10 Players or Teams Who Would Be Most Hurt If 2012 Is Lost

The longer the NBA not only doesn't resolve its lockout but don't even appear to be moving in that direction, the more it looks like the 2012 season might be lost.

If the season is lost, it won't effect everyone the same. While some players, such as Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant, and their respective teams, wouldn't suffer much from the loss of the season, there could be huge consequences for other players and teams.

Here are the 10 players or teams that would be impacted the most.

10: Memphis Grizzlies

After a franchise history that spanned futility which reached into two nations, the Memphis Grizzlies finally broke through last season, winning their first postseason series.

They did so despite their best scorer Rudy Gay missing the last half of the season due to injury.

However, to really change the culture they need another winning season. They very much have the personnel and potential to change the culture and become a perennial contender in the West. However, in order to do so, they need the opportunity to build on last season's success. 

The longer the Grizzlies are off the court, the easier it becomes to fall back into their losing mentality. While a lost 2012 season wouldn't assure a losing 2013 season, a successful 2012 season would almost guarantee a successful 2013 season.

9: David West

Right now David West is the best free agent available, which is partly a factor of a weak free-agent class and partly a factor of his play. 

Next year though, players like Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard all potentially hit the free-agent market. 

If the season is lost, so is West's relative free-market value as he would go from being the prize to a second-tier consolation. 

8: New Orleans Hornets

Whether they remain New Orleans or move to somewhere else, there's a huge concern for the franchise if the 2012 season is lost. Arguably the two best players in their franchise's history come up for sale in the next two offseasons. 

First, they stand to lose David West this year. Next, they stand to lose Chris Paul next year.

The team, which made the playoffs this year, could stand to be the worst team in the NBA if they lost both players, not a good position for a team that is already struggling financially.  

7: Boston Celtics

When the Big Three came together, they wanted to win a championship, and they did so. They won a championship. Somehow, I think Celtics fans were hoping for more than just one ring, though. I think the Boston Three Party would agree. 

The aging trio of Hall of Famers have one more good run in them, a run that would be aided by a strike-shortened season. A lost season, though, would be too much for the team. 

In 2013, Ray Allen will be 37, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will be 36. It's just too old, regardless of what Boston fans would want to believe. This is their last chance at a title run. 

6: Dirk Nowitzki

Is Dirk Nowitzki one of the 20 greatest players in NBA history? 

Before you pull your groin laughing, hold up a minute. He has a very real chance of becoming just the sixth player in the history of the league to amass 25,000 points and 10,000 boards while winning both a regular season and Finals MVP. 

The other five who have done that are Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Shaquille O'Neal and Hakeem Olaejuwon. How many of them would be off your list of the top 20? So again, is Dirk Nowitzki a top-20 player in the history of the league?

Dirk has a chance to secure his place in history if the Mavericks can win another championship behind him this year. Furthermore, the 10,000-rebound figure is going to be a bit of a challenge. He needs to average a little more than 560 boards a year for three more seasons.

He's going to be 33 next year, and accomplishing that form at 33 to 36 is realistic. Doing it from 34 to 37 becomes a more difficult task. For Dirk, it's his place in history at stake here.  

5: LeBron James

LeBron James was a star as the Heat essentially clobbered their way to the Finals. In the closing moments of the game he discarded the image that he melted in the clutch.

When he got to the Finals, he put it back on and wore makeup with it. For a player trying to repair his image, the worst thing imaginable is a prolonged lockout.

The longer we sit, the longer the way last season ended has an opportunity to burn in our minds. LeBron needs the season to resume, simply to give himself a chance to start repairing his image—and his brand.  

4: San Antonio Spurs

Is Tim Duncan one of the most underrated players of his generation, if not in all of NBA history? It's quite feasible.

In part it's because he doesn't have an erratic personality that grabs headlines. In part it's because he plays for the San Antonio Spurs, hardly a media mecca. In part it's because his style of play isn't visually exciting. It's all of those reasons stacked together. 

The thing is, over the course of his career he's arguably accomplished as much as Kobe Bryant, and easily deserves consideration as a top-10 player of all time. 

The lockout could determine if he ever plays another game as a Spur. His contract ends this year. Whether he retires or moves on or stays with the team is up in the air, but after securing the West's best record last season before going out in the first round of the playoffs, it would be good to see one more run from this version of the Spurs.  

3: Orlando Magic

If you thought the Carmelo Anthonhy rumors got out of hand last year, you haven't seen anything yet. The Dwight Howard rumors will be running amuck this year if there is a season. 

Howard is easily and simply the best center of his generation. The rumors are going to be flying everywhere about where he's going and if he's not staying in Orlando, the Magic will be able to set a pretty high asking price on the superstar. 

If there is no season, though, Howard just becomes a free agent, and there's nothing the Magic can do but wave goodbye. There will be no trade to rebuild the franchise. They won't get get anything in return but an empty locker. 

Orlando, simply put, needs a 2012 season. 

2: New Jersey Nets

If there's any team that needs a season more than the Magic, it's the Nets. Set to move into their new digs for the 2013 season, they only need to retain the services of their newly acquired superstar, Deron Williams. 

In order to do that, they need to be able to convince him that they can be winners there. They need to have Williams want to be there. They have 2012 to do that. If they lose the season, they have no chance. It's going to be hard to convince him of anything while he's playing in Turkey. 

What's even worse with them than the Magic, though, is that while the Magic could lose their superstar and get nothing in return, the Nets could lose theirs, get nothing in return and lose what they paid to get him as well. 

1: Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is a little more than 4,400 points behind Michael Jordan right now. If there were a complete 2012 season, he'd probably pass Jordan somewhere in the 2014 season. 

Age is starting to catch Kobe though, and the fact is that 2012 could mean the difference in whether he achieves that goal or not. This year (if there is one), he'll surpass Jordan in minutes played. That's a lot of minutes put on those knees.

As he gets older, the knees aren't gong to get better. He's not going to get quicker or more spry. While he still can reach back to his youth for an occasional monumental dunk, it was clear in the playoffs last year, old man time is breathing down Kobe's neck. 

While he still has a couple of good years left in him, he needs those good years to catch MJ. One of them wasted on the pine could mean he doesn't catch him. Doing so would secure his place as top-five player in history.

As such, Kobe stands to lose more than anyone should the lockout last an entire season.