New Orleans Pelicans
1 Concerning trend: The injury bug stings hard
On paper, the New Orleans Pelicans had one of the most talented rosters in the Western Conference. I'm not sure they had the top-tier talent to compete with the other championship contenders but they have talented players all over the floor. Unfortunately, the injury bug has hit the team hard to begin the year, and it's the one concerning trend that the Pelicans have to be extremely worried about. It's been two weeks of the regular season and the Pelicans are already hurting hard. Four of the Pelicans' top six rotation players are on the mend due to injury.
It's hard to imagine how the Pelicans are going to be able to take these hits while also remaining afloat in the Western Conference. What else could New Orleans do other than accept these bumps along the way? That's right. There's not much the Pelicans can actively do to solve their early-season injury issues but at the same time, that doesn't mean this isn't worrisome for the team moving forward.
New York Knicks
1 Concerning trend: The backup center position
The New York Knicks were humbled on opening night but since then, they have certainly looked the part of a legit championship contender. Aside from their opening night loss, the only other blemish on their schedule was a loss against the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers. Not too shabby. Things haven't been perfect for the Knicks to start the season but they're looking more and more comfortable with each other. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns look like excellent fits and they're beginning to hit their strides.
If there's one area of concern for the team, it's more than likely at the backup center position. With Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson still out with injury, there's not a clear backup to KAT. And with his injury history, this is probably a concern the Knicks should have more urgency about before their depth completely blows up in their face. New York should be fine in the long run, but finding the answer at the backup center position will go a long way in solidifying this team's championship aspirations.