Have no fear, dearest readers. After the mess that was NBA All-Star Weekend -- which weirdly didn't feature the sport that it's based around as much as you might think -- real NBA basketball is finally back on the menu tonight. While it does count, please ignore the Los Angeles Lakers' and Charlotte Hornets' makeup game that they played on Wednesday evening.

(They were, quite literally, the only teams playing!)

More than anything else, the NBA's return from its All-Star break is a symbolic signifier of where we stand in the season. Not only are we about to watch squads try and solidify their place in the standings over the next few weeks, but we're also only roughly two months away from the start of the 2025 NBA playoffs.

Oh, gah. Where does the time go? How is this NBA regular season already almost over?

With the NBA postseason finally sitting somewhere in the front view mirror, let's take stock of the most essential superstars to watch over the next two months. I could be wrong, but I feel confident that these men will define the league and be the most worthwhile to watch in the run-up to the playoffs.

1. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

On paper, the Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the NBA's best rosters from top to bottom. In practice, they're probably even better -- Cleveland is an astonishing 44-10 coming out of the All-Star break, leading the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings by 5.5 games. Statistically, the Cavaliers have the NBA's top-ranked offense and the eighth-ranked defense. That's tough to beat.

Suffice it to say, these Cavaliers have legitimate championship aspirations.

However, the only person who can genuinely get Cleveland back to the NBA's summit is Donovan Mitchell. With all due respect to Mitchell's All-Star teammates like defensive stalwart Evan Mobley and backcourt running mate Darius Garland, it is Mitchell who stirs the drink for the Cavaliers first and foremost. On nights when Mitchell's remarkable shot-making is on, Cleveland is often cruising by double digits. When he's off and out of rhythm, the Cavs are usually taking a rare defeat on the chin.

Keeping Mitchell engaged, dynamic, and healthy through this stretch run will determine just how far Cleveland can travel in the playoffs.

2. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers

Given that Doncic only played two games for the Lakers before the All-Star break, we're still processing the aftermath of the Trade Heard 'Round The World. And the Lakers' next 30 games are gonna tell us a lot about Doncic's fit and how serious this franchise might be as one of the league's faces gets acclimated to his new surroundings with a marquee organization.

Can Doncic effectively play point forward to LeBron James, who might feature much more off-ball than ever before? How will the Lakers survive without legitimate options at center in the wake of the failed Mark Williams trade? Is Los Angeles' mission toward becoming a higher-octane offensive powerhouse a more viable path to contention than the one the James-Anthony Davis Lakers once took?

We're likely about to get all the answers to these pressing questions. That makes Doncic easily one of the most intriguing stars to watch over the next couple of months.

3. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

I have to imagine the Minnesota Timberwolves kick themselves every time they've seen Towns dominate for the Knicks this year. That's because, with this stellar version of Towns, Minnesota would probably still be sitting near the top of the Western Conference standings instead of watching Anthony Edwards try to keep its fledgling offense afloat. That's just how exceptional Towns has been.

In his first season in the Big Apple, Towns is enjoying a career year while setting the table for a Knicks squad that should be thinking championship. At the moment, Towns is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, and 3-point percentage. He's also floating around the highest true shooting percentage he's ever had (64.4). Towns' presence has allowed the Knicks' second-ranked offense to flourish while giving more space to his running mates, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. It's given the Knicks a dimension they haven't had in decades.

Now, New York has had issues defensively, especially in the paint. This is where center Mitchell Robinson's return comes in. He should not only afford the Knicks more lineup flexibility and rim protection but also keep the workload down for Towns, who hasn't played this many minutes per game in a season since 2017-2018. (Not by coincidence, Tom Thibodeau was also his coach then.) Anything that lets Towns turn down the jets and get more rest before the postseason should be the top priority for these Knickerbockers.

4. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

As he finally turns 30, it's absurd to think about everything Jokic has already accomplished. The All-NBA selections. The All-Star picks. The MVP honors. The laundry list of efficient triple-doubles as the league's premier offensive engine. We thought this might have been the year when Jokic didn't perhaps necessarily play worse, but his counting stats would, for the first time, more or less stay static.

That has not been the case. At all.

Through 55 games, the Nuggets' superstar big man is a couple of small decimal points away from averaging a 30-point triple-double on the season. He's third in points scored, fourth in rebounds, second in assists, fourth in steals, fourth in 3-point percentage (on high volume!). Most importantly, he's enjoying the second-highest effective field goal percentage (.629) of his already illustrious career.

