While the NBA is on hold for a few days, The Post’s basketball minds answer ten important questions. Here’s a closer look.
1. The MVP should now go to…
STEFAN BONDY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But the bond with Nikola Jokic is so close that this could easily turn around if the Nuggets center reaches the 65-game threshold.
BRIAN LEWIS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s the game’s best two-way player and the favorite despite his slant and Jokic’s return.
JARED SCHWARTZ: Nikola Jokic. Gilgeous-Alexander looked like a lock for a while, but his injury opened the door to the field, and Jokic’s return to health put him back in the conversation. He is again averaging a triple-double and leading the league in rebounds and assists while scoring 28.7 points per game.
MIKE VACCARO: Cade Cunningham. I’m going with a relative long shot here, but the Pistons are more than legit, and Cunningham is the main reason why. As he goes, so goes Detroit.
2. The team to watch out for in the second half is the…
BONDY: Cavaliers. They replaced a regular DNP (Darius Garland) with a durable goal scorer (James Harden), and they are better than their record. However, I still don’t believe in their playoff success.
LEWIS: Celts. Boston has not only survived but thrived without Jayson Tatum, and he’s back to practice. Watch out.
SCHWARTZ: Hornets. After starting the season 16-28, they won 10 of their last 11 games before the break, putting themselves into the playoffs.
VACCARO: Hornets. It’s as fun as it is rare to see a team flip a switch like the Hornets have done, and here it says they will make the regular draw. Which means it would be helpful not to finish third in the East. That would be a nightmare.
3. The team that drops out in the second half is the…
BONDY: 76ers. Joel Embiid is missing games again due to knee soreness and more DNPs are likely to follow.
LEWIS: Bulls. With Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu gone and no big players left, the Bulls go from play-in to tanking.
SCHWARTZ: 76ers. Paul George is suspended, Joel Embiid’s knee is starting to bark again and VJ Edgecombe is dealing with rookie season fatigue.
VACCARO: 76ers. They’ve had a nice run, but we saw last night what their reality is like when Joel Embiid suffers another setback.
4. The Knicks’ chances of reaching the NBA Finals come down to…
BONDY: Karl-Anthony Towns finds his way. Jalen Brunson needs help.
LEWIS: Playoff form of other teams. It’s less about them and more about whether Boston’s Tatum is fit and Cleveland’s James Harden finally shows up in the postseason.
SCHWARTZ: What is Karl-Anthony Towns? We have a good idea of what Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges will bring. Is Towns a bona fide No. 2 option or a complete wildcard, as he has been for most of this year?
VACCARO: Good health. I remain convinced that if they can keep the band together, they will be the best team in the conference, 1st through 10th.
5. The rest of the Nets’ season is about…
BONDY: Fueling, but it should be about pride. The organization has spit on its fan base this season (and last season).
LEWIS: Their five rookies. The lottery takes place in May and there are no stars available until June, but at this time the children are developing.
SCHWARTZ: Rookie development. Draft position is the end goal this season, but this process of fueling will only work if this group of rookies grows into a tangible core.
VACCARO: Lose as often as possible. The only way anything about this season is justified is if they end up with one of the top three choices, all expected gems. They need to make their lottery chances as good as possible.
6. A player who is not an All-Star this season but will be an All-Star next season is…
BONDY: Dillon Brooks. The league will realize that the new format did not provide enough competitiveness and that more fiery spirit is needed. Hello Brooks.
LEWIS: Kon Knüppel. The use of Michael Porter Jr. might wane as the Nets improve, but Knueppel will certainly still be a go-to guy for the Hornets.
SCHWARTZ: Franz Wagner. An ankle injury derailed the first half of his season, but he is the leading scorer on a Magic team that should be a regular playoff contender for the foreseeable future even if they have underperformed so far this year.
VACCARO: Kon Knueppel, for next year and the next decade. How did Duke not win the natty again last year?
7. The result of the NBA Finals is…
BONDY: Thunder over the pistons. Yeah, I know, I’m not going out here with the best records in the NBA.
LEWIS: Thunder over the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell leads the Cavs out of the East, but the Thunder roll to a replay.
SCHWARTZ: Spurs over the Knicks. The Knicks have been pounded by the Pistons twice, but their win over the Celtics last year shows how much regular season games matter. The Celtics, if they get Jayson Tatum back, will be formidable, but this current Knicks team seems to have a formula to beat them. However, the Thunder-Spurs Western Conference finals will feature the NBA’s top two teams as Victor Wembanyama takes another step towards becoming the face of the league.
VACCARO: Thunder over the Knicks in seven.
8. After this season ends, LeBron James will…
BONDY: Play somewhere other than the Lakers or the Knicks (and honestly, I don’t really care anymore). He’s not retiring without a farewell tour.
LEWIS: Come back for more, but not in LA. King James earns his fifth ring during his third reign in Cleveland.
SCHWARTZ: I’m back with the Cavaliers. I find it hard to believe he doesn’t want a season-long farewell tour, and it looks like his Lakers marriage is on its last legs. What better place to end his career than in Cleveland?
VACCARO: Take a victory lap next year as a member of the Cavaliers.
9. This summer, Giannis Antetokounmpo…
BONDY: Not on the Bucks, probably on the Heat. Maybe he doesn’t want to be the bad guy and demand a trade, but he is Milwaukee’s one and only asset to start a much-needed rebuild.
LEWIS: Traded, finally putting an end to years and years of this will-he, won’t-he melodrama.
SCHWARTZ: With the Bucks. How many times do we have to do this song and dance? He loves Milwaukee, and even though he likes to flirt with a move, he won’t demand he leave.
VACCARO: Traded to the Warriors so they can make one last stand in the Steph Curry era.
10. Besides Giannis and LeBron, the biggest storyline of the NBA offseason will be…
BONDY: Expansion. Welcome back Seattle and hello (hopefully not) Las Vegas.
LEWIS: Overshadowed by James and Giannis. Unless a Cavaliers flameout leads to Donovan Mitchell leaving, the lottery and possible expansion clarity will be the next biggest storylines.
SCHWARTZ: Expansion. Before the NBA Cup Finals in December, commissioner Adam Silver said a decision on possible expansion would be made sometime in 2026.
VACCARO: Finding out the feasibility of the scheme in the long term. Every year we get more and more evidence that 82 races is disastrous for the athletes. This needs to be addressed.
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