NBA: 3 early-season Western Conference trends to keep an eye on

Three NBA early-season Western Conference trends to keep a close eye on. 

One week into the 2021-22 NBA season and there are already plenty of storylines that should be followed closely over the next few weeks. There are early-season trends that are interesting, some expected and some not so expected.

Surprise teams have already begun to rise in both the Western and Eastern Conferences, and a few rookies have already made a mark on the young season. There have also been some contenders that have gotten off to a slow start, which brings about more questions heading into week 2 of the regular season.

Focusing on the Western Conference, we take a closer look at three early-season trends that should be kept a close eye on – each of these three trends have the potential to shape the 2021-22 season one way or another.