Two months of NBA action is in the books and the good tidings of the New Year is upon us. Both NBA conferences have surprised, inspired and baffled us with various storylines in 2012. Now it’s time to look ahead to some of the more intriguing questions from each conference in 2013. *** *** *** EASTERN CONFERENCE 5. Will the Celtics regain their competitive edge?

This is a team that was rebuilt for another run at a NBA title. Currently they are playing like a team built for the lottery. They say their confidence is unshaken but with a 14-16 record entering 2013, the Celtics have more questions than answers. Boston is a team rich in tradition and part of that recent tradition is to struggle out of the gates and to round into contender form as winter turns to spring. But with a roster that isn’t gelling, can they do the reverse Cinderella again this year? Currently, they are struggling on defense (15th in opponents points per game), atrocious in rebounding (30th), and mediocre in scoring (13th) despite significant improvements to their perimeter offense’s personnel. Expectations are too high and unrealistic regarding the return of sparkplug Avery Bradley. While he certainly helps, he doesn’t solve the eye sore problems of rebounding and post scoring. Rumors are swirling about the Celtics possibly adding the likes of Marcin Gortat or the mercurial DeMarcus Cousins. All of that is speculation and could even do more harm than good, especially if two of the worst attitudes in the league (Rondo and Cousins) were to become teammates. Boston is not who they once were and they definitely aren’t who they thought they would be. 4. Will John Wall and Andrew Bynum play this season?

John Wall is one the league’s most exciting players and the knee injury that has sidelined him was supposed to be minor, keeping him out until mid-December at the latest. The team insists Wall neither had a stress fracture nor stress reaction, but he was quoted as saying his knee cap was in the beginning phases of breaking before he was shut down. Either the Wizard’s medical staff doesn’t know diddly or the team didn’t want to reveal just how gruesome the news was. Either way, something is fishy but at least Wall has begun to participate in drill work with the Wizards. A new target of “sometime” in January is the hopeful debut of the former No. 1 pick. Washington could use his 16.3 points and eight assists from a season ago to improve on the NBA’s worst record. Clearly the 76ers were hoodwinked, bamboozled and led astray in the deal that brought them Andrew Bynum and his balky knees. Bynum has been discussed in multiple articles on this site which shows his importance and immense talent, yet also illustrates just how strange the case of his knees is. The 76ers are handling things with class, giving Bynum time to recover while remaining competitive with the players who are healthy. The latest MRI showed improvement for Bynum but there is still no timetable for his return. Naturally. Mystery clouds the air concerning the knees of these two NBA stars and their returns this season. 3. Are the Brooklyn Nets a high profile coach away from being legit contenders?

It’s not often that a coach with a .500 record gets let go, but such is the life of Avery Johnson. The Nets fired Johnson on December 27, and are rumored to be heavily pursuing the legendary Phil Jackson, as well as Jeff Van Gundy. GM Billy King said that Johnson was no longer reaching the team and that contributed to his dismissal. Brooklyn, with the second highest payroll in the league ($88 million) and a veteran roster that expects to win immediately, needs someone to finesse their talents. A coach with the ability to handle an outspoken point guard and the pressure of dealing with the expectations of being New York’s second team isn’t going to be easy or cheap to find. Jackson makes a lot of sense and the free flowing movement of the triangle offense may suit the finicky appetite of Deron Williams. The Nets have solid defensive principles that Jackson would be able to work with as well. Van Gundy is more of stretch because his offenses haven’t been historically prolific and that is where the Nets struggle the most, ranking just 22nd in the league in scoring. If he was hired, it is likely the Nets would resemble something like the 1994 Knicks which would only be good if they could reach the Finals… a highly unlikely proposition for Brooklyn this season. For now P.J. Carlesimo has the job and Brooklyn will try to improve under his guidance until a bigger fish takes the bait. 2. Will the return of Derrick Rose propel the Bulls to elite status this season?

Much is being made about the recent news that Rose is practicing with his teammates. That’s expected given how well Chicago is playing without him. The Bulls have been competitive, digging in defensively (ranking 3rd in opponents points per game) with a current standing of fifth in the Eastern Conference. With that kind of production in mind, fans hope Rose will return and finally get the Bulls over the Miami hump in the East.

