The dust has settled from the NBA's trading deadline, but the NBA betting action is just starting to heat up! Check out the five imperative questions on the pro hardwood for the week ahead!

1: What does having an angry Amare Stoudemire on the team do to the chemistry of the Suns?

So far, so good for Stoudemire, as the Suns have a pair of wins since the trade deadline and he has a double-double and a 22-point outing to show for his efforts. For now, Phoenix is still in good shape to get into the playoffs, but if things start to go in the wrong direction, Stoudemire may be the first to quit on this team.

2: Are the Cavaliers really that much better off with Antawn Jamison in the lineup?

Hmm... Three straight losses heading into Tuesday's home date with New Orleans sort of suggests that Cleveland may not be in such great shape at this point. Jamison had a miserable debut off the bench for the Cavs, shooting 0/12 from the floor.

But he followed that up with a solid 9/14 night against the Magic. If Jamison can get into a groove, Cleveland will be fine. If not, GM Danny Ferry has a lot of questions to answer about why he tinkered with the chemistry of his team.

3: Kobe Bryant's injured ankle: A minor issue or a genuine concern?

It sure seems like Bryant is ready to go Tuesday night after the Lakers had a nice little four-day hiatus after getting six days between games for the All-Star Break. However, an 87-86 loss to Boston on its home floor on Thursday night had to be cause for concern for NBA betting fanatics of the Lakers.

The offense just looked totally out of sync and without any rhythm for the majority of that game. So if Kobe doesn't look as sharp as a tack in the games to come, the Lake Show should be very, very concerned.

4: Does Kevin Durant have a chance of running down LeBron James for the scoring title?

Scoring 25 points in 28 straight games certainly says that he can! Durant is up to 29.8 points per game on the year, and he has his Thunder playing some of the best basketball in the NBA.

Oklahoma City has won nine straight games SU and is a stellar 6-3 ATS in those outings. The better question is whether the voters for the MVP award take notice of how important Durant is to his team or not.

5: Boston has gotten back in the win column on the road, but will the woes at the Garden continue?

The Celtics haven't covered the NBA betting line at home since January 2nd. That's right; once in 2010 and it was the first game of the year. Boston is a dismal 0-8-1 ATS in its L/9 games as hosts, and it will get three chances between now and Saturday to reverse that hex.

Games against the Knicks and Nets should be walks in the park, but that game on Thursday night against the Cavaliers could be the most important one of the season.

This information is provided in partnership with BetUs Sportsbook

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