The regular season of the NBA is about halfway done, and there are a lot of interesting storylines to speak on. For one, the Western Conference looks like a bloodbath and will continue to be. The East, on the other hand, is relatively underwhelming. So many rookies are doing really well this year, something that hadn’t been expected. There is a lot of buzz around the trade deadline that is likely to pick up in the upcoming weeks. So, let’s begin.
In the Western Conference, the consensus three best teams are the Thunder, Spurs, and Nuggets. The Spurs and Nuggets have suffered with injuries to their star players yet still have put up extremely impressive records. Below these top three teams sit the Rockets, Lakers, and surprisingly the Suns, who have had an amazing first half of the year. The other four teams currently in the playoff bracket are the Timberwolves, Warriors, Trail Blazers, and Clippers. The West has been extremely competitive this year, and we have been treated to some amazing basketball, especially the growing rivalry between the Spurs and the Thunder.
In the Eastern Conference, it’s a bit of a different story. Only one team sits above thirty wins: the Pistons. They have been so good this year, with a .750 win percentage. Behind them are the Celtics, Raptors, Knicks, and Cavaliers, all of whom are within two games of each other. The 76ers, Heat, Magic, Bulls, and Hawks are the other teams in the playoffs right now. The surprise teams are the Celtics and Raptors, who nobody thought would be this high. The Knicks have been struggling a ton over the last month, but they might have turned in the right direction.
The MVP race is an interesting one this year, because three players who should be considered are all at risk of being ineligible to win the MVP. If the players miss more than 17 games, they are not able to win awards. Nikola Jokic has missed 14 games and is still injured. Victor Wembanyama has missed 14 games due to an injury early in the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed 14 games and is now battling more injuries. With those players out of the picture if they miss just a few more games, it is a completely different MVP race. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic lead the charge, and it is very tight between the two of them. The other two to watch for are Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, who have had extremely successful seasons.
The NBA trade deadline is February 5th, at 3 PM EST. This means there is only a week and a half left before there can be no more trades. So, basically, expect the madness to begin soon. Trae Young was already traded to the Wizards a few weeks ago, but otherwise, there hasn’t been much. Some of the players likely to be traded are Jonathan Kuminga, Michael Porter Jr., Tyus Jones, and Kyle Kuzma. Obviously, those aren’t the high-profile players you would think about. But there are many elite players who have had their names mixed into trade rumors. Zach Lavine, Anthony Davis, and Ja Morant could all be traded before the deadline. And then there is the biggest of them all: Giannis. The Bucks’ lack of success and Giannis’ short remaining contract make him a possible trade candidate. Obviously, teams would need to have the draft capital and the cap space to do so, but it could be done. Teams such as the Pistons, Lakers, Spurs, and Timberwolves should all be buyers in need of some upgrades.
So, as we look ahead to the second half of the NBA season, be sure to watch for the trades and the directions that teams go in. If the second half of the season is as wild as the first, then we are in for a real treat when the Playoffs begin in April.
