With the NBA entering the second half of the season, there are many key things to look forward to. Such as those who elevate themselves above the rest of the teams or the superstars that seize the moment and take advantage of the opportunities in front of them. Who wins the MVP? Is there a contender who gets hot? Let’s dive into the top three storylines to watch for the rest of the NBA’s regular season!

3. Cade Cunningham’s Case For the NBA’s MVP

The Detroit Pistons have been one of the surprising teams in the league. Last season, they finished with a 44-38 record and lost to the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs in a grueling six-game series. Throughout the first half of the season, Detroit sits atop the Eastern Conference with a 40-13 record, the second-most wins in the NBA. Only sitting two games back of the number one seed in the whole league is a testament to their complete roster and the growth of their superstar, Cade Cunningham.

Cunningham has grown to be one of the best players in the NBA. Coming off an All-NBA season, his numbers haven’t changed much, but they are impacting the game more. He’s averaging 25.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 9.6 apg (2nd in the league). What makes his case for MVP so interesting is the NBA’s 65-game rule in order to be eligible for awards. SGA has missed a handful of games, and Nikola Jokic can only miss one more game. If the Pistons are the number one seed in the league, I can see the voters giving it to Cade.

2. The NBA’s Last Season of Tanking?

The league has a tanking problem. For the last handful of seasons, it seems like the elite teams are miles ahead of the bad teams, as it should be. However, when you have bad teams, like the Utah Jazz, leading through three quarters and pulling their stars like Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. for no apparent reason in front of our eyes is distasteful. We have seen teams sit out players and lose games on purpose to improve their odds of winning the NBA Draft Lottery.

This afternoon, ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania said that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver informed all 30 teams’ general managers that the league plans to make anti-tanking rule changes for next season. Below are the following concepts that were discussed to help prevent tanking:

• First-round picks can be protected only in the top-4 or top-14+
• Lottery odds freeze at the trade deadline or a later date
• No longer allowing a team to pick top 4 in consecutive years and/or after consecutive bottom-3 finishes
• Teams can’t pick top-4 the year after making conference finals
• Lottery odds allocated based on two-year records
• Lottery extended to include all play-in teams
• Flatten odds for all lottery teams

1. Can the Thunder Go Back To Back?

The Oklahoma City Thunder have dealt with injuries for the majority of the season. From Jalen Williams’ hand injury to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missing the past two weeks, their title chances are hanging in the balance. I didn’t even mention Chet Holmgren, who has had his issues with staying on the court in the past. Will their big three be healthy come postseason time?

Obviously, a fully healthy OKC team can contend with anyone in the NBA. The power of a dominant regular season is important. They only hold a four-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs for the top seed in the Western Conference. They have been a thorn in the Thunder’s side all season long. Having home-court advantage is massive when facing a young team like the Spurs.

Final Thoughts

This has been one of the more interesting seasons in recent memory. Year two of LeBron/Luka, the trade deadline was insane in terms of the player movement, and Cooper Flagg’s rookie season; we’ve had a great year, and we haven’t even hit the playoffs yet! What are you most excited for the second half of the NBA season?

As always, thank you so much for checking out my thoughts on the top three storylines to follow entering the second half of the NBA season! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! We hope you’re enjoying your day and look forward to seeing you again soon.