Most Useless Player on Every NBA Team

While the NBA is an elite fraternity that very few people every become a part of, that doesn't mean that some players aren't below average and could be reaching the end of their careers in the league.

Every team in the NBA has a player or two that aren't really up to snuff and would only see playing time in the most dire of circumstances.

The point of this article isn't to bash anyone, but rather to illuminate those who aren't likely to help their team once the new season tips off. 

Atlanta Hawks- DeShawn Stevenson

DeShawn Stevenson will add depth to the Atlanta Hawks backcourt, although he won't bring anything near the level of production that Lou Williams will bring to the table.

At 6'5", Stevenson has the size to be a shooting guard and is a solid defender for the position. 

The Atlanta Hawks will be a very different team without Joe Johnson starting at shooting guard, but they shouldn't expect Stevenson to make up much of Johnson's past production. 

Boston Celtics- Jason Collins

James Collins averaged just 1.3 points and 1.6 rebounds while playing just over ten minutes per game. 

As he prepares to enter his 12th NBA season, Collins must be asking himself when he will hang up his jersey.

At one time, Collins was a solid backup center, but that was years ago. 

Collins is among the best low-post defenders in the NBA, and that is why he has been in the league for so long.

Outside of defending well in the post, Collins offer very little to teams nowadays.  

Brooklyn Nets- Jerry Stackhouse

Why is Jerry Stackhouse stil in the NBA? 

That is the question of the day and possibly the week. I offer serious praise to anyone who can answer that mind twister. 

Stackhouse exited his prime ten years ago and it isn't like he found a second burst of greatness as he aged.

During the 2012 season, Stackhouse averaged 3.6 points while playing an average of 9.1 minutes per night. 

I find it rather unlikely that Stackhouse will sell tickets when the Nets open up their new arena in Brooklyn, but at least he gets to say that he was on the team that started a new era of Net basketball. 

Charlotte Bobcats- DeSagana Diop

DeSagana Diop is a big man, but that doesn't mean that he is a good center.

Over the course of the 2012 season as a member of the Charlotte Bobcats, Diop averaged 1.1 point, 3.1 rebounds and half a block per contest.

At the age of 30, time has clearly taken a toll on Diop's knees and he just doesn't move as quickly as he used to. 

The Bobcats will be bad again this season, and Diop will contribute to the losing season that is inevitable.

Chicago Bulls- Vladimir Radmanovic

Chicago Bulls coach Thom Thibodeau does an excellent job of using the strengths of all of his players to the best of their ability. 

Similar to the San Antonio Spurs, the Bulls have a very deep rotation with each player carving out their own niche. 

While it was a tough decision, newcomer Vladimir Radmanovic gets the nod here for multiple reasons. 

First, he is the only new addition that the team could handle losing without hurting the team. 

Second, Radmanovic is a good forward in terms of shooting ability, but comes up below average in every other aspect of his game. 

The Bulls were one of the league's best overall teams over the past two seasons, something that Radmonovich is unlikely to contribute to this season. 

Cleveland Cavaliers- Luke Walton

Luke Walton is among the worst players in the NBA, if you don't believe me just check out his stats from the 2012 season.

He averaged 1.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists while playing an average of 12 minutes per game. Those numbers aren't those of an NBA player, but that is exactly what Walton is at the moment.

Due to his bloated contract, Walton will have a job with the Cleveland Cavaliers for this season at least. 

It should be noted that back ailments have compromised Walton's performance over the last few seasons, but it is highly unlikely that he is going to get out of bed tomorrow with a perfectly healthy back.

Walton is ready to move on to his next career, the question is when he will be able to do that. 

Dallas Mavericks- Dahntay Jones

Dahntay Jones will be entering his ninth season of his NBA career, but will be making his Dallas Mavericks debut. 

Jones was never a stud on offense, but his defense on the wing made him a viable option off the bench.

Now that his defense has slipped slightly, the level in which he helps his team needs to be questioned.

Would the Mavericks be better off trying to develop a young player rather than letting Jones eat minutes?

I certainly think so, but my opinion wasn't requested prior to the signing. 

