Article:NBA nearing All Star Break

We near the NBA All Star break with more questions than answers.

Will Kevin Garnett be healthy enough to help the Celtics get back to the NBA Finals?

Will Shaq work out west, where he will have to do battle with Kobe on an almost regular basis?

Can the Sonics manage to stay in Seattle instead of moving?

Can the Heat rebound or are they getitng ready for life with no Shaq and Alonzo?

The key question, though is....

Will Isaiah Thomas step down and give someone a chance to lead the Knicks? They are bad. But they are better than the Heat.

If the season ended tonight and if I am right, the teams in the playoffs from the East would be.

1. Boston; 2. Detroit; 3. Orlando; 4. Cleveland; 5. Toronto; 6. Washington; 7. Atlanta; 8. New Jersey

1 would play 8, which means New Jersey would draw the Celtics with Boston having home court

2 would play 7, Detroit taking on Atlanta, which is a lot better than most people think.

3 would play 6, Orlando doing battle with the Wizards

4 would play 5, Cleveland doing battle with Toronto

The West would look like this ...

1. Phoenix; 2. New Orleans; 3. Dallas; 4. Utah; 5. Los Angeles Lakers; 6. San Antonio; 7. Denver; 8. Golden State

1 vs. 8 - Phoenix and Steve Nash vs. Golden State

2 vs. 7 - New Orleans vs. Denver (Practice! We're talking practice!)

3 vs. 6 - Dallas vs. San Antonio (even without Tony Parker, the defending champs would prevail)

4 vs. 5 - Utah vs. Los Angeles Lakers

So when Dallas and Phoenix tip off Thursday night at 10:30 ET on TNT, that will be the start of the break. Then comes the hoopla, the Rookie game, Skills challenge and the game itself. What will the rest of the season hold? Will Isiah step down? Will the Knicks get better? Will Jason Kidd get the trade he wants? No one knows.