a bad thing, we've seen how trade rumors can impact the psyche of some NBA players.  Yes, I'm looking right at you Rajon Rondo and Lamar Odom.  If the biggest mistake for the Bulls this year, is being interested in Dwight Howard, then that means the Bulls have had one heck of a season. 

Cleveland Cavaliers: Trading Away Ramon Sessions for Next to Nothing

Shockingly enough, the Cleveland Cavaliers were a relevant team in the Eastern Conference for a majority of the first-half of the 2011-12 NBA season.

That relevance in the East came to an end once they traded away Ramon Sessions to the Los Angeles Lakers.  The problem for the Cavaliers wasn't the trade itself, it was the fact that they gave away Sessions for next to nothing in terms of talent for the rest of this current season.  A first-round draft pick was decent in return for Sessions, but that pick doesn't help them at all this year. 

Trading for a draft pick could help the Cavs in the future, but they needed talent that would make them better, or at least remain relevant this year, as they are still trying to exist in the post-LeBron era.  If the Cavs don't make a smart selection with the draft pick they got from the Lakers, this trade could set them back in the near future. 

Dallas Mavericks: Not Re-Signing Tyson Chandler

The Dallas Mavericks aren't necessarily struggling this year, but they could be a lot more consistent than they currently are.

Their main problem is that they don't have a legitimate post-presence at the center position, which is what they lost when they let Tyson Chandler sign with the New York Knicks this past offseason.  While there's no doubt that Dirk Nowitzki can carry the Mavericks well into the heart of the Western Conference playoffs, his job would be easier if he still had Chandler holding down the fort in the paint.

The reason why letting Chandler sign elsewhere this past offseason was a mistake is because the Mavs seriously miss his defensive presence—they are less intimidating in the paint with Brendan Haywood holding it down.  If the Mavs face the Lakers, Clippers and Spurs in the playoffs, they will regret letting Chandler slip away because those teams' frontcourts will dominate them.  

Denver Nuggets: Trading Nene for JaVale McGee

Without a doubt, the most shocking trade that went down before the trade deadline was the three-team deal that sent JaVale McGee to the Nuggets and Nene Hilario to the Washington Wizards.

While in a lot of respects that trade was an upgrade for the Wizards, it was the complete opposite for the Nuggets.  I understand that it freed up a bit of cap space for the Nuggets moving forward, but bringing a young and immature McGee was the last thing the Nuggets needed to do heading into the home stretch of the 2011-12 season.

The Nuggets are hovering right around .500 since the McGee trade, and that just goes to show how big of a mistake it was for a team looking to make a legitimate run in the Western Conference in a few weeks.

Detroit Pistons: Not Unloading Ben Gordon's Massive Contract

There are undoubtedly a lot of ways that the Detroit Pistons can improve over the next few weeks and into the upcoming offseason.

The one thing they absolutely needed to do, however, by the Mar. 15th trade deadline, was move Ben Gordon off their roster, and they failed to do that.  With teams like the Lakers, Clippers and Spurs looking to bolster their depth at the shooting guard position before the trade deadline, the Pistons could have maximized Gordon's value, but instead they held onto his massive contract.

The money that the Pistons have tied up in Gordon holds them back from adding talent at other "high-need" positions, and until they move Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, they won't be able to do that.

Golden State Warriors: Trading Monta Ellis for an Injury-Prone Center

While Monta Ellis isn't necessarily the most consistent player in the NBA, he is certainly one of the most offensively explosive, and trading him away for an injury-prone center and an aging veteran wasn't the move the Warriors needed to make.

Richard Jefferson is a solid role player, and Bogut certainly has the potential to be a legitimate post-presence, if he can stay healthy, but giving up Ellis' production of 20.3 points and 5.3 assists per game for that kind of talent just doesn't make sense.

What makes this trade the Warriors' biggest mistake of the 2011-12 season is the fact that they've only won two of their 12 games since making that trade.  Who knows, maybe trading away Ellis will pay off in the future, the odds for that actually happening aren't in the Warriors' favor. 

