NBA Draft 2012: 5 Teams with the Most to Lose from a Bad Pick

The NBA Draft can be a time for hope or a time for despair for an NBA team.

With so much riding on a draft pick, fanbases can become crazed postulating over the future of their rookie. For every team that is on the rise, there has to be a team falling down. 

Inevitably, some teams will grab a gem in the draft while others will grab a bust.

These five teams have the most to lose from a botched pick in this year's NBA draft.

Charlotte Bobcats (No. 2 Pick)

After finishing 7-59 for the worst winning percentage in NBA history, the Charlotte Bobcats still did not land this year's No. 1 overall pick, according to the Washington Post.

Adding to their malaise, owner Michael Jordan ended the Bobcats' search for a new head coach by passing up on reputable coaches, like Jerry Sloan and Brian Shaw, in favor of the questionable Mike Dunlap.

With so many holes in an already porous roster, Bobcats fans have grown frustrated with their team.

Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker are about the only two decent players on a team full of journeymen with no coherent game plan.

Whether it is Kansas's Thomas Robinson, Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or another young phenom, the Bobcats will need a player capable of an instant impact.

Otherwise, an underwhelming rookie could have the Bobcats lottery bound for the foreseeable future.

Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 4 Pick)

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a franchise player in reigning Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving, but this organization and city is still heavily enmeshed in the aftermath of The Decision.

After foolishly declaring in an open letter to Cavs fans that his team would win a championship before the "self-titled former 'King,'" owner Dan Gilbert will be looking to the draft to salvage his roster (via NBA.com).

With LeBron James on the verge of winning his first ring with the Miami Heat, Cleveland fans are as anxious as ever to start the winning process.

Last year the young Cavaliers finished 21-45—13th in the Eastern Conference and 14 games out of the final playoff spot.

Coach Byron Scott has shown that his team has some precocious cornerstones like Irving and F Tristan Thompson.

A solid pick will have the Cavs continuing their upward trajectory. Whether it happens to be Kansas's Thomas Robinson, UConn's Andre Drummond, North Carolina's Harrison Barnes or someone else, the Cavaliers will need their rookie to play well alongside Irving and Thompson.

A busted pick will only stymie this young team's progression and keep the Cavs stuck in their losing ways.

Golden State Warriors (No. 7 Pick)

After trading Monta Ellis and Ekpe Udoh for an injured Andrew Bogut, Warriors' brass has been walking on eggshells in front of its disgruntled fanbase.

Stephen Curry's oft-injured ankles have been cause for concern to the coaching staff, while Klay Thompson looks to be a bright spot on an otherwise weak roster.

Given all the Warriors' holes, any smart pick can help them.

Unfortunately, management has dissatisfied its fanbase to the point that the success of this draft will not only rest on Golden State's pick, but also with the success of the teams picking immediately before and after them.

If the Portland Trail Blazers (No. 6 pick) or  the Toronto Raptors (No. 8 pick) end up with next season's Rookie of the Year, Warrior fans will forever harp over what could have been.

This is a team stuck in a culture of losing—seeking a bona fide phenom to bring them back to what they once were.

New Orleans Hornets (No. 1 & No. 10 Pick)

Anthony Davis is a lock to be the Hornets' No. 1 pick, but who New Orleans decides to take with the No. 10 pick will be critical for this team's future.

After Chris Paul turned the Clippers around last season, the Hornets need an overachieving year to keep their maligned fanbase intact.

Presuming they are able to resign Eric Gordon, the Hornets should have a versatile one-two punch with him and Davis on the floor.

It is likely that the Hornet's other lottery pick will have to play third banana. Nevertheless, he will still be essential to the Hornets achieving some semblance of a three-headed monster akin to that in Miami or Oklahoma City.

Surely the Hornets would benefit from a quick guard. Will Weber State's Damian Lillard or Duke's Austin Rivers still be available?

At this point, the Hornets need the best player on the board, and someone stable to get the Hive buzzing again.

Phoenix Suns (No. 13 Pick)

The Suns are not getting younger anytime soon and, outside of Steve Nash, the roster is pretty depleted.

Phoenix is stuck in NBA's purgatory as a fringe playoff team—they're almost good enough to be a No. 8 seed, but not deficient enough to be a cellar dweller.

They have serviceable young players like F Markieff Morris and C Robin Lopez, but fans in the Valley of the Sun are still waiting for a young breakout player to take the reins from Nash.

If the pieces fall into place, the Suns might be able to steal Austin Rivers or Syracuse's Dion Waiters.  Coach John Calipari guards have been gold in the NBA, and maybe the Suns will nab Kentucky's Marquis Teague.

Regardless, who the Suns take with the 13th pick will be crucial for the team moving forward.