Even by his high standards, Jokic has been an uncommon buzzsaw. He's been so incredible from wire to wire that he really might win his fourth regular-season MVP in five years amid active discussions of voter fatigue. So, it should be no surprise that his otherworldly play has coincided with the Nuggets' resurgence as a bona fide championship contender. Since a mediocre 11-10 start, Denver has gone 25-9. It owns the NBA's third-best net rating in that span. This, while navigating half of a likely playoff rotation littered with promising but inexperienced young players and the useful (but chaotic) Russell Westbrook.

The Nuggets remain one of the NBA's most dominant teams when Jokic is on the floor. They must now strike the delicate balance of securing a top-three seed in the Western Conference playoffs while ensuring Jokic doesn't burn himself out too early so he has plenty of gas left in the tank to lead a second NBA title pursuit in three seasons.

5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

In many ways, Gilgeous-Alexander's 2024-2025 campaign to this stage should speak for itself.

He's the league's most efficient perimeter scorer. He essentially gets to his spots and gets whatever shot he wants at will. No guard or wing is more effective at navigating their way through a defense while also manipulating a defender's momentum and body against them. The man may as well be averaging 30 points in his sleep. For all intents and purposes, we haven't seen play or numbers like this from a superstar shooting guard since the heyday of Michael Jordan.

There's a logical reason Gilegous-Alexander is one of the two leading MVP candidates.

Gilgeous-Alexander's play has translated to the Thunder being tied for the NBA's top record. More impressively, with Gilgeous-Alexander setting the table for Oklahoma City's offense, these Thunder currently own the second-best net rating (13.0) in history. Yes, for now, only the legendary 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls have a higher all-time historical net rating in an individual year (13.5). That speaks volumes.

Where the Thunder sometimes run into trouble is how they adapt if Gilgeous-Alexander has to do all the work, but he's not firing on all cylinders. For a team with 44 wins at the All-Star break, the Thunder are just sixth in total offense and are only 12th in effective field goal percentage (54.7). The former stat is still good. The latter is honestly kind of alarming for an otherwise deep title-contending team with no other glaring flaws. The Thunder are so great as one of the current title favorites that their struggles creating consistent offense outside of Gilgeous-Alexander might never rear their ugly head.

But if they do, they're gonna need their talisman to start solving this problem and finding another way to win. And fast.

6. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

No conversation like this is complete without mentioning the best player on the current reigning champ. After the Celtics endured a distressing midseason malaise -- at least for a team well-known for its perpetual professionalism and focus -- they've stabilized as a heavyweight. Boston entered the All-Star break by winning eight of its last 10 games to firmly reestablish itself as the East's No. 2 playoff seed. The Celtics now resemble a team with justifiable ambitions of a repeat again.

Welcome to the exhaustive, emotional roller coaster known as an 82-game NBA season.

Whether the Celtics get there will be dependent on how Tatum performs the rest of the way. The forward remains an uber-efficient two-way demon who often finds a path to making a court-tilting impact every single night. But these Celtics are in the business of trying to stack Larry O'Brien Trophies. They should be above the regular season at this stage in their title window cycle.

How Tatum paces himself before the start of the playoffs and how he shows up to said postseason will determine whether Boston can accomplish its lofty mission.

7. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

Before this season began, injuries and a suspension robbed us of enjoying Morant's incandescence as much as we've hoped in recent years. And quite frankly? We still probably haven't seen Morant back at full capacity. Morant has already missed over 20 games this year due to injuries and is averaging the lowest numbers of his career since the 2020-2021 campaign. His teasing a Dunk Contest performance aside, Morant is also consciously dunking less than ever. In the long run, this is probably a good development for his career, but it does take away one of the more useful and notable aspects of his game.

Nonetheless, Morant's Grizzlies have returned to relative prominence. They are a sleeper title contender and are seemingly deadlocked in a heated battle with the Nuggets for the West's No. 2 seed. Morant has been good but not great so far this year. Whether he can reach the once transcendent level of play we used to see from him all the time will give us the tell-all about what this Memphis team is really capable of.

More NBA!

LeBron James' posterizing Mark Williams in a Lakers loss is a poetic end to the Hornets trade saga

Bobby Portis Jr. suspended 25 games for taking banned substance in apparent Toradol mix-up

The 6 best moments from Netflix's 'Court of Gold' Olympic basketball documentary

This article originally appeared on For The Win: The 7 NBA stars who will define the second half of 2025, from Karl-Anthony Towns to the 2 MVP leaders