Houston Rockets: Spending $7 Million on Samuel Dalembert

Samuel Dalembert isn't having a terrible season, with averages of eight points and 7.3 rebounds per game, but there's no doubt that that kind of production isn't worth the $7 million the Rockets have locked up in him.

Once the Rockets traded away Jordan Hill, it was clear that they needed Dalembert to step up his production, and he hasn't done that.  Paying $7 million to a player that's only adding eight points and 7.3 rebounds per game puts Dalembert well into the realm of seriously overpaid players in the NBA.

While Dalembert isn't necessarily holding the Rockets back, he isn't really helping them move forward either, and that's not the kind of player the Rockets need or want for the $7 million they are paying him.  The Rockets made a mistake by signing Dalembert, as there were much better and more complete options available for the same price this past offseason. 

Indiana Pacers: Trading for Leandro Barbosa

The main reason why the Pacers made a mistake by trading for Leandro Barbosa this season was because it doesn't necessarily help them right now—and it doesn't necessarily help them in the future, as Barbosa can leave at the end of the season.

Before the March 15th trade deadline, the Pacers weren't necessarily struggling, sitting at 25-16 overall, but for some reason they thought it would be smart to throw a wrench in their rotations by trading for Barbosa.  While Barbosa is an athletic defender, and at times a legitimate offensive threat, the Pacers didn't really need him.

Sure, they needed someone behind Paul George at the shooting guard position, but there were better, younger options available, and that's who the Pacers should've gone after. Adding Barbosa isn't necessarily a terrible move for this season, but he certainly can leave at the end of the year, which would hurt the Pacers in the long-term, and that's what makes trading for him the Pacers' biggest mistake. 

Los Angeles Clippers: Signing Kenyon Martin

I was one of a few select people that didn't quite understand why the Clippers thought it was in their best interest to sign Kenyon Martin once China let him loose this past February.

In theory, signing Martin made sense for the Clippers, as he seemed like a nice substitute for both Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.  Fast-forward to today, though, and the fact that Martin is averaging just five points and 4.9 rebounds per game—seems quite obvious that signing him wasn't the Clippers' brightest move of the season.

Sure, Martin doesn't necessarily hurt the Clippers, as he's a solid defender, but they didn't need to spend the money they did on him because they already had a legitimate post-defender in Reggie Evans. Martin won't hold the Clippers back, but he won't truly help them all that much either, and that's why his acquisition is the Clippers' biggest mistake of the 2011-12 season.   

Los Angeles Lakers: Trading Away Lamar Odom

When David Stern vetoed the Lakers attempted trade for CP3, who would've thought the biggest fallout from that mess would be Lamar Odom's feelings?

The Lakers made a big mistake letting Odom go, as he was an integral piece of the Lakers' now weak bench rotation.

While the Lakers are still a dominant team in the Western Conference, currently holding the third seed in the playoff race, there's no doubt that they would be a better team with Lamar Odom coming off their bench.  The Lakers biggest mistake with Odom was that they let him walk, instead of doing what was best for the franchise and Odom's future as well.  

Memphis Grizzlies: Holding on to O.J. Mayo in a Trade-Happy Market

Every season around the trade deadline, O.J. Mayo's name pops up as a possible trade target, and honestly, it's starting to get old because Memphis never does anything with him.

I'm a big Mayo supporter, as he's helped the Grizzlies remain relevant in the Western Conference, but the Grizz undoubtedly needed to trade him this year because there's a very high likelihood that he will be taking his talents elsewhere next season.  Mayo will cost the Grizzlies $7.6 million next year, and there's a high likelihood that they won't be willing to pay that.

If the Grizzlies don't make that offer to Mayo, he will leave Memphis and join a contender, which is bad news for the Grizzlies' franchise.  If the Grizzlies had traded Mayo, they would have at least gotten some talent in return, but now they run the risk of losing him for nothing, which is a big mistake for the Grizz. 

Miami Heat: Keeping Erik Spoelstra as Head Coach

The Miami Heat are one of the most inconsistent teams in the NBA, and it's not because of the talent they have on their roster.  It's because of the guy they have running the show in South Beach—head coach Erik Spoelstra.

