Most frustrating NBA players

No player in the NBA is as talented and as frustrating as Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith. Smith is an athletic freak, oozing with talent, but has just never been able to put it all together on a consistent basis for his career. Fortunately for Smith, playing alongside LeBron James with the Cavs has proved to be helpful in getting the best out of him.

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is the ultimate case of talent stifled by maturity issues. There’s no doubt “Boogie” can produce at an All-NBA level, but whether he can ever be the leading player on contending team is an entirely different matter.

The fourth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Dion Waiters is starting to look like a bust. Waiters is talented, no doubt, but the process of translating that talent into consistent production on an NBA basketball court appears destined for failure. After failing to impress last season in Cleveland, Waiters was traded to the Thunder, where he is currently a bench player.

Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard is both one of the most hated and most frustrating players in the NBA. An athletic freak, Howard has never been able to put it together on the offensive side of the floor, where he is also a terrible free throw shooter. Also, comparing yourself to Nelson Mandela and Michael Jordan probably isn’t the best way to sway the favor of fans.

A dominant force on the defensive side of the floor, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan manages to be one of the most frustrating players in the NBA because he can’t make a shot outside of the paint on offense. Jordan is also the worst free throw shooter in the NBA, something teams began to use against him and the Clippers last season. 

Clippers superstar Blake Griffin is one of the most entertaining and frustrating players in the NBA. Griffin seems to complain to the refs incessantly, and his insistence on shooting midrange jump shots also draws ire from NBA fans.

At 37 years of age, Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant just isn’t what he used to be. But don’t tell Kobe that. Bryant still loves jacking up ill-advised, low-percentage shots at will, making him one of the most frustrating players in the NBA for teammates, fans and coaches alike. Kobe's Lakers are currently the worst team in the Western Conference. This will be Bryant's final season in the NBA before retiring.

It’s not so much that Derrick Rose is frustrating; it's more his body's fault. Prior to repeated knee injuries, the Chicago Bulls point guard was one of the most electrifying and exciting players in the NBA. And while he’s still a great player today, Rose lacks the explosiveness he used to have. It’s a frustrating fact knowing that such an amazing player just isn’t capable of some of the awe-inspiring moves he used to pull off with ease. On top of all of this, the Bulls reportedly want to move on from Rose in the next year or so.

When you look at Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez’s size, footwork and touch from the midrange, it’s impossible not feel he should be an All-Star year in and year out. Unfortunately for Nets fans, Lopez can never seem to stay healthy to remain on the court and seems to lack confidence at times when he is. The Nets are currently the second worst team in the Eastern Conference.

Would you believe there was once a time when some NBA pundits thought Deron Williams was a better point guard than Chris Paul? Well, it happened. After Williams was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2011, however, those comparisons quickly ceased. Williams has had injury troubles over the past several years and his work ethic called into question. Williams is now attempting to revive his career with the Dallas Mavericks.

Ty Lawson isn’t a frustrating player because of what he does on the court, but rather off of it. Two DUI arrests over the last year have put the talented point guard’s career in jeopardy. Now with the Houston Rockets, Lawson is essentially one strike away from ending a promising career in the NBA.

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio does everything you could ever want a point guard to do. He can pass, play defense and is team player. If only he was good at that whole "shooting the basketball" thing. Rubio is easily one of the worst shooters in the league from a position that demands it the most.

Lakers guard/forward Nick Young has the ability to create his own shot on the floor. Unfortunately, that shot is usually a bad shot. “Swaggy P” still has two years left on his contract for the Lakers.

The fourth overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft, small forward Wesley Johnson has failed to live up to his lofty draft status. Johnson is one of those players whose measurables are off the chart, but once you put him on the court he just seems to get lost. T’Wolves, Suns and Lakers fans are well aware of this, and Clippers fans will likely know this before the end of the season.

Rajon Rondo thoroughly frustrated Dallas Mavericks fans last season, as the team’s prized midseason acquisition was sent home during the playoffs by head coach Rick Carlisle for insubordination. Rondo signed with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason, where he is slowly rebuilding his career.

Another player whose talent is mitigated by maturity issues, former Pacers and Hornets swingman Lance Stephenson is looking to revive his career in Los Angeles with the Clippers. Unfortunately for Stephenson, he has failed to adjust to life in L.A. thus far and barely sniffs the court for the Clips.

Chicago Bulls big man Pau Gasol is destined for the Basketball Hall of Fame one day, but that doesn’t preclude him from being a frustrating player. Gasol has been labeled as “soft” many time on defensive side of the floor, and although that may be on overstatement, occasionally he is the victim of a poster-worthy dunk.

The third overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. has failed miserably to live up to Wizards fans' expectations. With Paul Pierce now gone, the 2015-16 NBA season will be a make-or-break year for Porter Jr.

After signing a four-year, $22 million contract with Clippers in the 2014 offseason, center Spencer Hawes proceeded to frustrate Clippers fans by having the worst year of his career. Hawes was traded this offseason to the Hornets, where he barely receives any playing time.

Kings forward Rudy Gay irks basketball fans for one simple reason: His game is as inefficient as it gets. Gay loves taking long two-point jump shots and is usually a nonfactor on the defensive side of the floor. These are two attributes that simply don’t jive in the era of analytics.

A seven-foot, two-inch tall monster, Lakers center Roy Hibbert should really be a much more dominant NBA player. After several successful seasons in Indiana, Hibbert wore out his welcome, now giving Lakers fans fits whenever they watch him play.

When Pelicans center Kendrick Perkins is on the floor, feel free to watch him play defense, but whatever you do, DO NOT watch him on offense. You’ll end up tearing your hair out.

Celtics guard Marcus Smart is as tough and tenacious as they come, but he is also a headache for head coach Brad Stevens. Smart is caught in limbo between being a one guard or two guard but still insists on jacking up low-percentage shots all the same.

Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings is a ball-dominant point guard who should be a little less ball-dominant. Jennings is a talented player but doesn’t have the vision or decision-making skills that justify being a starting point guard in the NBA. With Reggie Jackson now having signed long term in Detroit, look for the Pistons to try to trade Jennings this season.

With the departure of the LeBron James to the Cavs, Heat point guard Mario Chalmers looked lost on the court last season. Truth be told, Chalmers has been the Heat’s doghouse since his dismally frustrating performance in the 2014 NBA Finals. Chalmers was traded to Memphis Grizzlies in November.