NBA: Eastern Conference players to watch in the second half of the season

When the NBA returns to action Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time) following the All-Star break, contenders will be looking to improve their form and their playoff seeds down the stretch, while lottery-bound clubs will be looking to find building blocks for the future.

The Sports Xchange asked its NBA correspondents to identify a player to watch for the second half of the season. Here are the team-by-team Eastern Conference responses:

ATLANTIC DIVISION

BOSTON CELTICS
Second-year forward Jared Sullinger, whose rookie season was cut short by back surgery, had a run of six straight double-doubles end in the final game before the break because of illness. Included in that stretch was a career-high 31 points and 16 rebounds in a game against the Sacramento Kings. Assuming he is not traded, Sullinger's continued growth will be an interesting thing to watch down the stretch.

BROOKLYN NETS
Guard Shaun Livingston does not like to talk about it, but he is enjoying a remarkable season considering low preseason expectations. At 6’7”, the eighth-year pro causes matchup problems and can play point guard, shooting guard and small forward. As an integral part of coach Jason Kidd's new smaller lineup - in a double point guard backcourt with Deron Williams - Livingston is a defensive catalyst who is playing some of the best basketball of his career.

NEW YORK KNICKS
Shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is among the rookie leaders in scoring (9.2 points per game) and three-point field-goal percentage (38.5). Coach Mike Woodson is showing increased faith in Hardaway, especially when games are close down the stretch. The first month of the season, Hardaway averaged just 13 minutes a game. In February, that number rose to 30.2 minutes per game. Look for him to enter the starting lineup on a permanent basis by March.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Rookie center Nerlens Noel, acquired in a draft-day trade last June, continues to ramp up his workouts as he recovers from the torn left ACL suffered last February, during his lone season at the University of Kentucky. After one such workout, first-year coach Brett Brown told reporters that Noel still has "a long ways to go," though Brown previously said that there would be some benefit to getting Noel some game experience this year. Brown, who has worked with Noel on his shot, believes Noel will develop into an elite defender along the lines of the retired Theo Ratliff, who led the league in blocked shots three times during his 16-year career.

TORONTO RAPTORS
Center Jonas Valanciunas is still learning the nuances of the position in his second year. His rebounding is an important factor for the Raptors, who are 15-7 when he grabs 10 or more boards. However, coach Dwane Casey wants to see more toughness - what he calls "clean physicality" - in general from his team and specifically from Valanciunas, who must deal with some imposing big players. It means being more physical in setting screens, boxing out and taking the charge. He needs to stand his ground firmly instead turning or moving in those situations. It is a part of the game that becomes even more vital in the Playoffs, and Valanciunas needs to work on it.



CENTRAL DIVISION

CHICAGO BULLS
Point guard D.J. Augustin was waived by the Toronto Raptors in December, but is proving indispensable to the Bulls. He is contributing as a scorer, a distributor and as the team's best three-point shooter. With point guard Derrick Rose sidelined by another knee surgery and hard-nosed veteran guard Kirk Hinrich destined to spend time on the injured list every now and then, Augustin is holding things together for the Bulls. Without him, there is no chance they would be challenging for a top-four seed in the East. Can Augustin finish the season strong and earn himself a more stable contract this summer, either with the Bulls or another team?

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Forward Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 overall draft pick in last year's draft, is making his move. He played his best basketball of the season in the week heading up to the All-Star break, including a 19-point, 10-rebound performance against the Sacramento Kings. Bennett also had 14 points and eight rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers. He is a "stretch four” who got off to a horrible start to his professional career, and he is still averaging just 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game.

DETROIT PISTONS
Guard Rodney Stuckey never lived up to early expectations that he would blossom into an All-Star-caliber player. A lot of people were surprised that Stuckey was not moved during the offseason, but he reinvented himself as a high-scoring sixth man, averaging over 14 points per game. With the recent insertion of swingman Kyle Singler into the starting five, Stuckey is the only consistent scorer off the bench. When he missed seven games with a shoulder injury this season, the Pistons went 1-6. They need steady production from him in the last 30 games to make a successful playoff push.

