With the NBA All-Star Game in the books, the teams, players, and fans alike are now setting their sights for the second half of the 2020-21 season.
The rest of the regular season figures to be quite an exciting one, with so many postseason-related questions still left to be answered.
So before the second half begins, SBOTOP shares its five most interesting storylines to keep an eye on for the remainder of the campaign.
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MVP race remains wide open
The race for this year’s Most Valuable Player Trophy is as wide open as it has been for many years. As good as All-Star MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been, it’s highly unlikely he will win a third straight MVP this year, so there is bound to be a new winner.
LeBron James had been making a strong case to win his fifth career MVP when the Lakers were rolling early in the season, but his case is not quite as convincing with the Lakers dropping in the standings without Anthony Davis.
With James’ Lakers in decline, Joel Embiid (30 points, 11 rebounds per game) looks to be the favourite at the moment. He has been arguably the best defender in the league while powering the Philadelphia 76ers’ offence. The award could be his to lose if his Sixers hold onto the best record in the East.
Meanwhile, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic (27 points, 11 rebounds, 8.6 assists) has terrific statistics that can’t be overlooked. It’s also hard to ignore the likes of Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, and Kawhi Leonard, who have impressive stats themselves and are the undisputed leaders of their respective playoff-bound teams.
There are bound to be more twists and turns to the MVP race in the coming weeks, and it will be quite exciting to follow along as the superstars make their case for the coveted award.
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Nets superteam tries to gel
As if adding James Harden to the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving weren’t enough, the Nets made huge NBA 2021 news by signing former All-Star big man Blake Griffin shortly after his buyout from the Detroit Pistons.
Griffin now joins a star-studded Nets squad that has the best NBA 2021 odds to win the East and is one of the top championship contenders.
But while the arrival of another big name to Brooklyn sounds impressive, the Nets still have some way to go to be considered the overwhelming title favourites.
While Durant, Harden, and Irving have looked quite impressive playing together offensively, they still have a lot of improvement to do defensively. The addition of Griffin will also be another ingredient that they need to incorporate into their overall chemistry going forward. Luckily for the Nets, they still have time to get all those things right before the playoffs begin.
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Upstart Jazz and Suns battle LA teams
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the first half of the season was the fact that neither LA team was in the top two in the West. Instead, the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns filled those first two spots as they have looked like potential challengers to LA’s throne.
But clearly, both the Jazz and Suns still have much to prove before they are to be taken seriously as true contenders. The Jazz lost three of their last four games before the All-Star break, and Donovan Mitchell is yet to show he is the type of star who can carry the team when it counts in big games.
As for the Suns, they have two established stars in Devin Booker and Chris Paul, but the rest of their squad is mostly young and unproven.
The battle of those four for home-court advantage will be interesting, though. The Blazers and Nuggets are also close by and could get in the mix as well.
The Lakers and Clippers obviously have the more proven superstar talent and won’t care as much about seeding, but they must also be careful not to fall too far down the standings, especially if the Jazz and Suns continue their rise.
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Knicks halfway toward playoff return
The Knicks — one of the most storied franchises in the entire NBA — are halfway toward ending their long playoff drought. They are currently fifth in the East at 19-18, although just 2.5 games separate them from 11th place.
The bottom of the East remains quite competitive, with the Heat finally on the rise and the Hornets, Raptors and Pacers also capable of making a run up the standings.
But with Tom Thibodeau getting the Knicks to play tough defence and All-Star Julius Randle having a career year, a spot in the play-in tournament should be the bare minimum goal for the Knicks at this point.
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Curry, Warriors fight for West playoff spot
The race for the final playoff places in the West is equally as competitive, with the Warriors well within striking distance of the Dallas Mavericks for the eighth spot.
Stephen Curry (29.7 points per game) has returned to peak MVP form to keep the Warriors in contention, and they are reportedly keen to add more reinforcements in the form of Victor Oladipo.
Clearly, Curry and the Warriors don’t quite have the talent to challenge for the championship this year, but watching the Chef cook once again is quite a treat. Moreover, if they do add Oladipo or another big piece, they would suddenly look like a dangerous first-round opponent for the top four in the West.
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