NBA: Ranking Every Team's Away Jersey from Ugliest to Best Looking

With no basketball to talk about, columnists now find themselves talking about the teams' actual jerseys.

With no free agency concerns or trades to discuss until a resolution is made to end the NBA lockout, we'll just have to keep writing about what the players wear rather than the actual players themselves. There can only be so many speculation and rumor pieces before you have to start writing about what the players are wearing these days.

It beats writing another criticism article dealing with LeBron James.

For over six decades, NBA players have entertained us with their uncanny athletic abilities and their God-given gift of talent that they have decided to use for the purpose of playing the game they love. Rather than looking at the players who have made the NBA into what it is today, we'll look at the jerseys that they currently wear.

NBA jerseys usually have simple designs, but a number of teams like to deviate from the norm. At times this could be a good thing, yet it could also end up in a mess if done incorrectly. We look at those teams today and rank their away jerseys from the ugliest to the nicest looking.

You can find my previous article ranking each teams home jersey here.

Follow John Friel on twitter @JohnFtheheatgod

30. Charlotte Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats have such a boring approach to their offense that they need to wear pajamas at all times just in case they put themselves to sleep.

29. Oklahoma City Thunder

It's been three years since the Oklahoma City Thunder were created and it's time for them to change the look of the jerseys.

Terrible look on the block lettering and the shade of blue is a color that should never be used, especially with orange and black.

28. Toronto Raptors

The current Toronto Raptor jerseys have absolutely nothing on the dino jerseys of the late-1990's.

Nothing stands out on these pretty standard jerseys. A simple design with little imagination put into it.

27. Phoenix Suns

Purple, gray, and orange will never mix.

Not even if you put an oval around the number for some reason.

26. Cleveland Cavaliers

I understand the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to distance themselves from the LeBron James era, but those jerseys were too quality to give up.

These jerseys are just unimaginative and too simple. It's as if the designers were running short on time and just decided that the team name and the number was enough.

25. Sacramento Kings

Not a bad design at all, but it's just too much purple to go around.

The black on the letters and numbers make them nearly blend in with the purple backdrop of the uniform.

24. Minnesota Timberwolves

As my girlfriend pointed out when I showed this to her for the first time: "It looks like a high school jersey".

I suppose that's appropriate for a team that plays at a high school level.

23. Houston Rockets

Your standard NBA jersey with no thought put into it. A red jersey with white lettering and some stripes on the side to add some flare.

I'm getting tired just looking at them.

22. Detroit Pistons

Not a bad design by any means although it is a bit simple. The current Detroit Pistons jerseys could just use a change to ring in a new era of Pistons basketball.

With players like Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight soon to be making a positive impact on the team, the organization should go for a new look.

Not too different of a look however.

21. New Jersey Nets

A simple design coming from a team that basically looked like an American flag in the 1980's.

Not too much to say about the New Jersey Nets current roadies. It's your standard, everyday design that could be made by anyone.

20. Milwaukee Bucks

A daring look by the Milwaukee Bucks as they attempt to make a look different than any other teams.

The color design is unique, but it's just too much going on what could have been a quality jersey.

19. Memphis Grizzlies

A standard look by the Memphis Grizzlies that's equipped with some of the worst looking lettering next to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The colors save it however as the light blue and yellow mesh very well.

18. Los Angeles Clippers

A solid design by the Los Angeles Clippers as they kept it simple, but not too simple to make it blend in with just any other jersey.

The cursive lettering of 'Los Angeles' stands out on the red backdrop and blue numbers add a little versatility as well.

17. Indiana Pacers

A quality design by the Indiana Pacers as the larger than life numbers and letters stand out to complement the sleek look that the blue and yellow backdrop combine to create.

16. Dallas Mavericks

I can only imagine how this went in the design room when they created this:

Designer number one: "I've come up with this idea for the new jerseys. It may be crazy but bear with me".

Designer number two: "Let's hear it".

Designer one: "I know we got the color scheme and the look of the numbers and letters already, but I had a vision of what else we should do. Instead of placing the number in the middle like every other team, we can actually put it to the left by about three inches".

:Silence fills the room for a few seconds:

Designer two: "This might be the most revolutionary idea since electricity".

