NBA Rumors: 1 Concerning early-season trend that could doom every team
Detroit Pistons
1 Concerning trend: The young core still hasn't blossomed
Heading into the start of this season, the biggest priority for the Detroit Pistons involved the team's young core taking a big step forward. While Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey have been strong to begin the year, those two players were never the concerns for the Pistons. Ivey is certainly an encouraging development, assuming he can continue to play at this level for the entire course of the year and the team always knew what they had in Cunningham. But aside from those two players, the rest of the team's young core has left much to be desired.
Jalen Duren appears to be a solid player but is far from a franchise-changer at this point in his career. Ron Holland is another player who the team believed in but has had a slow start to the season. Ausar Thompson is another young player with a bright future but he has yet to play in a game this season. The Pistons are off to a rough start at 1-5 and it's not like they've gained any further clarity on their future. As we get deeper into the regular season, the hope is that begins to change.
Golden State Warriors
1 Concerning trend: Jonathan Kuminga may be a liability
Considering the unpredictability of the team heading into the start of the season, it's safe to say that the Golden State Warriors are off to a great start. The fact that they've even managed to keep the train going with Steph Curry sidelined for a couple of games is an encouraging sign for the team moving forward. But if there's one concerning trend for the team moving forward, it's certainly Jonathan Kuminga and the potential dark cloud that his future could bring over the course of the next few months.
The early indications are that Kuminga may not be a great schematic fit for the Warriors and after not coming to a contract extension agreement before the start of the season, it's looking more and more like he could potentially be available for trade ahead of the deadline. But that's something the Warriors will have to figure out over the next couple of months. And if the team is not careful, there's a chance that Kuminga's entire situation could end up being a distraction to the team. Considering the solid start that the Warriors have gotten off to, that's the last thing they need.