While it is impressive that Rose is as far along as he is, there is still no definitive timetable for his return. Projections range between late January and March. Usually serious knee injuries take two years to fully recover from, even if the player is capable of day-to-day game action. Chicago may see glimpses of the Rose that won the MVP two seasons ago but sustainability should not be expected until the 2013-2014 season. Without Rose being Rose, it’s hard to envision the Bulls going further than the second round of the playoffs unless they get super favorable matchups. 1. Can the Knicks sustain their high level of play and legitimately challenge Miami in the East?

The Knicks have multiple questions that will determine their fate this season, none bigger than how will the return of Amar’e Stoudemire impact team chemistry. He is willing to come off the bench and has said all of the right things during his rehab but will he continue to play nice as a reserve past the All-Star break? Still, what the Knicks have done without Amar’e and Iman Shumpert has been nothing but impressive. Their three-point shooting has been lights out at 39 percent, and they refuse to turn the ball over at just 11 giveaways per game. That efficiency is what they’ll need to maintain their position in the East and challenge Miami. Having handled the Heat pretty easily in their first two meetings of the season, New York has the look of a team ready to make a run at the title. But there is an eternity between January and June. WESTERN CONFERENCE 5. Will Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks be able to turn their season around?

At 12-19, the Mavericks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league as the year comes to a close. They have lost six straight games and their rotation is still in flux now that Nowitzki is back from a knee injury. Chris Kaman doesn’t get consistent minutes, Darren Collison has been in and out of the doghouse, and O.J. Mayo has once again lost confidence in his shot after tearing things up during the season’s opening stretch. Their defense is third worst in opponents points per game, and there is just a generally bad vibe about the team right now. This was supposed to be a bounce-back year for Dallas, and they have shown some flashes of good play. But they missed Dirk badly and he hasn’t looked like himself in the four games since his return. His eventual reinsertion to the starting lineup may translate into more wins but the lottery may truly be in the Mavericks’ future as they hope to make a splash in this summer’s free agent market. 4. Is the supporting cast of the Minnesota Timberwolves strong enough to propel them into the playoffs?

During the summer, Kevin Love had to sit quietly at times while his Olympic teammates swapped war stories about the NBA Playoffs. The cat released his tongue when Love made disparaging and questionable comments about management and the general direction the franchise was heading in a Yahoo! Sports article earlier in the month. Love hasn’t had an easy go of things since then, shooting a career-low 36 percent from the floor, clearly still trying to recover from his broken hand. Love is the T’Wolves leader, but he knows he needs help. Unfortunately all of the aid brought in seems to be injured or recovering from injury – with the exception of the often hurt Andrei Kirilenko. Chase Budinger, Brandon Roy and Malcolm Lee have all missed significant time and are out indefinitely. Ricky Rubio has returned but is on a minutes restriction after ACL/LCL surgery, and is now dealing with back spasms. Credit Rick Adelman, who has this team competing for the playoffs despite all of the missing bodies. It should be a great race in the West for the final playoff spots with the T’Wolves trying desperately to give Love his own war stories to boast about. 3. Can the Golden State Warriors maintain their high level of play?

Mark Jackson and the Golden State Warriors have seemingly come out of nowhere to surprise the league with the Western Conference’s fifth-best record heading into 2013. Many applauded the shrewd moves they made this summer, acquiring Carl Landry and Jarrett Jack while drafting Harrison Barnes. But most thought success was still a year away, especially without the services of Andrew Bogut. Golden State still has a potent offense, scoring 101.3 points per game (ninth in the league). But the defensive strides they are making under Jackson are the early key to their success. The Warriors rank third in rebounding and hold opposing teams to just 42 percent shooting from the field, good for fifth in the league… again without Bogut. Questions still surround the actual return of Bogut, but he is aiming for sometime this month. But as long as Steph Curry‘s ankles hold up, combined with the All-Star-caliber play from David Lee and strong bench production, the Warriors should continue their success and make some noise in the playoffs. 2. Are the Clippers the best team in the West?

Holding the league’s best record and winning 17 games in a row is usually enough to get front page billing in the local newspapers, but the Clippers are still fighting for respect in L.A. There is nothing wrong with that as long as the wins keep piling up. The Clippers have been masterfully constructed to include the NBA’s best reserve unit. Those subs, along with their defense, are sparking their incredible run to begin the year.