Contenders Slide: Warriors Nuggets Wolves Rockets Celtics

Merlin sees the All-Star break as the moment several hopeful teams began sliding instead of surging. Golden State faltered after Jonathan Kuminga slipped out of the rotation and injuries chipped away at their core, Denver has been hobbled by a cascade of absences that keep Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon from syncing, Minnesota has fallen into the familiar peaks and valleys possibly worsened by the Giannis chatter, Houston’s offense lost a superpower when Steven Adams went down, and Boston’s recent play trails the other top East squads. Merlin notes none of this is fatal. Health and timing will decide most outcomes. The Nuggets’ injury ledger is the heaviest omen, the Warriors’ window grows thin as Curry ages, the Wolves still have the pieces for a deep run if they find steadiness, and Houston must redefine its attack without Adams. Small shifts now could reshape seeding and confidence heading into May.