Every NBA Team's Biggest Head Case

The NBA is full of professional athletes who have big egos and even bolder personalities.

Those personalities have the tendency to, at times, take their egos a little too seriously, which in turn helps them make the transition from professional athlete to professional head case.

A head case, for the purpose of this article is defined as an unstable player, either mentally or physically, who often times fails to make logical decisions and/or control his emotions on or off the court.  

Surprisingly enough, head cases in the NBA aren't all that difficult to come by, as most teams have at least one, if not more on their roster.

Ahead is a list of every NBA team's biggest head case.  

Atlanta Hawks: Marvin Williams

The Atlanta Hawks have a relatively head-case free roster, but if I had to pick one, I'd go with Marvin Williams.

Every once and a while Williams loses his cool and does something like this, which earns him flagrant fouls and ejections from games.

In addition to his proclivity toward flying off the handle every once and awhile, he also finds himself amid reports of trade requests/demands, based on the fact that he think he deserves more playing time than he's getting.

What Williams needs to do is just calm down, stop clotheslining people, and play his game, because when he's playing his best he's a legitimate talent, but when he's demanding trades, he's just another head case.

Boston Celtics: Kevin Garnett

There are a lot of words that could be used to define Kevin Garnett, like insane, emotional, crazy and intense. The best fit, however, is calling him a head case, because that describes exactly who he is.

Garnett is a well-known player around the league for being a physical player, but he's also known for being a little dirty at times. Just ask Channing Frye about this nut-shot or ask Marco Belinelli about this illegal screen.

Garnett's insanity, however, isn't just relegated to his actions on the court. He's also known for ridiculously weird interviews, like this one where he asks Craig Sager if he's ever been in a bar fight.

No matter how you look at Garnett, there's no way around the fact that he's the perfect case study when it comes to head cases in the NBA. 

Charlotte Bobcats: Michael Jordan

The Charlotte Bobcats don't have a lot of bold personalities, which is part of the reason why they are such a terrible team.

The other reason why they are setting records for how terrible they are this season is because of the head case, named Michael Jordan, they have running their franchise.

While Jordan is one of the greatest players of all time, there's no doubt that he's a terrible owner, as he doesn't evaluate talent well, and he doesn't seem invested in the team, with reports that he might sell the team.

Jordan has no idea what he's doing, as the owner of the Bobcats. The fact that he's considering selling the team, rather than taking responsibility for the mess he's made and improving his abilities as an owner, makes him the biggest head case for the Bobcats.

Chicago Bulls: Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah is the Bulls' biggest head case, there's no doubting that. He's emotional, raw, over-energized, and often times, the way he plays the game results in ejections and technical fouls.

The time he threw the basketball directly at a referee, after getting called for a personal foul, followed by double-technical fouls.

Noah doesn't have a filter on his mouth, which earns him a lot of technical fouls and a lot of altercations with other NBA players, but that's also what makes him an integral part of the Bulls' success, as he adds some grit to their team.

Either way, Noah is absolutely a head case, as he doesn't understand how to control his often times raw level of emotion on and off the court.  

Cleveland Cavaliers: Anderson Varejao

Much like the previous player on this list, Joakim Noah, Anderson Varejao doesn't have a filter on his mouth, and he doesn't have a lot of intelligence when it comes to playing physical rather than playing dirty.

Varejao isn't a talented offensive player, so he earns his paychecks on the defensive side of the ball, frustrating players with physicality and toughness. That style of play, though, often times results in hard fouls and technical fouls that hurt his team.

Check out this altercation between Verejao and Ray Allen, to see the kind of player Varejao can be, albeit he did get hit in the nuts.

If Verejao spent half the time he did committing stupid, hot-headed fouls, on becoming a more polished offensive player, he wouldn't find himself on this list.  

Unfortunately, right now, there's no way around the fact that he's well-deserving of the Cavs spot on this list.  

Dallas Mavericks: Delonte West

Picking Delonte West as the Dallas Mavericks' head case is as easy as deciding whether or not I should take free money.

Whether it's his off-the-court issues, including illegal gun possession and drug charges, or his on-the-court intensity, like his altercation with Amar'e Stoudemire or his dirty foul on Gerald Wallace, West is the definition of a head case.

In his days with the Celtics he, even fought his own teammates during practices, which is quite an impressive feat.

West hasn't had the easiest life, dealing with bipolar depression for the majority of it, but there's no doubt that he's the biggest head case on the Mavericks team, which is an impressive feat, as Mark Cuban is a pretty big head case himself. 

