Uh-Oh, Wrong Way: Top 10 NBA Teams Going Nowhere

Yes, it's that time. 

While everyone else is feeling optimistic about their team's chances to be successful this season, others are simply hoping their teams make it out alive. 

In this very top-heavy NBA of today, teams that aren't in the championship picture are looking to build towards the futures and go in the right direction. 

While there are other teams that still leave us scratching our heads as we try to figure out "What exactly is their plan again?"

So here are 10 teams that have us asking that very same question. 

10. Atlanta Hawks

This was a very significant summer for the Hawks and it all revolved around their free-agent star Joe Johnson.

If I told you, going into this summer's free agency that Joe Johnson would end up being paid more than LeBron James, you would think I'm crazy. Well, that's exactly what happened. 

The Hawks stunned the entire league and us, fans as well by agreeing to re-sign Joe Johnson to a new max six-year, $119 million contract.

This means that Joe Johnson will be paid $24 million at the age of 35.

Wow. 

When the Hawks locked up Johnson, they not only locked up their star player to an atrocious contract but also removed any financial flexibility they could have had for the next six years. 

The Hawks as currently constructed are nothing more than a second-round team. For them to advance higher would mean gathering more talent, which they simply don't have the money to pay for. 

The Hawks have locked themselves as a playoff team for the foreseeable future, but sadly for Hawks fans, they are nothing more.

Which is sad because Al Horford's contract is coming to an end soon, which means the Hawks might need to break the bank again to keep another one of their stars, and if they refuse to pay, Horford could bolt. 

Things are not looking up in the ATL.

9. Denver Nuggets

What do you do as a franchise if there is a chance that your best player might depart the team as soon as his contract expires?

Do you trade him or not?

That's the current state of the Denver Nuggets franchise. With Carmelo Anthony's future still up in the air, it's put a halt in the Nuggets' plans now and in the future. 

Worst case scenario for the Nuggets would be if they don't trade Carmelo and he's bolts via free agency.

That would leave the Nuggets with nothing more than a few veterans (Billups, Martin, Nene) surrounded by nothing more than average talent. 

The only bright spot for the Nuggets in the future would seem to be up-and-coming PG Ty Lawson.

Other than Lawson and perhaps players such as JR Smith and Aaron Afflalo, the Nuggets don't really have any to build around. 

Then the question pops up. Do you rebuild or stay competitive with your veterans? What about Chauncey Billups? his contract expires soon, do you re-sign him if your rebuilding?

The Nuggets may find themselves asking these questions if Anthony leaves. For now, the state of the Nuggets depends upon Carmelo Anthony's decision. 

8. Phoenix Suns

I feel bad for Steve Nash, I really do. He deserves a ring. Unfortunately, he probably won't get it with the Suns. 

The situation of the Suns team is quite confusing. You just had your best big man in Amar'e Stoudemire walk out on you and you have nothing to show for it. 

Instead to replace him, you sign a skinny high-flyer in Hakim Warrick and trade for one of the worst contracts in basketball by acquiring Hedo Turkolgu and his albatross contract. 

The Suns did, however, gain some young talent this offseason by trading for Josh Childress and drafting Gani Lawal.

But the problem is, what direction is this team going in? Do they want to be a solid playoff team that repeatedly gets knocked out in the playoffs or do they want to build for the future?

The Suns have a mix of veterans (Nash, Hill, Richardson, Turkoglu) and young talent (Frye, Dragic, Dudley, Lopez, Warrick, Childress) 

Now they need to decide which direction they're going? Youth movement or solid playoff team, but nothing more. 

7. New Orleans Hornets

Ah, what a bright future it once was for the Hornets a couple years ago. 

Sadly, those couple of years seem like decades now as the Hornets have a disgruntled star (Chris Paul), terrible contracts (Okafor, Stojackovic) and just traded their best young talent (Darren Collison). 

Now the Hornets are in "panic mode" and are doing all they can to keep their star happy.

That panicking has caused them to trade one of their best young talents in Collison for an above-average small forward in Trevor Ariza.

It seems hard to believe that Ariza will be the key piece that will keep Paul happy and make him stay in New Orleans. 

Now, the Hornets entire fate lies in CP3's hands as they went all in with their chips and got rid of Paul's replacement, had Paul said he would bolt. 

Now the question lies. As currently constructed, the Hornets are nothing more than a playoff team. Is that enough to keep Paul happy? or should they look to trade Paul for young talent and future assets?

The people in New Orleans have some serious thinking to do. 

6. Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats are on this for one reason and one reason only: no potential. 

