6. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have had an interesting path to the midway point of this season. Early on in the year when the team was struggling with inconsistency, there were whispers that the team was open - and perhaps even prepared - to trade Michael Porter Jr. in a package to completely shake up their champioship core. With how the team has been able to recover over the last few weeks, I'm not sure if the Nuggets are still open to such a move, but it's pretty interesting to see how this team has evolved since.
The Nuggets aren't in a bad spot at this point in the season but the argument could be made that this team is still missing something. What that something is is what the Nuggets must figure out heading into the second half of the season. And with the NBA Trade Deadline quickly rolling around, the Nuggets must make a decision quickly. They don't have much wiggle room or financial flexibility but the Nuggets will certainly still try to find a way to be active on the trade market in the coming weeks.
5. Houston Rockets
Every week, I continue to wait or anticipate the eventual fall of the Houston Rockets. At least through the first half of the season, that has not happened. And to be perfectly honest, you have to tip your hat to the job that the Rockets have done so far this season. The way the young core has continued to develop this year is quite impressive. The Rockets are the second seed in the Western Conference and have managed to accomplish this without a clear superstar player on the roster.
My big question is whether the Rockets will be able to carry this level of momentum into the second half of the season and what the realistic ceiling is for this team may be in the playoffs. In the postseason, teams are generally carried by their star power. For as good as the Rockets have been this season, they don't exactly have that level of star power on their roster. And unless they decide to make a big move at the trade deadline, the Rockets could have their hands full come playoff time. But, at the very least, this is a young team that should be on pace to get some valuable experience in the postseason.