Will the Pacers unseat the Heat in the East?

As we pass the 50-game mark of the NBA season, and with the All-Star Break now behind us, let’s look ahead at the biggest story lines we can expect to see reflected in our video games this spring.

1. Trade deadline wheeling and dealing

Though some analysts expect a busy trade deadline, I anticipate a quieter one than usual. Still, we can expect to see at least a couple meaningful deals get done before the Feb. 20 deadline.

Kyle Lowry headlines a list of players who could get moved, while the Phoenix Suns stand out as one team in particular who could add a significant player using Emeka Okafor’s expiring contract and one of their four first-round draft picks. The Suns could become an especially interesting NBA Today team, given that an Okafor/pick package would result in them adding a proven, reliable player without giving up a current contributor.

2. All-Stars returning from injury

Kobe Bryant and Russell Westbrook lead the list of injured players who could return this year, as Chris Paul stepped back on the court over the weekend.

Having stars like those two available to play with makes a big difference, especially for a Lakers’ club that doesn’t have much firepower without Bryant. Though the Lakers are far outside the Western Conference playoff picture with no signs of that changing, a healthy Bryant would at least create some interesting NBA Today battles with playoff teams.

And though Durant has starred even more than usual for the wildly successful Thunder, the team is more interesting at the very least with Westbrook on the court.

3. Pre-playoff battles in the Western Conference

To no one’s surprise, the Western Conference contains many more winning teams than the East.

To make things even more interesting, only a few wins separate the No. 2 seed from the No. 8 seed out West.

As the season winds to a close, we’ll see a lot of competitive games between Western Conference playoff teams jockeying for position, with next week’s Golden State-Houston match-up serving as an early example of games to come.

Such games provide a glimpse of the playoffs and will be must-plays in NBA Today modes as the regular season approaches its conclusion.

4. Which Eastern Conference teams will step up?

With only Indiana and Miami securely above .500 in the East, it remains to be seen whether any other teams will emerge from the pack.

Toronto, Washington, and Brooklyn have shown flashes recently, yet they sit right around the .500 mark with a glut of other Eastern Conference teams.

Other squads like Detroit, New York, and even Cleveland lurk just outside of the playoff board, showing the potential to crash the party. Those three teams already have talent that makes them interesting video game teams. If they can put it together in the real NBA, they’ll make for some good NBA Today match ups with teams like Miami and Indiana.