Denver Nuggets- Julyan Stone

Julyan Stone started a game for the Denver Nuggets during the 2012 season because the team's other guards were all battling injuries. In that game, Stone was more or less there just to fill the point guard position and was rarely included on the offensive end of the court. 

While Stone is entering his second season in the NBA, there are still more questions than answers when it comes to his game.

In the 21 games in which Stone appeared in during the 2012 season, he averaged 1.6 points and 1.7 assists on 41.9 percent shooting from the field. 

The jury isn't out on Stone just yet, but the minds of NBA GM's are probably pretty closed to made up about the young players' future. 

Detroit Pistons- Charlie Villanueva

When Charlie Villanueva was drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the seventh overall pick in 2005, the UConn product appeared ready to progress into one of the league's better power forwards.

After seven seasons, I think it's fair to say that Villanueva will never live up to that hype. 

Over the course of his career, Villanueva's passion and desire to be on the court has been questioned multiple times.

Players that aren't giving it their all are a cancer to their team, and to the culture that it takes to be a winning team. 

The Detroit Pistons would be better off without Villanueva, but his bloated contract makes it unlikely that he will be jettisoned anytime in the near future.

Golden State Warriors- Andris Biedrins

Andris Biedrins was horrid last season, there is simply no nicer way to put it. Putting it nicely, Biedrins is far from the most beloved member of the Golden State Warriors heading into this season. 

He averaged 1.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and one block per contest while playing 15.7 minutes per night. 

Biedrins used to be a better rebounder and he appears to have lost the hustle that made up for his poor free throw shooting and lack of toughness inside.

Honestly Biedrins just isn't tough and strong enough to defend other centers, and since he doesn't excel in any another aspects, the overall performance just isn't going to be good enough to be worthy of an NBA roster spot. 

Houston Rockets- Shaun Livingston

Shaun Livingston had the luxury of being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Over the course of his seven seasons in the NBA, Livingston has been a member of six different teams, and he will be making his Houston Rocket debut when this season tips off. 

Injuries have certainly hampered Livingston's growth as a player, but there are no do-overs in the NBA.

While it shouldn't surprise anyone that the Clippers circa 2004 made a bad decision on draft day, it will be surprising if Livingston is on an NBA roster couple of seasons.

Indiana Pacers- Jeff Pendergraph

Jeff Pendergraph has yet to do anything that has made him stand out during his first two years in the NBA. 

While there are definitely a ton of players that fly under the radar, viewers can normally pick out the skills that make them valuable to the team. 

In the case of Pendergraph, his strengths are limited and he has only received playing time during garbage time.

Even when he played minutes that saw light competition, Pendergraph was unable to do much to help the team.

NBA players that don't distinguish themselves from other young players don't tend to have the longest careers. Pendergraph is already a couple steps down that exact path. 

Los Angeles Clippers- Ryan Hollins

Ryan Hollins performance on a basketball court is the perfect example of flashy moves versus technical, productive play.

Hollins is excellent at running the floor and can throw down some jaw-dropping dunks, but that is about where his strengths as a player end.

Over the course of his seven NBA seasons, Hollins has never averaged more than 6.1 points or 2.9 rebounds. 

The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the NBA's most exciting teams, and that is the only reason I could give for why they keep Hollins on their roster. 

Los Angeles Lakers- Chris Duhon

Chris Duhon was a decent point guard during the 2009 season, since then, he has emerged into the "worst back up point guard in the NBA" conversation.

Over the span of the 2010-12 when he was a member of the Orlando Magic, Duhon never averaged more than 3.8 points or 2.4 assists in a season.

In order to trade for Dwight Howard, the Los Angeles Lakers were forced to eat Duhon's contract. While having to deal with Duhon isn't a coaches' dream, it is a small price to pay for acquiring the league's best center.

The Lakers may have a great season and magical playoff run, but that doesn't mean that Duhon will contribute to that effort in a positive manner.  

Memphis Grizzlies- Hamed Haddadi

Hamed Haddidi is 7'2" and that is the only reason that he is an NBA player. If he had been a few inches shorter, Haddidi would have had no chance to earn a roster spot. 

Haddidi is a decent scorer around the rim, but that may be because he has a huge size advantage on a nightly basis. 