INDIANA PACERS
For all of Indiana's star power, Lance Stephenson might be the decider. With the shooting guard's ability to dial up the intensity, he is key in setting the tone. Consider: The Pacers are 34-7 when Stephenson scores in double figures, 6-5 when he does not. For the season, he is shooting 50.2 percent from the floor and converting at a spectacular rate when going to the basket. Within five feet of the rim, he is 177-for-261 (67.8 percent). One of the league's most improved players, Stephenson is a huge reason the Pacers are one of two clubs with 40 wins. If his numbers drop off a bit, Indiana would be a different team.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Nineteen-year-old rookie forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is starting to show flashes of his potential, and he is drawing the attention of opponents. Moved into the starting lineup in mid-December, the "Greek Freak" slumped into the All-Star break (2-for-16 in his past three games). Overall, he averages 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 47 games (21 starts). He still needs to work on his shot (42.7 percent), but he is progressing. Regardless of how the season plays out - and what Milwaukee does in the draft - Antetokounmpo is an enormous part of the Bucks' future.



SOUTHEAST DIVISION

ATLANTA HAWKS
Center Pero Antic could have an impact on the team's fortunes once he returns from the stress fracture in his right ankle that kept him sidelined since January 23. The rookie from Macedonia was chosen, but could not play, in the Rising Stars Challenge as part of the All-Star Weekend. Antic saw his minutes rise significantly after center Al Horford sustained a season-ending injury. He averaged nearly 22 minutes and 10.2 points in the last 10 games before he got hurt, too. For the season, Antic is averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds. He is expected to play again by the end of the month and be available for Atlanta's playoff push.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Center Al Jefferson fought a chronic ankle injury early in the season and missed nine games. Then he played hurt for an extended stretch. Now he is close to 100 percent, and the numbers look phenomenal. He averaged 26.4 points the past 10 games, producing five games of 30 or more. Moreover, his effectiveness in the low post is creating opportunities for others, particularly the three-point shooters. If Jefferson can continue his recent pace, the Bobcats will be legitimate playoff contenders. If he cools off or opponents sell out to stop him, as was the case in recent losses at Phoenix and Brooklyn, when he was held to 10 and 12 points, respectively, then the Bobcats could be in trouble.

MIAMI HEAT
Shooting guard Dwyane Wade is the key to the Heat's hopes for a three-peat. Wade - if healthy - can be the dynamic second scorer the team needs to accompany forward LeBron James. Wade missed his side’s game against the Phoenix Suns last week due to a migraine headache, but it was his knees that were the real pain in the first half. The Heat are quick to rest him as needed this season - he missed 14 games already - but he remains highly effective when he plays. His shooting percentage, for example, is a career high 54.8 percent, which is amazing for a shooting guard and especially a 32-year-old with battered knees. Wade is averaging 18.7 points, and the Heat are hoping to squeeze one more great playoff run out of him.

ORLANDO MAGIC
Rookie guard Victor Oladipo, the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft, was both exciting and inconsistent in the first half of the season. In the past few weeks, he emerged as a leader, sparking back-to-back victories over the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. The Magic are hoping to turn him into an NBA point guard after he played as a shooting guard in college. If they decide his future is at point guard, it would affect how they draft this summer.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS
All-Star guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft, leads the Wizards in scoring (19.8 points per game) and tops the Eastern Conference in assists (8.5 per game). However, the speedy playmaker with an improved jumper does not show his top form every night, and the Wizards' overall inconsistency reflects that. At times, he settles for perimeter looks rather than attacking the lane. There are stretches when he lets down defensively against a fill-in point guard or fails to push the pace for a team that wants to run. Wall's athletic gifts and burgeoning skill set are evident. Using them all consistently is the next step.


- Reuters