First of all, the guy spells his name with a "k", which should be reason enough to fire him. If that wasn't enough, Spoelstra has made almost no changes to the Heat's horrendous half-court offensive set, which is a major reason for their lack of success against high-quality opponents.  In addition the Spoelstra's ineptitude in the half-court offense, he doesn't seem to understand how to make intelligible roster rotations, which often results with two of the Heat's big three being off the court at the same time.

The Heat need to fire Erik Spoelstra—he's simply dead weight for the franchise.  Honestly, with the talent the Heat have on their roster, they need a coach who will simply step back and let them take over the game.  Allowing Spoelstra to remain with the Heat is a big mistake, there's no doubt about that.

Milwaukee Bucks: Not Bolstering Their Front-Court

The biggest weakness that still exists for the Bucks, even with their post-Bogut roster, is the lack of depth and production that they have on their depth chart at the frontcourt positions.

Trading away Bogut was a solid move, as they were able to get rid of an injury-prone big man, while creating a dynamic backcourt duo with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. What the Bucks needed most—they failed to get—and that was a legitimate threat at the center position.  As the Bucks stand now, they only have Ekpe Udoh and Larry Sanders (who?) at the center position, and that's not the kind of talent they need.

If the Bucks want to contend in the Eastern Conference, they absolutely need to draft or sign a legitimate center this offseason, because if they don't, trading away Andrew Bogut could turn out to be a big mistake.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Overvaluing Michael Beasley in Trade Market

The Minnesota Timberwolves appeared ready and willing to trade away Michael Beasley before the trade deadline, but they ultimately were unsuccessful, mainly because they overvalued him in a trade-happy market.

The Timberwolves reportedly turned down an offer from the Lakers that would have sent Beasley to the Lake Show for a first-round draft pick in return.  While granted, the first-round pick would have been in the mid-20s, it still was a great offer that the Timberwolves should have jumped on.  Beasley has only played in five of the T'Wolves 13 games since the trade deadline, and I just can't wrap my head around how that is worth more than a first-round pick to Minnesota.

The Timberwolves would be crazy to offer Beasley a qualifying offer of $8.1 million this offseason, which means Beasley will most likely leave the Timberwolves for another team. With all that being said, the Timberwolves will lose Beasley while getting nothing in return, which is why not trading him before the deadline was a massive mistake for the Timberwolves. 

New Jersey Nets: Not Making Dwight Howard a Member of the Nets

The New Jersey Nets main goal this season was to convince the Orlando Magic to trade Dwight Howard to them, and they failed miserably at accomplishing that goal.

Instead of seeing Howard don a Nets jersey, the Nets find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with the future of their franchise in doubt, as Deron Williams appears to be interested in taking his talents elsewhere this offseason.  The main issue for the Nets is that the mistake of not trading for Howard, at all costs, will not only cost them this year, it also has the potential to doom their franchise for the foreseeable future.

While a move to Brooklyn this upcoming season will certainly help spice things up for the Nets, there's no doubting that if Deron Williams leaves the team this offseason, the future of the Nets is seriously in doubt.  Not trading for Dwight Howard could end up hurting the Nets for much more than just this year and next, and that's why it's the biggest mistake the Nets made.  

New Orleans Hornets: Not Re-Signing David West, Among Many Other Things

While a lot of people might think that trading away Chris Paul was a big mistake, it's actually the best thing they've done all season.  That's mainly because there was a high likelihood Paul would've taken his talents elsewhere if he were still a Hornet at the end of the season.

The biggest mistake the Hornets made this season was failing to re-sign power forward David West.  Without West the Hornets' legitimately underwhelming frontcourt has faltered, failing to help the Hornets make a real impact in the Western Conference.  With an underwhelming amount of talent on the Hornets' roster, having West could have made a big difference this season.

After trading Paul, and not re-signing West, the Hornets were bound to be a bottom feeder in the NBA this season, and that's exactly what the Hornets turned out to be.  Failing to sign David West to a long-term contract was the Hornets biggest mistake, because his leadership and experience is sorely missed. 