While his height is his biggest strength, it is his downfall in a lot of ways.

Haddid is an atrocious defender when drawn away from the rim and isn't the greatest mover on either end of the court. 

Miami Heat- James Jones

James Jones won his first NBA Championship as a member of the 2012 Miami Heat and no one can take that way from him.

What can be taken away however is his employment with the Heat and the other 29 franchises around the NBA. 

Jones has never been anything better than a middling role player, but he was a good enough three point shooter to warrant a roster spot.

Now that Jones has lost another step defensively and the Heat have brought in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to hep from behind the arc, it may be time the end of Jones' stint in South Beach. 

Milwaukee Bucks- Mike Dunleavy

Mike Dunleavy has carved out a nice career despite of his defensive weaknesses, but as he ages, those issues are only becoming more pronounced. 

When watching Dunleavy play, it is clear that he knows basketball and understands his own strengths and weaknesses. 

If it wasn't for Dunleavy's high basketball IQ, he would likely be out of the NBA and selling car insurance somewhere. 

When put in the right situations, Dunleavy is still solid. That being said, there are too many players in the NBA that could better fit a system while outproducing Dunleavy. 

Minnesota Timberwolves- Greg Stiemsma

Greg Stiemsma got quite a bit of exposure during the 2012 postseason, as he was a member of the Boston Celtics team that pushed the Miami Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Unfortunately for the ex-Celctic, that exposure wasn't always flattering, as he was likely the least productive member of the Celtics rotation. 

Sure, Stiemsma is good for a solid defensive play every once in a while, but that isn't enough to counteract his lack of offensive production.

The Minnesota Timberwloves needed another big man and are taking a chance on Stiemsma, which probably isn't the smartest decision they made this summer.  

New Orleans Hornets- Hakim Warrick

Hakim Warrick hasn't had the career that some thought he would when he came out of Syracuse in 2005.

While he has posted a respectable stat-line of 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in his career, Warrick never lived up to what many believed his potential to be. 

The problem with Warrick is that he isn't capable of defending the majority of NBA power forwards, which makes him virtually unplayable at this point in his career. 

The New Orleans Hornets might be hoping that Warrick is all of a sudden going to become an average defender, but they better have a couple backup plans when it doesn't work out. 

New York Knicks- Steve Novak

The New York Knicks have a lot of talent on their roster, so the choice here had to be one-trick pony Steve Novak. 

Novak is without a doubt a sharpshooter from behind the arc, but that is all he brings to the table.  

While the ability to hit open threes are important, the Knicks would be better off with a small forward that had more of a rounded game. 

The Knicks think that Novak is an important part of a winning team, as evidenced by the team's decision to bring him back during the offseason.

Oklahoma City Thunder- Cole Aldrich

Cole Aldrich is on one of the best teams in the NBA, and one could cite that as the reason that he hasn't been able to crack the rotation. 

However, it isn't like the Thunder were deep in the front court during their last two playoff runs. In fact, they really could have used him against the Miami Heat in the 2012 Finals and against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2011 playoffs. 

At this point, Aldrich hasn't proved that he is an NBA caliber center. 

Aldrich is lucky that he is on such a great team and that the attention is typically on Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. 

If there weren't any distractions, Aldrich would be talked about as a major bust. 

Orlando Magic- Christian Eyenga

Christian Eyenga was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the final pick of the first round in 2009. 

As you can tell, Eyenga is no long in Cleveland and has jumped on board the post-Dwight Howard era in Orlando. 

Hopefully Magic fans aren't expecting Eyenga to make much of a difference in the upcoming season because it would likely end in disappointment. 

While Eyenga is a good athlete, he is so raw that it barely matters against sound opponents. 

The Magic are also loaded with players at the small forward position, so Eyenga isn't going to be awarded playing time just to eat minutes. 

Philadelphia 76ers- Royal Ivey

Royal Ivey is on the cusp of starting his ninth season as an NBA player, but it may turn out to be one of his final seasons as an NBA player. 

During the 2012 season as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder averaged just 2.1 points in 10.1 minutes of a play. The only reason Ivey managed to crack the rotation was due to the injury to Eric Maynor that occurred early on in the season.  