Denver Nuggets: JaVale McGee

Trading Nene Hilario for JaVale McGee was an extremely odd move for the Nuggets to make, as it gave them an immature player who happens to be one of the biggest head cases in the league.

McGee's immaturity is remarkable, as he plays the game like he's playing a pickup game on an outside street court rather than playing in a professional indoor stadium, earning millions of dollars for his skills.

If you're unsure why McGee is a head case, just check out this awesome video of McGee's top eight bone-headed plays of his career.

Not much more needs to be said here, as McGee's bone-head play speaks for itself.  

While he's the biggest head case on the Nuggets, he's also, hands down, one of the biggest head cases in the NBA, and that's not changing any time soon.  

Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace

Ben Wallace isn't known for much more than his defensive abilities and his toughness in the paint, but that also means that, at times, he plays dirtier than he should.

Wallace isn't a stranger to receiving technical fouls and even ejections, and he's the kind of player who will throw you to the ground and follow it up by standing over you for the next few seconds. Check out this video of Wallace doing just that, if you've never seen it before.

If his on-the-court tenacity isn't enough, he also was arrested for a DUI and carrying a concealed weapon, which helps make the decision of whether or not he should be on this list, that much easier.  

Golden State Warriors: Nate Robinson

Nate Robinson suffers from "little guy syndrome," as he finds himself overcompensating with toughness for the fact that he's one of the smallest players in the league.

Check out this battle with Chris Paul, that earned Robinson a technical foul, to see what I mean.

Robinson isn't afraid to get into guys faces, even if they are bigger and stronger than him, and while that's certainly respectable, it's also something that leads to him making bone-headed decisions more often than not.

Robinson also plays the game with a high level of intensity, which results in stupid decisions, like getting technical fouls for hanging on the rim like a moron.  

Houston Rockets: Marcus Camby

Marcus Camby is the proud owner of a long and productive NBA career, but he's also the owner of a reputation rooted in being a physical, and at times, a dirty player.

Camby is no stranger to ejections, technical fouls and on-the-court fights, as evidenced by this fight in his days with the Trail Blazers with Kevin Seraphin.

If that wasn't enough for you, check out this flagrant foul on Landry Fields, that earned Camby a solid technical foul, and deservedly so.

The majority of the time, Camby is a solid veteran player, but there are times where he transitions to being a head case, as he plays with stupidity rather than intensity. 

Indiana Pacers: Lance Stephenson

The Indiana Pacers are a well-displined and mature team in a lot of ways, which made finding a head case on their team the touch more difficult.

The only head case I could find on the Pacers is a little-known player, who's done everything but produce for the Pacers, named Lance Stephenson.

The main reason why Stephenson is a head case is simply based on the fact that he's in the NBA right now. Stephenson is the kind of player who needed to stay in college for two more years, but instead, he was one-and-done and entered the NBA well before he was ready to do so.

Stephenson's immaturity has alienated him from teammates and proven just how silly the Pacers were for taking a risk on him in the 2010 NBA draft.  

Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin is known for high-flying dunks, rim-rattling slams and incredible feats of athleticism, but he also happens to be a head case, at times.

Griffin often times seems like a reserved player, but the way he stares at players does all the talking for him.

Because Griffin doesn't have a lot of fines in his game, so the power that he brings to the court to compensate for that lack of fines, often times results in hard fouls, which is why he finds himself in altercations with other players so often.

Griffin always throws his hands up after fouls, trying to seem innocent, but in all reality, he instigates altercations more often than not.  

Griffin needs to just relax and let the game come to him, because if he doesn't do that, he'll always be a head case.  

Los Angeles Lakers: Andrew Bynum

If at any point in your NBA career, you walk off the court after being ejected without your jersey on, you earn a life-time head case card, and that's exactly what Andrew Bynum has.

You had to see this one coming right? Andrew Bynum is the definition of a head case. From his three-point shot that ended with a benching, to his ridiculously dirty foul on J.J. Barea in the 2011 NBA playoffs that earned him a 2012 suspension.

The main reason why Bynum is such a head case is because he's also one of the most immature players in the NBA.

If you're still not convinced that Bynum is an absolute head case, just check out this ridiculously dirty flagrant-two foul on Michael Beasley.  

Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph

Throughout the majority of Randolph's career, he's underperformed and carried a lot of off-the-court baggage with him, and while he's certainly improved over the past year or two, he's still a major head case.

Randolph's immaturity and lack of discipline leads to loads of questionable shots, and a "me-first" mentality that defines the way he plays the game.

Randolph also is known for being a dirty player, as evidenced by his boxing match he had with Louis Amundson back when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers.

While the Grizzlies are maturing as a team, one of their best players isn't, and that's why Zach Randolph finds himself on this list. 

