Philadelphia 76ers
1 Concerning trend: Uncertainty revolving around Joel Embiid
It's been quite the start to the season for the Philadelphia 76ers. They're off to a 1-4 start to the season and Joel Embiid nor Paul George have yet to make their regular season debut for the team. The good news is that it appears their two stars are close to returning to the lineup for the Sixers. When that does eventually happen, which is probably going to take place this week, the Sixers are going to have plenty of ground to make up in the Eastern Conference standings. One concerning trend that has emerged for the team thus far is the continued uncertainty of Embiid moving forward.
The fact that Embiid wasn't ready for the start of training camp or even the regular season is certainly concerning. He and his team had all offseason long to set a plan for recovery and it clearly didn't work out. I don't know all the specifics so I don't want to criticize Embiid all that much, but his continued uncertainty regarding his availability moving forward has to be a potential issue for the Sixers as they look to emerge as a championship contender this season.
Phoenix Suns
1 Concerning trend: Are the Suns deep enough?
Through the first few games of the season, the Phoenix Suns should find solace that their big 3 is finally beginning to click. They've each gotten off to a strong start to the season and the Suns are one of the hottest teams in the league at the moment, starting 5-1 through the first six games of the season. The offseason addition of Tyus Jones has paid dividends for the team and has allowed the likes of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to play more off-ball. These are two players that likely expended too much energy in trying to facilitate the offense. That is no longer needed with Jones on the floor.
One concerning trend for the Suns that could end up dooming their season revolves around whether they are deep enough to truly emerge as a championship contender this season. Right now, the answer to that question is complicated. The Suns don't have one player off the bench, aside from Royce O'Neale, that they probably feel strongly about. Even Grayson Allen, who had a standout year last season, has had an extremely slow start to the season. It's certainly one storyline to monitor for the team moving forward.