NBA Swing: Five Questions for the Second Half of the Season

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With NBA All-Star Weekend just passing by, the second half of the season and race for the playoffs has begun. As of this writing, the NBA playoffs are a little over eight weeks away. With some teams already guaranteed to make the playoffs and countless players out due to injuries, there are many questions and stories heading into the second half of the season.

1: Who Wins the Eastern Conference?

For the first time in a long time, the Eastern Conference truly feels like it is up for grabs. Heading into the second half of the season, the top seven seeds in the East are all within five games of each other. Miami and Chicago sit in the first and second seeds with a 38-21 record. Philadelphia and Cleveland sit in third and fourth with a 35-23 record. Milwaukee is fifth with a 36-24 record while Boston sits in sixth with a 34-26 record. Lastly, Toronto sits in seventh with a 32-25 record. Miami has been strong this season while missing Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, while Chicago has surprised many while missing most of their backcourt for chunks of the season. Philadelphia fell off after a strong start, but has returned to a top-three seed and just added James Harden. And of course, you cannot forget the defending NBA champion, Milwaukee Bucks. At the same time, the Brooklyn Nets could make a run for a true playoff spot although they currently sit in the eighth seed. Many sports betting outlets still have the Nets leading Eastern Conference teams to win the Finals while the team is currently sitting in a play-in tournament spot. If the playoffs were to start today, we would see Miami v Brooklyn, Chicago v Toronto, Philadelphia v Boston, and Cleveland v Milwaukee. Each series has the potential to go more than four games and the eventual Eastern Conference Champion will have more than earned their trip to the NBA Finals.

2: Is the Lakers’ Season Over? What’s next?

Right now, the Los Angeles Lakers sit in the ninth seed of the Western Conference, with a 27-31 record. The team is over 20 games behind the first seed Phoenix Suns. Right before the All-Star Break, superstar Anthony Davis suffered a mid-foot sprain and is currently set to be re-evaluated in about three weeks. This means that Davis will be out until mid-March at the earliest. He has had a history of injuries all over his body and had just come back before suffering his latest injury. In addition, Russell Westbrook has been a story for the Lakers this season. Underperforming in the eyes of fans and NBA insiders, many rumors came out noting that the team was unhappy with Westbrook’s performance this season and was looking to move him. Westbrook was not moved at the NBA trade deadline and reports came out that Klutch Sports (the sports agency associated with LeBron James) was unhappy that GM Rob Pelinka did not trade Russell Westbrook and a first-round draft pick for John Wall. It is likely that the Lakers will not go far in the playoffs (if they were to make it out of the play-in tournament). Heading into the offseason, LeBron has one year left on his contract. It is almost guaranteed that the then 39-year-old LeBron will be gone after next season with the rumors of another potential return to Cleveland and wanting to finish his career playing on the same team as his son when drafted. It is also likely that Westbrook will be traded in the offseason. With AD’s numerous injuries and being signed with the team through the next three seasons, there is no telling what could happen for the Lakers. At this point, it may be the beginning of the end for the current iteration of the Lakers.

3: Can the Suns Maintain the 1st Seed without Chris Paul?

Just days before the beginning of NBA All-Star Weekend, superstar point guard Chris Paul suffered a fractured thumb and is set to miss 6-8 weeks. CP3 has been a key in the Suns’ dominance over the last two seasons. In recent weeks, he was working his way into the MVP conversation. Paul’s injury is going to be a huge challenge for the Suns. While he has been averaging under 15.0 PPG this season, he has been a magnificent distributor, averaging over 10.0 APG. Chris Paul has made all the big men on the Suns (besides DeAndre Ayton) look like superstars alongside him. It is possible that some of those big men could flounder just a bit with Paul missing? Looking towards the rest of the season, the Suns have less than 10 games against title contenders. The Suns should be able to hold off many of their opponents, with a few losses possible. Currently sitting at 48-10 (first overall in the league), they are six games ahead of the second seed Golden State Warriors. With the Warriors losing four of their last five games and still missing Draymond Green, it’s unlikely that the Warriors will catch the Suns. While CP3’s injury may look bad for the time being (with Paul having a history of thumb and hand injuries), this injury could be good for him, leaving him fresh for the playoffs and another potential championship run.

4: When or Will We See Superstars Return?

There are many superstars and key role players missing right now. Kevin Durant, the Bulls backcourt of Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, Nuggets’ duo Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., Kawhi Leonard, and Damian Lillard are just some of the players that are currently out. KD’s return is the key for the Nets making a push for the playoffs while a fully healthy team is the key for the Bulls making a deep playoff run. Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard have both been out all season with ACL injuries. Murray has been rumored to return by the end of this season (alongside MPJ) while Clippers’ coach Tyronn Lue has said that Kawhi will “probably not” return this season. There have not been any recent reports of Paul George’s return following an elbow injury. In Portland, Damian Lillard has said he won’t return if the Trailblazers are going to play for picks. Currently sitting at 10th in the West, there is no telling if Dame will return when healthy. In New Orleans, the Zion Williamson saga becomes stranger day after day. Williamson is another player who may not return this season, and who knows if Zion will want to remain part of the team in next season. Another player still out but rumored to return to the court is Ben Simmons. Recently traded to the Nets, he will get a fresh start in Brooklyn as he is set to play for the team soon. Lastly, the Golden State Warriors are still missing Draymond Green, who will most likely be out for another month while the team is suffering on the defensive end.

5: Is the MVP Race Too Close to Call?

Heading into the All-Star Break, many names joined and left the MVP conversation. Curry, Morant, Butler, and KD were just some of the names in the conversation in the first quarter of the season. DeMar DeRozan has shocked many since joining the Bulls and has been a constant name heading into All-Star Weekend. Three names have been constant all season though: Joel Embiid, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic. Jokic has improved across the board when it comes to advanced stats and has led his injury-plagued team to the sixth seed coming into the second half. Averaging over 25.0 PPG and 13.5 RPG, Jokic has shown why he is the reigning MVP and one of the best big men in recent history. The teams’ record, as well as the eventual return of Jamal Murray, may be slight hits to his odds of winning. Finishing as runner-up last year, Joel Embiid has had another career year and is easily in his superstar prime. Playing without Ben Simmons all season made Embiid the undisputed #1 option, averaging nearly 30.0 PPG and 11.0 RPG. With James Harden set to join Embiid on the court soon, there is no telling if Harden’s presence will benefit or negatively affect his odds of winning MVP. In Milwaukee, Giannis has shown why he is not only a two-time MVP, but a defending champion as well, with splits of 29.0 PPG, over 11.0 PPG, and 6.0 APG. The Greek Freak could win another MVP award, but he faces tough competition in not only Jokic and Embiid, but DeMar DeRozan as well who has been a constant over the last handful of months. While the Bulls currently sit in second (but tied for the best record in the East), DeMar is seen as a dark horse contender and could win, depending on how he and the Bulls finish the season. With so many names in the conversation, this may be the first NBA season in a while where there is not a clear winner.