NBA Stats Notebook: 5 players who could break into the All-Rookie race

The most important word in NBA All-Star break might actually be"break."

For one week, the entire league recalibrates itself for the homestretch of the regular season and catches up on the aches, painsand more significant injuries that stem from competing hard everysingle day. Rookies can also breathe after being thrown into thefires of their first year as a pro.

Young talent can thrive coming out of the break. Bottom-feedingteams are ready to turn minutes over to those with less experienceand more upside after the trade deadline. Contenders have a betterunderstanding of how rookies could slot into a playoff-seekingrotation. And regardless of the ethics, a stellar final impressioncan heavily impact All-Rookie narratives.

So who might surprise us with a strong close to the season?