Miami Heat: LeBron James

As a huge fan, it pains me to say this, but there's no doubt around the fact that LeBron James is the biggest head case on the Miami Heat, if not in the entire NBA.

When LeBron thought it would be smart to tell the world where he was taking his talents, via an ESPN special title, "The Decision," he earned a lifetime head-case card, and that's why he's on this list.

LeBron didn't help his head case status when he and his South Beach buddies held their home-coming party, that led to his famous "not one...not two...not three" championship comment.

The only way for LeBron to get himself off this list is if he actually proves good on his promise of bringing eight championships to the Miami Heat. If he doesn't do that though, he'll certainly be on this list for the rest of his career. 

Milwaukee Bucks: Monta Ellis

The Milwaukee Bucks don't have a lot of bold personalities on their team, which makes it hard to pick a player who is truly a head case.

The Bucks' spot on this list comes down to Monta Ellis, who's had quite a handful of legal troubles, including sexual harassment charges during his career, and Drew Gooden, who just seems like a good at times.

Ultimately, Ellis gets the nod, because well, he allegedly sent unwanted text messages to a woman that included pictures of Monta Ellis Jr., if you know what I mean.

Sending "sexts" of your junk to someone earns you a lifetime membership to the lifetime head case club, and that's exactly what Ellis did. 

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love

Kevin Love had some serious competition for this spot on the list, in teammate Michael Beasley, who happens to be a pretty big head case himself.

Fortunately for Love, stomping on another basketball player's face at any point during your NBA career earns you a permanent head case card.

Honestly, aside from stomping on Luis Scola's face a few weeks ago, he hasn't done that much that would classify him as a head case, but he doesn't really need to.

I can't overlook a face stomp here, which earns Kevin Love the Timberwolves' spot on this list.  

New Jersey Nets: Kris Humphries

The fact that Kris Humphries thought it would be a smart idea to marry Kim Kardashian is reason enough for him to find himself on this list for the rest of his time on earth.

There are numerous examples of Humphries "head-case-ness," and they all come from being on the Kardashian's show.The best example of his stupidity is the way he handles himself in this situation with Kim Kardashian and a yoga teacher.

Kris Humphries is one of the biggest idiots in the history of the NBA, just because of his off-the-court life, and while I could go on for hours about why he's such a massive head case, I'll end it by asking you to watch this video.

New Orleans Hornets: Trevor Ariza

Trevor Ariza isn't the most intelligent player in the NBA, and his lack of discipline has resulted in numerous technical fouls and ejections in his eight-year NBA career.

Among the times when Ariza's lost his cool is this swinging elbow that he threw at DeMar DeRozan for doing absolutely nothing aside from dominating him on the court that day.

Another good example of Ariza's lack of discipline and dirty play is his absurdly hard foul on Rudy Fernandez just a year or two ago.

There's no doubt that Ariza is a dirty player who can't control his emotions, and that's why he finds himself on this list. 

New York Knicks: J.R. Smith

J.R. Smith is hands down one of the most immature, undisciplined and out-of-control players in the NBA, and now, he's the New York Knick's problem.

Smith is known for his "me first" mentality, but that isn't the reason why he's such a head case. His lengthy rap sheet does the job for him.

Smith has been fined for his tweets numerous times—once for tweeting in a way that represents his possible affiliation with the "bloods" gang and another time for tweeting this photo of his girlfriend Tahiry Jose.

Smith isn't the most intelligent player in the NBA, which probably means he's not the most intelligent person in general. Smith is a head case for sure; there's just no way around it. 

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins deserves a spot on this list solely for having the stupid goatee that he does, but he's certainly done things that validates his spot on this list of head cases a little bit more. 

Perkins is a bully in the paint, there's really no other way to put it. He just hasn't learned that he needs to play with some discipline and self-control, as evidenced by his continual proclivity toward technical and flagrant fouls.

If you think Perkins is a clean player, just watch this video of him clotheslining Jason Maxiell, and you'll be enlightened to the kind of player he is.

Perkins is a punk, there's no way around it, and the dirtiness that he brings to the game is why he's considered one of the biggest head cases in the NBA. 

Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard

In my book, there's no bigger head case than Dwight Howard, and it's mainly because he can't make up his mind, which makes him look like an absolute prima donna.

Not only did Howard take the Magic on an absolute roller-coaster ride the first half of this season by requesting a trade only to back it up by deciding to not opt-out at the end of the season, but he now finds himself amid reports that he wants head coach Stan Van Gundy fired.

Howard is the definition of a head case because his actions impact everyone around him in a serious way. 

