Top Five Storylines For The NBA's Second Half

Now that we know what Kobe Bryant looks like wearing a mask, we can go ahead and start talking about the second half of the NBA season. The shorted/smushed season hasn't made much sense so far, but I'm pretty certain that the nuttiness will only ratchet up in the second half.

Here are my top five most interesting, intriguing, important and super incredible storylines to look out for as we barrel towards the playoffs at a John Wall pace.



5. Trades, Trades, Trades!?: Trades, baby?! There's nothing more fun than seeing teams either hit the reset button or unlock a new player for a playoff push. What sort of trade deadline wonkiness can we look forward to this year? Will the Suns #FreeSteveNash? Will the Timberwolves #FreeSuperCoolBeas? Will Danny Ainge and the Celtics #MakeAMistakeAndFreeRajonRondo? Will we ever get sick of using Twitter #hashtags to talk about this stuff? (No.)

Also, we're hearing a lot of the talk around the water cooler these days about a big man from Orlando who might be on his way to Newark, New Jersey. Spoiler alert: His name rhymes with Big Baby Davis...

4. MVP "Race": Our staff frequently discusses how we firmly believe LeBron James should win the MVP award every season from now until 2020 because he is clearly the best basketball player in the world by a huge margin. But we say a lot of stuff, so maybe we shouldn't be listened to by anyone, ever. Point is, though, that LBJ is the top candidate this year. Probably the only other contender right now is Kevin Durant. If the Thunder finish with the best record in the league, Durant may just get it based on the "Best play, best team" criteria that's held weight in the past.

But then again, I'll bet Durant gets it regardless because he hasn't won one yet and the selection process is just the right blend of completely nonsensical, oddly cryptic and narrative-reliant to make this happen.

3. Each Conference's Final Playoff Spot: Out West, there are some pretty dope teams vying for the last few playoff spots. Specifically dope are the Wolves and Blazers. Denver and Memphis are pretty sweet too, now that I think it through. I am not so fond of the Jazz, though, so for my sake, let's hope they don't get in there (apologies to Devin Harris).

In the East, there is potential for either the Knicks, Celtics or Cavs to match up with the Heat in the first round. Could there quite possibly be anything more fascinating/gratifying than watching LeBron face the Cavs in a best-of-seven series? Or did I just blow your goddamn mind? And the Cs and Knicks would be enticing for their own reasons. So kind of a classic win-win we're looking at here.

2. The Battle of Los Angeles: The most fun I've had watching the NBA this season was when the Lakers beat the Clippers, 96-91, on January 25th. Metta World Peace was feisty; the game was physical and tense and heated. Pau Gasol tapped CP3 on the head, which really pissed Paul off and really tickled my fancy. The Clips look primed to take over Hollywood, but Kobe's possibly illegal knee surgery has something to say about that. I cannot wait to watch them play again, preferably in the post-season. I am legit doing a little rain dance type of deal as I type this to try and appease the basketball gods to make make this happen.

1. The Return of Rasheed Wallace: When we last saw Sheed, he was sporting Celtic green, a happy-trigger finger and a sizable disinterest in "fitness" or "preparation." With the Lake Show apparently ready to ink the former Tar Heel, we can look forward to another chapter in the ever-growing tomb that is Sheed's career. What can we expect outside of three-point bombs, lazy defense and a serious disregard for rebounding? Once again hearing the three best words in the English language: "Ball don't lie!" All will be right with the world.