The two best players on the Bobcats: Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson are not young enough to build around as Jackson is 32 and Wallace is 28. 

The rest of the young talent on the Bobcats is nothing to brag about as they have an average PG in DJ Augustine, a inconsistent PF in Tyrus Thomas and an under-achiever in Gerald Henderson. None of that talent seems to be good enough to build around. 

Their newest acquisition, Shaun Livingston, may prove to be something special, but not even the Bobcats are counting on that to happen. 

The Bobcats need to decide whether they're happy being a borderline playoff team for the next three years, because that's all they'll ever be. 

5. Philadelphia 76ers

Things were looking up for the Sixers this year when they acquired the No. 2 pick in the lottery and drafted college basketball stud Evan Turner. This was going to be a great summer. 

Now it's August, summer is nearing it's end and training camp starts soon and the Sixers have nothing to show for except their draft pick Evan Turner. 

The Sixers weren't able to get rid of Elton Brand and his monstrous contract.

They weren't able to fix the logjam at the wing spots with Andre Iguadola, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, and Andres Nocioni and they weren't able to figure out how they're going to play Turner and Iguadola on the floor at the same time, as they both have very similar skillsets. 

Fortunately for Sixers fans, they did hire a great coach in Doug Collins who will hopefully be able to implement something this Sixers team needs and that's direction. 

4. Toronto Raptors

Just like in the picture. Bosh has faded out and disappeared and Bargnani is now looking down thinking "What have I gotten myself into?"

The Raptors are a mess, no doubt. But they do have some young talent. Starting with Andrea Bargnani, who will now be their unquestionable franchise player.

They also have some promising players in Demar Derozen, Sonny Weems and Ed Davis. 

Yet they continue to puzzle us by giving terrible contracts to unproven players (Amir Johnson) and undeserving players (Jose Calderon, Hedo Turkoglu).

However, they were able to get rid of Turkoglu's contract but had to take back Leandro Barbosa and his $14 million contract. 

The Raptors need to stop piling up on veterans and bring in a youth movement. Led by Andrea Bargnani, the Raptors could have a bright future.

Unfortunately for Raptors fans, their front office doesn't feel the same way. 

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports said it the best when asked about the current state of the Timberwolves. "There's 29 teams and then whatever the hell Minnesota is doing up there."

The Timberwolves GM David Kahn is notorious around the league as being one of the worst general managers. Fortunately for Timberwolves fans, he was actually making some decent moves. 

He acquired a talent like Michael Beasley for literally nothing. He drafted a promising rookie in Wesley Johnson and made sure the team was financially stable for years to come. 

Then something happened and Kahn reverted back to his old ways. He traded the Wolves most talented player Al Jefferson for absolutely nothing.

He gave Darko Milicic a $20 million contract and he kept showcasing his man-crush on point guards by signing Luke Ridnour.

Clearly something has to change in Minnesota and let me give you a clue, It's not the players.  

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

You would think that a back-to-back 60-win team would be OK after losing one player to free-agency. 

Well, think again.

That wasn't just any player, that was the two-time MVP LeBron James and he infamously "took his talents to South Beach," leaving the Cavs choking in dust. 

Now the organization insists they'll be fine and be as competitive as ever. 

WRONG. 

The Cavs need to face the truth and realize that they have to rebuild.

But instead they'll keep their veterans (Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison) and their huge contracts and win a title before the Heat and their self proclaimed "King" ever does. 

The Cavs organization may not hit reality for a few more years and realize all the young talent they have in Hickson, Sessions, Gibson have potential. For now they're happy competing for a playoff spot. 

Poor Cavs fans. 

1. Detroit Pistons

Wow, talk about a mess. 

Tell me again what the Pistons are doing. Are they building for the future or do they want to keep their veterans until they're dead corpses?

Clearly the answer should be the first choice but then it happened: Tracy McGrady. 

The Pistons jeopardized the growth of their young players and signed a washed up veteran who still thinks he can ball with the likes of Kobe, LeBron and Durant. 

On top of that, they still haven't fixed the logjam at the wing positions with Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Tayshaun Prince and Now Tracy McGrady. 

They've lost their cap space for the near future and did nothing this summer expect re-sign Ben Wallace and Will Bynum.

Clearly, the Pistons are having trouble deciding what the hell they're doing. 

They should be re-building with their young talent (Stuckey, Gordon, Maxiell, Villanueva, Daye, Summers, Bynum) but instead Joe Dumars insists he knows what he's doing. 

Good thing he has a ring to show for...