8 Questions Entering the Second Half of the NBA Season

If you want to get technical, the second half started a long time ago, since teams have played roughly 70 percent of the schedule. But as we enter the dog days of the NBA season—when the calendar turns to March and players are fighting off fatigue and injuries, eagerly anticipating either the start of the postseason or their offseason—there are plenty of pressing questions that remain unanswered. 

The playoffs officially start April 16, and as teams begin their stretch run, a quick scan of the league turns up a few salacious storylines that probably won’t be resolved anytime soon and a number of topics worthy of debate on talk radio or First Take. Like, for instance, is it time to question LeBron James’ future in Los Angeles? Who will emerge as the winner, this year, of the James Harden-for-Ben Simmons swap? And precisely which teams should we pin as the favorites to emerge from the East and West when so much can happen between now and May, since we’re a shade under three months away from the conference finals tipping off?  

I could bore you with more filler, but why bother? The second half of the season begins Thursday, and below you’ll see the eight questions we want answered.