The All-Star Game has come and gone with Team LeBron’s Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokoumpo and Damian Lillard stealing the show.
With that out of the way, the league will remain on a bit of a break before the second half of the season resumes on Wednesday for some teams and on Thursday for most of the league.
Here’s how we view the league at the official midway point of the season, grouped up by championship legitimacy at the moment.
Legitimate championship contenders
It’s true that the two L.A. teams stumbled a bit heading into the break, but unless they really fall off a cliff in the second half then we’re giving them the benefit of the doubt as two of the elite teams in the NBA.
And you may have noticed that the Utah Jazz no longer stand alone at the top. They’re still the best team in the league but also stumbled a little bit before the break having lost three of their last four games, removing their air of invincibility.
And one quick note about the Eastern Conference clubs: it feels like the Brooklyn Nets are poised to take over the East at long last thanks to James Harden’s brilliant play, and now the acquisition of Blake Griffin. Watch out.
Maybe contenders
A lot can change over the course of a season, particularly in a season as volatile as this one, but these teams have all looked pretty strong so far in the first of the season.
They’re not quite at the level of the top-tier clubs, but there’s potential for each of them to possibly move up into that tier.
In particular, the Miami Heat have quietly been hard charging over their last eight games, winning seven of them. And the Dallas Mavericks, after an awful start to the season have been spectacular of late, going 9-2 in their last 11 games and turning their season around thanks to Luka Doncic once again establishing himself as a top-five player in the league and a legitimate MVP candidate.
Solid teams with room for improvement
This grouping of six clubs can all improve and some of them — like the Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors — are expected to shoot up the standings in the second half.
What’s very cool about this level, however, is the inclusion of the Chicago Bulls, who after spinning their tires for about five seasons now look to have direction thanks to budding superstar Zach LaVine and solid supporting players Lauri Markkanen and Coby White.
Playing for a play-in spot
Don’t look now but the Washington Wizards are 12th in the Eastern Conference and just 1.5 games back of being in a play-in spot after racking off eight wins in their last 11 contests.
Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook sneaking into the play-in tournament would make for great excitement if they can pull it off.
The season is at least halfway finished
For these bottom-feeding teams, the good news for them is that the season is halfway finished meaning the real thing they’re competing for — ping pong balls in the draft lottery — is quickly approaching.
The bad news for them is that the season is only halfway done.
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