New York Knicks: Not Starting Jeremy Lin Earlier

The New York Knicks were hovering right around obscurity in the NBA until Mike D'Antoni made the greatest coaching decision of his career, and that was to insert Jeremy Lin into the starting lineup.

Making Lin a starter was more of something that D'Antoni stumbled upon, rather than a genius basketball decision, as it was really his last option.  While Linsanity saved D'Antoni for the time being, it ultimately was a move that took way too long for D'Antoni to make.

It wasn't like Lin all of a sudden just figured out how to be a high-caliber point guard.  In practice, Lin was the same point guard that he was once he stepped on the court in games, and the fact that D'Antoni couldn't see his talent until he was his last option is by far the biggest mistake of the Knicks' season so far—not forcing D'Antoni out earlier was a close second by the way.   

Oklahoma City Thunder: Only Starting James Harden Twice All Year

It's hard to find something that the Thunder are doing wrong, but if there's one mistake they've made all year, it's the fact that they are determined to keep James Harden on the bench.

While keeping Harden on the bench for the first seven or eight minutes of the game certainly works for the Thunder, it doesn't make sense as to why they don't just insert him into the starting lineup.  The only reason that I can come up with as to why he's still riding the bench for the first few minutes of every game is that the Thunder are set on having him win the 2012 Sixth Man of the Year award.

Luckily for the Thunder, their biggest mistake isn't really hurting them at all this season, and I'm sure it's something that they won't change until they absolutely need to.

Orlando Magic: Buying into the Dwight Howard Drama

I'm in the "the Dwight Howard saga will live on into this offseason and next year" camp, and that's why I think the Magic's biggest mistake this season is the fact that they didn't trade Howard.

I won't be shocked when Howard decides that he wants to be traded this offseason, because he's one of the most wishy-washy players in the NBA.  I mean, there are even reports coming out of Orlando now that Howard isn't satisfied with Stan Van Gundy as his head coach, and he wants him out.

The last thing the Magic needed to do this season was to buy into the thought that Howard actually wants to be a part of the Magic's future, because he can easily still leave them high and dry at the end of next year.  It will be interesting to see what happens with Howard in Orlando, but there's no way around the fact that the Magic needed to trade him this year and made a mistake by not doing just that. 

Philadelphia 76ers: Holding on to Elton Brand

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the truly surprising teams of this season so far, and it's in no way due to the way the highest-paid player on their team, Elton Brand, has been playing.

Brand's averages of 10.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game honestly don't truly help the 76ers all that much—there are younger and more athletic players on the roster that can make a more significant impact.  The 76ers would have been smart to try to find a team interested in trading for Brand before the trade deadline, but they failed to do that, and instead they held onto his massive $17 million contract.

It's clear that Brand's veteran experience doesn't really make the 76ers a better team, as the pace of their uptempo game slows down when he's on the court.  The 76ers have Brand and his massive contract for at least one more year, and holding onto that is a big mistake for the future of their franchise.   

Phoenix Suns: Letting Steve Nash Call the Shots

With rumors circulating around the possibility of Steve Nash being traded just a few weeks ago, the Suns' front office came out and said that they would only trade him if he demanded a trade.

That right there was their biggest mistake of the season, as allowing Nash to call the shots gave him all the power in the situation, and that's the last thing the Suns needed to do. While the Suns are in the playoff race in the West, there's no doubt that they won't make it out of the first round, and that's why it was definitely time to break ties with the two-time NBA MVP.

The Suns don't necessarily have a bright future with Nash running the point, unless they're satisfied with making playoff appearances as the seventh or eighth seed, and that means it's time for the Suns to move in a Nash-less direction.  Not doing that was a big mistake for the Suns to make this season.

Portland Trailblazers: Signing Joel Przybilla

The Portland Trailblazers have successfully played themselves out of contention in the Western Conference and into the conversation for a possible lottery pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

While their lack of success this season is partially due to a lack of coaching, poor point guard play and the retirement of a guy named Brandon Roy, there's no doubt that signing Joel Przybilla hasn't helped them at all either.  Przybilla's stellar averages of 1.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season have helped the Blazers make a run into the lottery of this summer's upcoming draft.