Howard acts like the world revolves around him, and because of that, he earns a top spot on this list of every NBA team's biggest head cases. 

Philadelphia Sixers: Evan Turner

Picking a head case on the Philadelphia 76ers team isn't easy, as their head coach, Doug Collins, does a good job of making sure that their egos and personalities are held in check.

The one head case, though, that seems to pop up on the 76ers team is Evan Turner.

Turner is a head case in a different sense of the term, as he seems unable to get out of his own head and actually become a legitimate player in the NBA.

Every once and awhile, Turner shows glimpses of the kind of player that he can be, but more often than not, he can't escape the boundaries of his own doubts in himself, which is why he's such a head case.  

Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash

Seeing Steve Nash's name on a list of NBA head cases might seem harsh, but just hear me out.

The Suns put the ball in Nash's court earlier in March when they said they would only trade him if asked for a trade.

The fact that Nash didn't take advantage of that opportunity, to increase his chances of finally winning an NBA title, is questionable to say the least, and it's why he finds himself on this head case list.

Sure, one could argue that Nash's loyalty is to be respected, but the fact that he chose to stick with a franchise that hasn't helped make it easier to win games over the past few years is questionable to say the least.

Nash should have left Phoenix, and his mind-boggling decision to stay is why he's considered a head case. 

Portland Trail Blazers: J.J. Hickson

The Portland Trail Blazers made a solid pickup when they added J.J. Hickson off waivers a few weeks ago, but they also managed to add a solid head case to their team.

Like other players on this list, Hickson plays with a high level of intensity that often times results in high-octane fouls, where Hickson's character as a player is called into question.

The fact that Hickson's immaturity and inconsistency led to the Kings waiving him this season is reason enough for him to find his name on this list of head cases.

Hickson is certainly a high-reward/high-risk kind of player, and when he plays with his heart instead of his head, he finds himself falling into the high-risk portion for his team more often than not. 

Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins is certainly growing up at a slow pace, but that won't change the fact that he's still one of the most immature and undisciplined players in the league today.

Cousins has a hot temper that leads to him overreacting in situations where he needs to just walk away, like this one where he got into an altercation with Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett.

Aside from his lack of discipline on the court at times, the fact that Cousins was "banished" from the Kings at the beginning of the season for behavior issues is reason enough for him to find himself on this list.

Cousins must mature for the Kings to become a relevant team in the NBA once again, but until he does that, he'll have a safe spot on this list of head cases in the NBA. 

San Antonio Spurs: Stephen Jackson

Now that S-Jax is back in San Antonio, finding the head case on the Spurs team is much easier.

Stephen Jackson is undoubtedly a head case, with his tendency to push the limits of opponents, resulting in technical fouls, flagrant fouls and ejections.

A little known fact about Jackson is that he was a major player in the brawl that went down between Ron Artest and Detroit Piston's fans back in the early 2000s.

Jackson has a serious attitude on him which is a reason why he finds himself in trouble so often, just like the time he got ejected back when he was with the Golden State Warriors.

Not only is Jackson a head case, he's also an overrated player, and those two things certainly go hand in hand. 

Toronto Raptors: Jerryd Bayless

The Toronto Raptors don't have a lot of egos or bold personalities on their team, and that's why finding a head case on their depth chart is so hard.

One player who can, at times, be a little bit of a head case is Jerryd Bayless, and he gets the nod here, mainly because of his somewhat dirty foul against Channing Frye last season.

Bayless has a bit of a gritty side to him. If he's pushed too far, he can let his emotions get the best of him, and that's why he's the biggest head case on the Raptors' otherwise weak and unexciting roster. 

Utah Jazz: Raja Bell

Oh Raja Bell, how we've missed your immature and out-of-control antics as of late.

Remember that time when Bell turned into a WWE wrestler against Kobe Bryant, when he clotheslined him, with his team up 14 points? Yea, any player that does what Bell did in that situation deserves to be called a head case.

If you thought that situation above was a rarity for Bell, check out this foul on Ginobili a few years ago.

It looks like Bell didn't learn his lesson, and that's why he's more than deserving of this spot on this list, as the Utah Jazz's biggest head case. 

Washington Wizards: Chris Singleton

Lucky for Chris Singleton, JaVale McGee doesn't play for the Wizards anymore, which means the honor of Wizard's head case is all Singletons.

Singleton's head-case-ness was put on display recently when he tweeted about spending $10,000 on Mega Million tickets, and how if he hadn't done that, he would have just spent it all in the club anyway.

The fact that Singleton manages his money so well is reason enough to be deserving of this spot as the biggest head case on the Wizard's depth chart.