LA Clippers
1 Concerning trend: Kawhi Leonard still isn't back
The LA Clippers' slow start to the season is anything but surprising. Considering the fact that Kawhi Leonard has been sidelined since the start of the season, it would've been foolish to expect anything but a difficult start to the year for the Clippers. Without Kawhi, the trio of James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac has gotten off to a great start to the season as the Clippers have attempted to remain afloat in the Western Conference. However, once concerning development for the Clippers this early in the season is the fact that Kawhi still isn't back and there's no guarantee he will be anytime soon.
The fact that there's not even a timeline of when we could expect Kawhi back in the lineup is not a good sign for him or the Clippers. Even when Kawhi does return, he's battled durability all throughout his tenure in LA. In short, it's hard to be encouraged about where the Clippers find themselves in the situation that Kawhi is in. I'm not sure how the Clippers should proceed forward but there's no question that they have some big decisions to make over the next couple of months.
Los Angeles Lakers
1 Concerning trend: The lack of depth
From an outside perspective, it's hard to be disappointed with how the Los Angeles Lakers have begun the season. With how badly they've begun each of the last two years, it is encouraging to see the Lakers with some confidence early on. You'd have to believe that the impact of new head coach J.J. Redick is already making a difference. However, despite the excellent play of Anthony Davis to begin the year, the team should be extremely concerned about their lack of depth. Specifically, the Lakers have one of the least productive benches in the NBA.
In terms of scoring, the Lakers' bench ranks dead last in the league heading into Saturday night's action. The fast start is great and all but if the Lakers are going to seriously compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference this season, their bench has to be better - especially considering it would be insane for the team to lean so heavily on AD and LeBron James for the course of an entire regular season and playoffs.