We're officially past the halfway point of the NBA season, and now the pretenders will be separated from the contends as the second half begins. Most teams have now had over 40 games to develop chemistry and see where they stack up against some of the elite clubs, and with the trade deadline less than a month away, the landscape will change even more in the league as players are dealt.

Here are three teams that are poised to break out and stack up wins in the second half of the season:

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers (19-20) aren't in a playoff spot as they close in on their 40th game of the season Monday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day against the Toronto Raptors, but there's plenty of reason for optimism in the second half. Joel Embiid is starting to log heavy minutes again over the last four games, as he eases back into action from a devastating knee injury last year. Markelle Fultz, the top pick in last year's draft, is also nearing a return to action from a shoulder injury. He's appeared in just four games for the Sixers to this point, and although his unorthodox jumper is under scrutiny, he'll add depth to the backcourt down the stretch. It's been five years since this franchise made the playoffs, so expect general manager Bryan Colangelo - who has plenty of salary cap flexibility - to make a move to improve the young club, and appease the very patient fan base with a playoff appearance.

Los Angeles Lakers

Much like the Sixers, losing won't be tolerated much longer in Laker Land. Despite a disappointing 15-27 record to this point, Los Angeles has reeled off four straight wins heading into a showdown with the lowly Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. The Lakers finally seem to be heading in the right direction with rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma leading the way, and although there's plently of off-court drama with LaVar Ball in the background, it's actually diverting attention away from the on-court performance of the team. It'll be interesting to see if Los Angeles deals guard Jordan Clarkson prior to the deadline, and there's clearly a logjam at power forward with Julius Randle, Larry Nance and Kuzma all battling for playing time. Still, with the playoffs well out of reach already, the Lakers' young core will be able to play loosely with low expectations, and continue to develop in the second half. The rate at which this group develops could determine the quality of free agents the team attracts this summer (Paul George?). 

Oklahoma City Thunder

There isn't a more puzzling team in the NBA than the Thunder, who have been a first-half disappointment despite boasting three elite players - Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony - in their starting lineup. Oklahoma City (23-20) hovered around .500 for much of the first half as George and Anthony struggled to find ways to coexist with Westbrook. The trio are finally starting to develop chemistry, though, with George and Anthony ultimately accepting secondary roles behind the reigning league MVP. Westbrook and Co. are 3-1 against the top two teams in each conference, and yet are just 8-8 against likely lottery teams to this point. Oklahoma City previously beat down the Golden State Warriors by 17 points on Nov. 22, and took down the Houston Rockets, 112-107, on Christmas Day. Anthony and George can both elect to become free agents after this season, so Oklahoma City is championship, or bust, this year.