And that's exactly how the Dallas Mavericks got their current jersey when played out in my mind.

15. Philadelphia 76ers

A classic look by the Philadelphia 76ers as they revert back to the look of the Sixers jerseys from the Julius Erving and Moses Malone era.

Beats the former look during the Allen Iverson by a long shot.

14. San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs have had the same look since they were still a member of the ABA.

I'm pretty sure that Tim Duncan was playing on those teams as well.

A solid look by the San Antonio Spurs with a spur replacing the U in the middle of 'Spurs' to add something different. It's a look that the Spurs should keep for however long they remain a team.

13. Denver Nuggets

You can never go wrong with powder blue on a jersey. Just take a look at the San Diego Chargers and it'll only reassure the point.

The yellow outline surrounding the white lettering completes this beauty of a jersey.

12. Atlanta Hawks

It's a much better look than the nightmares they were wearing for most of the past decade.

Solid looking jerseys that could have easily been turned into disasters. The dark blue is a quality backdrop for the red and white letters.

11. Miami Heat

A simple design with some added flare to it. The block lettering on 'Heat' adds some originality and imagination to what could have been a simple and boring jersey.

The red, yellow, and white piping down the sides gives the jersey some more color as well.

10. Washington Wizards

I can't be the only one that cannot wait to see these jerseys on the floor. It pays homage to the Washington Bullets teams that brought home the team a title in 1978.

It might be difficult to catch a glimpse of them since John Wall might be too fast and JaVale McGee and Jan Vesley will be too busy grabbing alley-oops to notice.

9. Los Angeles Lakers

One of the most classic looks in the sporting world today, the purple and gold of the Los Angeles Lakers are an iconic part of basketball history after being adorned by some of the greatest players to step onto a basketball court.

Also, they're the only team that can pull off a color combination like gold and purple and get away with it.

8. Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have set the standard for simple designs on a jersey.

The red, white, and silver stripe on the bottom of the jersey corresponds very well with the rest of the uniform as it adds a completely new element to what could be a simple jersey. The color and the lettering only add to why this has been one of the league's nicest jerseys for over the past two decades.

7. New York Knicks

The cleanest looking jersey in the NBA, the New York Knicks made a simple design go a long way with the jerseys they have been wearing since joining the NBA as one of the first teams to be a member of the league.

The blue, black, and orange color scheme all correspond very well with each other to form one of sports nicest uniforms.

6. New Orleans Hornets

It could be regarded as a bit too much, but I believe the New Orleans Hornets took a chance and came out successful with the look of their latest jerseys.

The teal, yellow, and white over pinstripes make this one of the most unique jerseys in the NBA today and in its history.

5. Boston Celtics

A simple and iconic design, the Boston Celtics have worn these jerseys since winning nearly a decades worth of championship in the 1960's.

It was right of the organization to keep the same design for all these years as the simplicity makes it one of the league's most recognizable uniforms.

4. Chicago Bulls

Possibly the most worn jersey by any NBA fan thanks to Michael Jordan, the classic red and black jerseys of the Chicago Bulls represent a time when the NBA was in its golden years of the 1990's.

It wasn't until Jordan began wearing championships that the Bulls stuck with a jersey design as they attempted different looks prior to their dynasty years.

3. Utah Jazz

A terrific idea by the Utah Jazz organization to revert back to the classic New Orleans Jazz look of the 1970's and '80s.

If only they could get their team to play like the Karl Malone and John Stockton led rosters in the 1990's.

2. Orlando Magic

A terrific design by the Orlando Magic as the white lettering stands out perfectly on the black and blue backdrop. The pinstripes only add to this jersey as it gives it a different and unique look, but strays away from being too pajama looking as the Charlotte Bobcats did.

I'm not sure how Dwight Howard can breathe in that jersey however. That's a size medium at best.

1. Golden State Warriors

Golden State had the number one jersey on my list of the top home jerseys, and they deserve the top spot once again for their away jerseys.

It's an unbelievable design that strays away from the norm of ordinary and modern looking jerseys of today's NBA. It pays homage to the Warrior teams of the 1960's, and gives it a distinct classic look that only few jerseys can pull off today.

This time, they should stick with it.