Brooklyn Nets
1 Concerning trend: The Ben Simmons ship has sailed
Let's get something out of the way early. Not much was expected from the Brooklyn Nets to begin the season. However, if there was any chance that the Nets could emerge as a somewhat surprising force in the Eastern Conference, much of that revolved around the idea that Ben Simmons could be the surprise of the league. Through the first few games of the season, it's pretty safe to assume that isn't happening. For the lack of a better phrase, the Simmons ship has sailed. At this point, in the final year of his contract with the team, it's safe to say he's "done."
And for the Nets, it doesn't complicate some of their business. The Nets aren't likely going to be able to trade Simmons before the NBA Trade Deadline and will likely just let his contract expire without getting something in exchange. Considering the original deal in which the Nets landed Simmons, that hasn't been considered a huge loss for the team overall. The entire Simmons story is quite an unfortunate one. You'd hope it doesn't all end with the Nets but at this point, that can't be completely out of the question.
Charlotte Hornets
1 Concerning trend: Miles Bridges has regressed
It's been a far from ideal start to the season for the Charlotte Hornets but there are certainly some encouraging signs for the team heading into the future. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is also a discouraging trend that has begun to develop for the Hornets through the first few games of the regular season. That revolves around the theoretical step-back that Miles Bridges may have taken in his game. Through the first two weeks of the regular season, Bridges' numbers and production are down across the board.
For the Hornets' sake, who just gifted Bridges a brand new contract during the offseason, the hope is that this is just a slow start for Bridges. And it will be interesting to see if he's able to break out of this slump over the next few months. But with Brandon Miller currently out due to injury, the Hornets have needed Bridges to step up in his absence. So far, that hasn't exactly happened. The Hornets clearly value what Bridges can bring to the table. So far this season, he hasn't managed to live up to those expectations.