Seven season-defining questions as NBA heads into homestretch

The NBA All-Star break has passed, the season is beginning the homestretch and questions abound as we careen toward the playoffs, which begin April 20. Here are seven of the most important:
(All records and statistics are through Tuesday's games.)

1. How hurt is Philadelphia star Joel Embiid?

It's never fun when one of the biggest questions of the season is related to an injury, but that's the case here. Embiid (35.3 PPG in 34 games) was the clear front-runner for MVP before he was sidelined with a meniscus injury, and when — or if — he returns, the balance of the league will shift. 

With Embiid, Philadelphia (32-22) is a threat to win the East. Without him, "outsider" teams such as New York, Cleveland and maybe even Indiana have chances to do damage in the playoffs. First-place Boston (43-12), however, remains the clear-cut favorite in the Eastern Conference.

2. Will Milwaukee get back on track?

Saying the third-place team in the Eastern Conference must "get on track" might seem odd, but for anyone who has watched the Bucks (35-21) recently, you'll understand what we mean. Milwaukee's play under new HC Doc Rivers has been uninspiring — he is just 3-7 in his first 10 games — and a loss to 13th-place Memphis before All-Star Weekend was an eye-opener. 

Something isn't clicking with the Bucks, and they're running out of time to find out what that thing is.

3. Does Minnesota have enough offensive creation to win it all?

From the beginning of the season, Minnesota (39-16) has been at or near the top of the Western Conference standings. This is, without a doubt, one of the best teams in the NBA, but it has one major flaw. Behind Anthony Edwards (26.3 PPG) and Karl-Anthony Towns (22.5 PPG), the Timberwolves lack a player who can go on a scoring rampage when needed. 

Naz Reid (12.2 PPG) can get hot and Mike Conley (10.6 PPG) still provides stability to the offense, but without a true third scoring option, questions remain about Minnesota's chances to make a deep postseason run. The T-Wolves were jettisoned in the first round last season.

4. Will a clear MVP emerge?

In most seasons, we have a decent idea of who the MVP finalists are by the end of February. Not this season. Dallas' Luka Doncic (34.2 PPG), Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.1 PPG), Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.8 PPG) and Denver's Nikola Jokic (26.1 PPG) have legitimate cases to win the award. Plus, it might be too early to count out the dark horses: Boston's Jayson Tatum (27.1 PPG), Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell (28.4 PPG) and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson (27.6 PPG). 

Buckle up.

5. Is Oklahoma City a year early?

If the Thunder (37-17) stumble in the postseason, it might not be their fault. Frankly, young teams in their first real playoff action often fall short simply due to a lack of experience. Without experiencing playoff hoops firsthand, it's a near-impossible task to take four series to win a title against teams who have been there before. OKC hasn't made the playoffs since the 2019-20 season.

6. Have we seen the last of Golden State?

The Warriors (27-26) did just enough before the All-Star break — winning eight of 10 — to make many NBA observers ponder whether they can make a deep playoff run. 

Winning another title seems out of the question for Golden State. At no point this season have the Warriors played well enough to be considered equals of Minnesota, Oklahoma City, the Los Angeles Clippers or Denver — the top four teams in the Western Conference.

But could this team still make for the most annoying eight seed of all time? That's plausible. 

7. Is point guard Jalen Brunson a bona fide superstar?

New York's trade-deadline day deal for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks signals a belief the Knicks can compete for a title. To do that, Brunson (27.6 PPG) must prove he can carry a team through the mine field that is the Eastern Conference. Brunson has great reinforcements behind him, but it'll be up to the 6-foot-2 point guard to guide the Knicks to greatness.