Eight questions that will determine NBA's second half

1. Will anyone take control of the East?

	With Eddy Curry developing into one of the East's best offensive centers, the Knicks are in the hunt for the Atlantic Division crown. AP
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No. The East is going to be wide open right to the finish, with the Pistons, Cavs, Bulls and Wizards battling it out for the best record until the final weeks. If I had to pick a team, I'd go with Detroit because of its starting five and its experience. But Chicago is learning to play together and has the depth and style of play to withstand injuries. The Bulls, with the hardest part of their schedule behind them, could be a good darkhorse candidate to finish with the best record and the No. 1 seed.

2. Who's most likely to make a late-season surge into the playoffs?

In the East, it's the Knicks. They quietly have crept back into the Atlantic Division race. Eddy Curry has been dominating inside (at least at one end), and Stephon Marbury was playing some of his best ball in a long time before suffering some knee pain recently. With team president and coach Isiah Thomas facing a win-or-else ultimatum from management, he will be pushing hard for that final spot. Assuming they stay healthy, the Knicks have a chance (albeit a slim one) to catch the Raptors and/or Nets for the division lead. Out West, keep an eye on the Hornets. They were playing well at the start of the season, before injuries to Peja Stojakovic, David West, Bobby Jackson and Chris Paul derailed them. If Paul returns to health (West and Jackson already have returned), it's not inconceivable that OKC/NO could make up the four games they need to catch the T'wolves for the No. 8 spot.

3. Who is most likely to stumble down the stretch?

The Nets right now seem to be a prime candidate. With Nenad Krstic done for the season, Richard Jefferson out another six weeks with an ankle injury, Jason Kidd going through a messy divorce and Vince Carter thinking about opting out of his contract after the season, New Jersey is walking a tightrope. Already the Raptors, who have been playing very well of late, have moved ahead of them in the Atlantic standings. It's going to take a superhuman effort from the soon-to-be 34-year-old Kidd if the Nets are going to hold off Toronto (and maybe New York) for the division title. In fact, there is already talk Nets GM Rod Thorn might look to re-tool on the fly by trading Carter or Kidd.

4. Does this figure to be a busy trade deadline?

Yes. The consensus among GMs and player personnel types right now is that there are likely to be several moves. With the Eastern race so wide open, there are few teams that don't have a shot at making the playoffs. In addition, there are already good teams such as the Pistons, Bulls, Spurs and Lakers that might seek to do something to push them over the top.