by Joel Piton Sportz Nation - 2/17/2026 Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty With All-Star Weekend in the rearview mirror and the playoff push looming, the NBA season has officially crossed the halfway mark. And while February is still quite far from June, we’ve seen enough basketball to start separating contenders from pretenders—and front-runners from the field. Of course, plenty can change between now and spring. But if the season ended this very second, who would be walking away wit

With the NBA Emirates Cup finale approaching, the league’s award races have officially heated up. Players are competing with a different edge now, and the results are showing. Compared to the start of last month, the list looks almost unrecognizable, as injuries, availability, and rapid midseason surges have completely altered the conversation. Some candidates have fallen off, others have skyrocketed, and a few players have made serious pushes for first-time All-Star consider