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Now that an exciting All-Star Weekend is over, it’s time for the NBA teams to show what they are really made of. With only 25-30 games left for each team, the playoffs are getting near, and every night counts. And in this competitive NBA landscape, home court advantage could mean the difference between a shot at a playoff run and a first-round exit.

But there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before that first round begins. Here are my top 10 questions for the second half of the 2010-11 season:

1. Where will Carmelo be on February 25 (day after the trade deadline)?
2. Will any other trades happen that include big names (e.g. Nash, Stephen Jackson, etc.)?
These questions will be answered quickly – Thursday at 3 PM is the deadline. And I’m sure everyone will be glad that the Melo situation will be decided and we won’t hear about it for a while.

3. Can the Celtics keep up this pace and stay in first place?
4. Can the Heat keep up this pace and take over first place?
Going 32-7 since their 9-8 start, the Heat will easily take over the number one spot if they stay healthy. The Celtics usually see a drop in winning percentage during the second half of the year due to age and injuries (they are 6-4 in their last ten games). The C’s will have to make a stand if they want home court advantage against Miami in the playoffs.

5. Can Steve Nash drag Phoenix into the playoffs?
6. Can Charlotte/Milwaukee leap frog Indiana/Philadelphia and grab a playoff spot?
The Suns are the only 2010 Western playoff team that doesn’t have a playoff spot right now (New Orleans took the empty position). If Charlotte and Milwaukee take spots from Indiana and Philadelphia, the Eastern playoff picture will have the same teams as last year too, with the exception of having New York instead of Cleveland (may their souls rest in peace). Same teams, much different playoff scene. Which leads us to the next question:

7. Is a Celtics-Lakers Finals still the most likely scenario?
The Celtics are the team to beat in the East, going an amazing 15-2 against Eastern playoff teams. The Lakers, on the other hand, are the two-time defending champs and will be tough in the playoffs, but can a team in 3rd place really be the favorite? To keep critics on their side, the Lakers will have to step things up for the next couple months.

8. Will Sacramento be moving to Anaheim next season?
David Stern confirmed this weekend that the Kings owners, the Maloofs, are strongly considering applying to the NBA for a move to Orange County for the 2011-12 season. The deadline is March 1st, so we will know this answer soon as well.

9. Will Isiah Thomas return to the Knicks’ front office?
I didn’t know anything about this until one of the announcers mentioned it during the All-Star Game, but apparently Thomas is still on owner James Dolan’s radar as a replacement for team president Donnie Walsh. After breaking into the playoff picture for the first time in a decade, I’m not sure why they need a change. But for their tortured fans’ sake, I hope this is one rumor that is not well-founded.

10. Can the Spurs stay healthy and hit 70 wins?
After the loss to the Bulls last week, they are on pace to hit 67 wins. Chances are they will lay back a little more, especially once they lock up the first spot. But there’s still a chance they could become only the second team in NBA history to hit the 70-win mark.