As the NBA nears the midway point, both the Western and Eastern Conferences have logjams in numerous spots throughout the standings. This has culminated in the potential for one of the most exciting homestretches of an NBA season in recent memory. In turn, the spotlight will shine brightly on some of the biggest names in the NBA as teams jockey for playoff position.
We’ve broken down a list of five names who could ultimately define the second half of the 2023-24 NBA season, beginning with none other than the outspoken and impressively dominant Joel Embiid.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
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While Joel Embiid has battled minor injuries and missed 10 games this season, the impact of the reigning MVP was on full display when he went toe-to-toe with Nikola Jokić on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Embiid poured in 41 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds while leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 126-121 victory.
If Embiid stays healthy, the sky is the limit for the 76ers. They’re one game behind the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks, and five games back of the Boston Celtics for the top spot. But on the flip side, the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers are all within 3.5 games of Philadelphia in the standings.
Embiid’s dominance (and presence) will be vital for the 76ers as their push for a top spot in the postseason heats up.
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
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There’s arguably no better team in the NBA at weathering the storm of a star’s absence than the Miami Heat. Erik Spoelstra has a superb track record when it comes to this, but Jimmy Butler’s health could position Miami for a push up the Eastern Conference standings.
The Heat currently sit as the No. 6 seed in the East, tied with the Knicks at 24-17. But they’ve gotten to that point with Butler playing in just 26 of their first 41 games. If the 34-year-old guard is healthy and can stay on the floor while making the same impact we’ve seen during his tenure in Miami, this team could be bound for another potential playoff run.
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
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Anthony Davis is either the most highly praised or heavily scrutinized player in the NBA, depending on the night. When he’s firing on all cylinders by knocking down shots, pulling down rebounds, blocking shots, dishing out assists and showcasing his superb upside, Davis is nearly impossible to stop. The Los Angeles Lakers have an upside capable of competing with the best teams in the NBA when that version of Davis shows up.
LeBron James is and will remain his dominant self; there’s no question about that. But he’s seemingly let Davis take on the role of option 1A for the Lakers while he continues defying father time in a 1B role. The last six games have been noteworthy when evaluating Davis, and they essentially tell the story.
In four wins for the Lakers over the past six games, Davis has averaged 29.5 points and 12.0 rebounds. He averaged 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in the team’s two losses wedged in the middle. While it’s not an exact science, it shows the magnitude of Davis’s impact when his dominant form is on display.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
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There may be no one team I’m more interested in watching over the second half of the season than the Oklahoma City Thunder. The “rebuild” in Oklahoma City is a thing of the past (and was essentially non-existent), as they’re 27-13 and just two games back of the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, a spot currently held by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But for the Thunder to hold one of the top two or three seeds in the West, it’s going to require Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to continue playing at a dominant level, which seems like an outcome that’s more likely than not. Gilgeous-Alexander is No. 4 in the NBA in points per game at 31.0 and averages 6.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and a league-leading 2.3 steals.
The 25-year-old guard has proven that he’s among the rising stars of the NBA and is already playing at an elite level. If he continues to dominate on a nightly basis for the remainder of the season, the Thunder have a real shot at being the No. 2 or 3 seed in a tough Western Conference.
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a strong 24-15 start to the season and have done so with guard Darius Garland playing in just 20 games due to a jaw injury. There’s plenty of intrigue about what this team’s ceiling could truly be. But regardless of how you look at it, the Cavaliers will go as Donovan Mitchell goes, and the 27-year-old is averaging 28.2 points, 5.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game this season.
Mitchell’s passing and rebounding marks are career highs, and he’s just 0.1 points shy of his career-high scoring average. With the Cavs sitting as the No. 4 seed in the East, they have a chance to push up the standings and potentially find their way into a top two or three seed, but there’s also an outcome where they fall as low as seventh or eighth if things don’t go to plan.
Mitchell’s play will remain pivotal to the Cavaliers’ success going forward and could also set the franchise up to make a legitimate run in the postseason.