Ivey has made it in the league this long due to his defensive skills and midrange shooter, but those skills won't keep him employed in the NBA forever, as younger players are drafted each year. 

If you consider just how offensively challenged Ivey is, it is amazing that he has managed to make it in the NBA as long as he has. 

Phoenix Suns- Sebastion Telfair

Sebastian Telfair will be the third point guard on this year's Phoenix Suns team behind Goran Dragic and Kendall Marshall. 

While Marshall is a rookie, the Suns would be better off letting their newest first round pick adjust to the NBA game while the team isn't ready to threaten for playoff position. 

Telfair's ability to make it in the NBA at only 6-feet tall is heartwarming, but his ineffectiveness from the field and lack of court vision isn't something that the Suns need to be dealing with this season. 

Portland Trail Blazers- Luke Babbit

Luke Babbit is a decent offensive player, but anything that is gained from his presence on the offensive end is easily outpaced by his inability to play defense at an NBA level. 

At first glance, Babbit appears to be a player that could help out some of the benches across the league. This isn't the case however, as Babbit is a little too good to play in the D-League, but is overmatched against the worst forwards in the NBA. 

Until Babbit becomes a decent defender, he won't be able to hold a roster spot on an NBA team.

Sacramento Kings- Tyler Honeycutt

At 6'8", Tyler Honeycutt has the size to play power forward in the NBA. However, he lacks the offensive ability to score effectively and would have to be among the league's best wing defender to warrant a role that sees him play more than 5.9 minutes per game that the Sacramento Kings played him during the 2012 season. 

While Honeycutt is a solid distributor, there are more important skills that an NBA caliber power forward must have in order to have a successful career. For example, until Honeycutt becomes a better rebounder and develops more of a post game, he will be more of a liability than an asset. 

Honeycutt appeared in just 15 games during the 2012 season, and he isn't a lock to top that number this season.  

San Antonio Spurs- Cory Joseph

The San Antonio Spurs are a deep team that manages to get the most out of their role players, so it wasn't easy to find a Spur who was useless to Greg Poppovich's cause.

Ultimately, it appeared as if Cory Joseph was the choice, even though he is only entering his second season in the NBA. 

Poppovich only played Joseph 9.2 minutes during the 2012 season, probably because he is undersized to play his natural position, shooting guard.

One thing that cannot be taught is height. and at only 6' 3", Joseph will have a very hard time breaking into the Spurs rotation anytime in the near future.

Toronto Raptors- Alan Anderson

Alan Anderson proved to be a decent backup for Andrea Bargnani during the 2012 season, but isn't very useful now that the former number one pick is healthy. 

After college, Anderson didn't have the game to make it NBA team and decided to play in basketball in Europe after two seasons of misery as a member of the Charlotte Bobcats. 

When he decided to re-enter the NBA for the 2012 season, the hope was the he had improved enough to be a viable player in the NBA.

Toronto is one of the teams that stands a chance to break into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, but it is unlikely that Anderson will be an integral part of that effort. 

Utah Jazz- Jamaal Tinsley

There was once a time that Jamaal Tinsley was an asset for the Indiana Pacers, but after he left the franchise in 2008, he hasn't done anything noteworthy. 

He played the 2012 season as a member of the Utah Jazz and averaged 3.7 points on 40.3 percent shooting while playing just over 13 minutes per game.

The last time that Tinsley played at an NBA level was in 2008, when he scored on average 11.9 points per game.  

Tinsley is 34-years old and his prime is far behind him. While he was an integral member of a good basketball team early in his career, he is nothing more than a minute eater as a member of the Jazz. 

Washington Wizards- Cartier Martin

Swingman Cartier Martin played in China during the lockout and wasn't eligible to return to the NBA until after the All-Star Break.

While Martin is a decent shooter, he is hardly the player a team would want with the ball in his hands in a big moment.

Martin has played for the Wizards in each of the last three seasons for at least part of the campaign, which played a role in the team deciding go bring him back.

Over the span of his NBA career, Martin has averaged 5 points, 1.9 boards and .5 assists on 39.3 shooting. 

Are those numbers you would want a player on your favorite teams' roster to have?

Didn't think so.