Remember what happened before the NBA All-Star Break? The Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic. The Golden State Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander moved ahead of Nikola Jokic in the MVP race. These are just a few of the fascinating storylines the league has to offer fans in the unofficial second half of the season.
We already know what the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers are bringing to the table in the regular season. Their biggest questions will come in the playoffs.
For now, these are the biggest storylines and questions to be answered in the final two months of the regular season.
Warriors’ “Last Ride”
Speaking candidly on his own podcast, ‘The Draymond Green Show With Baron Davis,” Green revealed something Stephen Curry told him after the Butler acquisition.
“This is it, this is the last ride,” Green shared of what Curry said, with the two believing the trade will give the Warriors just what’s needed to elevate themselves into the championship conversation.
In a limited sample size thus far, Golden State is 3-1 since Butler entered the fold. The former Miami Heat wing looks like a terrific complement to Curry, predicated on a contrasting style of play.
Are the expectations a bit too lofty? Probably. Golden State is currently 10th in the West and single game above .500. Oklahoma City, the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets would all prove very difficult first-round foes, so there is work to do in the standings.
What can’t be denied, though, is a rejuvenated Curry is a gift to all basketball fans. We could be in for a treat over this final stretch.
Steph Curry on Jimmy Butler: “He’s like the exact opposite player of me. I took 16 3s and he shot one. He got to the free throw line a lot, dominated the paint. I dominate the perimeter. It has the potential to be really fun.” pic.twitter.com/cUzXtNfLzW
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 9, 2025
Sixers’ Lottery Ball Pivot?
The Philadelphia 76ers sit 11th in the East with a 20-34 record, Joel Embiid has only played 17 games and Paul George looks a shadow of his former All-NBA self.
The question looming over the Sixers organization is if it’s time to let go of playoff aspirations and focus on the draft lottery. Unless it lands in the top six, Philadelphia will lose its first-round pick to Oklahoma City. If the season ended today, the Sixers would have the seventh-best odds for the No. 1 pick and are tied record-wise with the Brooklyn Nets.
Considering the lack of financial freedom the Sixers have, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to prioritize keeping their pick. Embiid and George are clearly ailing, so there likely isn’t a realistic path to a title this season. Let them focus on healing and recovery, reset for next season and have a substantial talent from the draft join the fray as well.
Capture The Flagg
That brings us to the next topic worth paying close attention to down the stretch: teams angling to maximize their odds of drafting Cooper Flagg.
The Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets appear to have locked up the four best odds in some order. The Toronto Raptors are next in line, with both Brooklyn and Philadelphia close behind. The Chicago Bulls are only 1.5 games ahead of the Sixers but are sliding after trading Zach LaVine.
Let’s not forget while Flagg is the consensus top pick, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey have great potential in their own right. V.J. Edgecombe is increasingly raising eyebrows, too.
All these teams are ready to drop anchor over the final couple months of the season and are anticipating a worthy reward.
COOPER. FLAGG. 🗣️
The first ACC player with 500 points, 100 assists and 30 blocks in the regular season in the last 25 years 😈 @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/3LbSke5iwo
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) February 18, 2025
Nuggets’ Contention Status
Through the first third of the season, the Denver Nuggets looked a shell of their championship ways from just two years ago. Despite one mind-boggling performance after another by Nikola Jokic, injuries to Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon left Jokic well short of help. The bench depth didn’t look promising, either. At 16-13, there were plenty of rumors swirling about what could be done to change the outlook of the team.
Since then, Denver has gone 20-6 and appeared quite impressive in doing so. Russell Westbrook entering the starting lineup has been a game-changer because of the chemistry he shares with Jokic. Christian Braun has played tremendously over the past month, too.
There is no one who swings the Nuggets’ championship odds, though, like Murray. If there is a sign of his health turning, it’s that he played 17 games in January, the most he’s played in a single month through his entire NBA career. He’s followed that up with six great games in February, including a 55-point special against the Portland Trail Blazers just before the break.
If Murray is back to his best, the ceiling is once again the roof for Denver.