While not a lot of people thought Przybilla was going to actually make a difference for the Trailblazers, I don't think most people thought his production would be this irrelevant when it comes to their overall success.  The Blazers should've saved the money they spent on Przybilla, and used it on, well, anything else.  

Sacramento Kings: Releasing J.J. Hickson

Sure, J.J. Hickson is a rather immature player, but that doesn't change the fact that with the right coaching and talent around him, he can be a legitimate member of any NBA team's frontcourt.

After releasing Hickson, the Trailblazers picked him up, and he's averaged 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game over the span of his last five games.  Hickson is a player that needs a lot of coaching and a lot of discipline, and while the Kings couldn't bring that to him, they should've changed their ways to try and do that rather than just letting him go.

Letting Hickson go might not mean a lot when it comes to the Kings' success this season, but it certainly means more in regards to future of the Kings' franchise.  Among the plethora of things the Kings have done wrong this season, releasing Hickson is at the top of the list of those mistakes. 

San Antonio Spurs: Trading for Stephen Jackson

I know a lot of people were extremely excited when they heard that S-Jax was making a return to San Antonio, but I wasn't nearly as thrilled because they had to give up one of their best defenders and athletic role players to get him.

While the Spurs are still winning games, they aren't winning games because of Stephen Jackson—they are winning games in spite of the production that he brings to the team. Over the last five games, Jackson has averaged six points and three rebounds per game, on a measly 44.4 percent shooting.

Trading away Jefferson for Jackson was the biggest mistake the Spurs have made all season, and while they will still be a solid team with him on their roster, there's no doubt that he has the potential to hold them back down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs. 

Toronto Raptors: Not Maximizing Jose Calderon's Value at Trade Deadline

There aren't a lot of things that the Raptors have done right this season, and at the top of the list of things they've done wrong is not maximizing the trade value they had in Jose Calderon.

The worst kept secret in the NBA as we approached the trade deadline was the Lakers' interest in trading for a better option at the point guard position than they currently had. The Raptors, with Jose Calderon, would have been extremely wise to see how much they could've received in return for sending Calderon to the Lakers.

While Calderon is a good player for the Raptors, he's most certainly expendable, and the Raptors made a big mistake by not legitimately putting him on the trade block in early March.  The Raptors are going nowhere fast, and they could have at least received draft picks to build for the future by trading Calderon.  Failing to do that was a big mistake for our friends up north, and it will be one they regret for years to come.  

Utah Jazz: Failing to Make a Trade Deadline Acquisition

The Utah Jazz are hanging in around relevancy in the Western Conference playoff picture, and it's in large part due to the play of their frontcourt duo of Paul Milsap and Al Jefferson.

The one way that the Jazz could've seriously improved over the span of this season is if they would've been able to trade the woefully underperforming Devin Harris for a more offensively explosive point guard.  Holding onto Devin Harris wasn't necessarily the biggest mistake for the Jazz, but the fact that they stayed stagnant at the trade deadline certainly is.

The Jazz needed to add some offensive production to their lineup, specifically at the small forward/guard position, and failing to do that will hold them back over the span of the next weeks and into the playoffs, if they even make it that far.  Utah needs to learn that sometimes making a trade deadline move is the best way to transition from being an average team to being a legitimate contender.  

Washington Wizards: Not Cutting Rashard Lewis

I could write a 300-page book on the mistakes the Wizards have made this season, from trading Nick Young and JaVale McGee to firing Flip Saunders, but the biggest mistake they made was holding onto Rashard Lewis throughout the season.

Lewis's production, to the tune of 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game on 38.5 percent shooting, hasn't helped the Wizards at all this season, and it's definitely not worth the $20-plus million that they are paying him to put on his No. 9 Wizards jersey.  While any NBA team would've been legitimately insane to trade for Lewis, the Wizards are legitimately insane for not just biting the bullet and cutting him.

It's not a big deal though; it's not like cutting Lewis would've actually helped the Wizards win any more games because they are just that young, and that bad.