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The NBA season has reached its midpoint and fans have a lot to watch out for in the second half. Thus far, this season has featured emerging stars, groundbreaking trades and should be an entertaining finish.
Impacts of the Trade Deadline.
This year’s trade deadline contained many league-altering trades. Saturday, Feb. 1, is a night that will go down in NBA history as a generational talent, Luka Doncic, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. Last season, Doncic led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals and it seemed like the franchise would be built around him.
In the second half of the season, Lebron and Luka will be one of the most entertaining duos in the league. On the other hand, the Mavericks received an NBA Champion and 10-time All-Star in Anthony Davis.
Additionally, the Spurs made a massive trade, acquiring superstar point guard De’Aaron Fox to play alongside Victor Wembanyama, which could become one of the best pick and roll duos in the NBA.
Teams to Watch Out East
The Eastern Conference standings through the first half of the season are very shocking. To the surprise of many, the Cleveland Cavaliers are at the top of the conference with a 44-10 record, 5.5 games ahead of the reigning-champion Boston Celtics. This offseason, the Cavs hired Kenny Atkinson as their head coach and he has completely flipped the script for this team. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the Celtics are finally healthy and could begin to round into championship form.
Other teams to watch are the Magic, Pistons and Hawks. All three are fighting for a top-six seed, which would guarantee them a playoff spot.
What Teams are the Best Out West?
The outlook of the Western Conference looks a little bit different than the East. The Oklahoma City Thunder look to be running away with the No. 1 seed for the second season in a row. Additionally, there have been some surprising teams at the top of the conference, like the Grizzles and the Rockets.
For this second half of the season, all eyes point in the direction of the Lakers and the Mavericks, following one of the craziest trades in the history of sports. Lebron James is 40 years old and this may be his last opportunity to win another championship.