Are The Magic And Rockets’ Slides For Real?
The All-Star Break couldn’t have come at a better time for both the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets.
Orlando had actually done well to hold the fort in the absence of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. At 23-18 when Banchero returned, it appeared as though the Magic were well positioned to soar back up the standings.
Instead, Orlando went 4-11 over its final 15 games before the break — even with Wagner back for the final 11 — and sits seventh at 27-29. Jalen Suggs has played just one game since Jan. 3 and the hope is he can be the catalyst to winning consistently again.
Houston was once sitting pretty as the No. 2 seed in the mighty Western Conference, but losing seven of their last nine games before the break has dropped them to fourth. The Los Angeles Lakers are only a half-game behind in fifth, so the moments in which the offense grinds to a half will be all the more glaring now.
Power forward Jabari Smith Jr. is on the verge of a return, which will boost Houston’s depth, though it will be interesting to see if he gets sent to the bench. Amen Thompson has been outstanding as a starter since replacing him, presumably leaving no other logical choice but to keep Thompson in the starting unit.
Doncic Vs. AD
This is, understandably, the storyline fans will pay the most attention to. It’s the defining trade of the 2024-25 deadline, the season and, possibly, the next decade.
Dallas executed a trade the front office and ownership was convinced made them better in the present. Now, Anthony Davis is out for an extended period, with the Mavs in eighth and the Lakers four games ahead in fifth.
The rescinded Mark Williams trade certainly takes some of the air out of Los Angeles’ balloon but it will still be fascinating to see what Doncic and LeBron James can accomplish together down the stretch.
The new Luka Doncic and Kobe Bryant mural in LA 👀
At 8251 Melrose Ave by artoon_art pic.twitter.com/Meg16KJPa1
— Kobe & Gianna Bryant Murals (@kobemurals) February 17, 2025
Celtics Ready To Peak At Right Time?
After a 19-4 start, the Boston Celtics very much seemed the part of a defending champion with plenty to prove.
What followed was a mediocre 13-11 stretch screaming, “wake me up in the second half of the season.” There were double-digit losses to the Raptors, Lakers and Sacramento Kings, too. Kristaps Porzingis acknowledged the team was in a funk but also believed it was a matter of time before Boston snapped out of it.
The Celtics have now reeled off seven wins in eight games, including statement victories over the Cavs in Cleveland and the Knicks in New York.
Now, with the All-Star break behind them and the playoffs in a couple months, expect the Celtics to ramp up the intensity over their final 27 games.
Suns Fading Into Sunset
The Phoenix Suns looks like a team which has already been read its last rites and is marching towards its funeral. The Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal experiment has not panned out as they hoped. It even led the Suns to explore trading Durant. With the significant tax implications staring this team down, many insiders and executives expect Durant to now be traded in the summer.
The 26-28 Suns are currently two games under .500 and on the outside looking in for a spot in the Play-In tournament. They rank 13th in offense and 27th in defense. No team was attached to the Butler rumors more than Phoenix and to come up empty in that regard is a big blow. Nick Richards doesn’t change its ceiling.
They will need something special to reinvest themselves and turn this season around.
SGA Vs. Jokic For NBA MVP
The best player on the best team versus the best player in the world. That’s been the debate for four months now. Jokic appeared to have the upper hand early in the season, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken the lead in the latest ESPN poll. That’s often a pretty good predictor of who comes out on top at season’s end.
Who should come out on top? The Serbian is averaging a monster triple-double at 29.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 1.8 steals. He’s also shooting a career-high 45 percent from three on a career-high 4.5 attempts per game. The Nuggets are vaulting up the standings with 20 wins in their last 26 games.
Gilgeous-Alexander is countering with 32.5 points, 4.8 rebounds. 5.0 assists and 1.9 steals. He’s shooting 52.3 percent from the field, an elite number for a guard.
The Thunder are tied for the league’s best record at 44-10 and firmly atop the Western Conference.
Who deserves it more? This debate will rage on over the final couple months.
