Ah, All-Star Weekend. That magical time of year where nobody plays defense, everyone gets a participation trophy, and we spend way too much time debating the Dunk Contest’s relevance. But it’s also a perfect checkpoint in the season to take stock of the league’s power structure. Who’s surging? Who’s floundering? And most importantly, who can we actually take seriously as a title contender versus the teams just happy to be hanging around the playoff picture?
If there’s one big takeaway this week, it’s that the top tier is finally starting to separate itself from the pack. The contenders are making their move, while the second tier is desperately trying to find its footing.