Now that every team in the NBA has passed the 41-game mark, each one is ana­lyzing the first half of their season and how they can improve their chances going for­ward. While the top-tier clubs like the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics don’t have too much to worry about in terms of roster changes, other teams like the Nuggets and 76ers appear willing to give up big-name, big-pay players. The rest of the league, crowded with a myriad of me­diocre teams, is looking to improve and improve fast.

Regardless of what happens over the next few weeks, the landscape of professional basketball will undoubt­edly change for the second half of the 2010-11 season and into the playoffs. Here are the three teams who I believe are one (big) move away from making a powerful charge towards the postseason. New York Knicks:

The obvious first choice in this list is of course the Knicks who have been at the center of recent trade talk involving one Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets, a Brooklyn native. However, if New York does land Melo it seems as though it will not be until next season, which means an­other move must be made right now to kick start a team that has gone through quite a few ups and downs. The Knicks started out very strong with newcomer Amar’e Stoudemire leading them to a 22- 15 record. Then, after winning four of five, New York went on a six-game los­ing streak, including embarrassing home losses to the Kings and Suns. Clearly, something is not running smoothly in the Big Apple.

I believe the problem lies in the Knicks’ depth. While their top scorers, Stou­demire and Raymond Felton, have given them a great deal of production, they are missing a real shooting guard and, more importantly, a reliable back-up for their big man. A trade for an experienced for­ward like Tyrus Thomas in exchange for a young but unproven talent like Anthony Randolph plus Danilo Gallinari could be extremely beneficial. Thomas would take some pressure off the team when Stou­demire needs rest, keeping the level of play up until he can return fresh. A num­ber of other forwards are available, so look for New York to shop around Randolph. Golden State Warriors:

The next team that I believe can close in on the postseason with an alteration or two is the Warriors. The Dubs, deal­ing with injuries for the better part of the first half, seem to have finally found their form with a (mostly) healthy roster, going 10-5 in their last 15 games. Still, success is determined over an entire season, and the Warriors’ current 19-24 record is not exactly making the Bay Area faithful run through the streets of Oakland clothing-impaired. Co-owner Joe Lacob has already opened up to trade talks involving the team’s most prized commodities – Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry – in the hopes of landing a big star. They may even be looking to enter the Melo-drama.

The bottom line with the Warriors is that they need a low-post threat. An­thony would give them pure points and a few boards, but Ellis already puts up 26 with six assists and three rebounds every night. Curry, with 19 and six per game, is the catalyst for the offense and Monta is exponentially more effective with Steph at the point. Draft pick Ekpe Udoh has length, but he has yet to develop as a post player, and understandably so. David Lee, at 6’10”, 250 pounds, is not nearly large enough to be an inside force for a team in need of a powerful center. Andris Biedrins, though effective during the short-lived Baron Davis era, is not the answer. This position has been a question mark for the Warriors for a while now, so do not be surprised if they split up a great backcourt for needed size. It may be the best option if the Dubs want to make the postsea­son. Then again, with the way this fran­chise has been run, the Warriors may just wallow in their own futility. Time will tell. Oklahoma City Thunder:

Lastly, and you may think strangely, on this list is the Superson… the Thunder. Maybe OKC doesn’t belong here as they are in first place in their division at 28- 15, but I believe they do. Their play has been very strong lately, with wins against Orlando and Dallas and close road losses to the Lakers and Nuggets. However, they have not yet reached the point of domi­nance that I think they can achieve with one more guy added into the mix. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are un­doubtedly the future of this team, as their combined 50 points a game has shown, but the supporting cast is not quite good enough to bring the Thunder all the way to elite status.

The key to the current and future success of this team rests in the hands of GM Sam Presti. If he can figure out how to get a big man other than Nenad Krstic into the mix, the force of Durant, Westbrook and Big Man X would be hard to stop. It might be difficult find­ing a guy to fit this description, just as it will be for the Warriors, but maybe a Marcus Camby is all the Thunder need. A trade with Krstic and and Morris Pe­terson or James Harden might do the trick. Oklahoma City is a scary team for the future, but right now the Thun­der are just a team to be worried about. With a little maneuvering, OKC will take control of the West sooner rather than later. Plaut Out.