Miami Heat
1 Alarming trend: The Jimmy Butler trade whispers
It hasn't been a banner year for the Miami Heat and this continues to look like a team that even if they make the playoffs, is going to leave much to be desired in the way of emerging as a potential dark horse contender. The biggest growing concern for the team revolves around the continued trade whispers centered around Jimmy Butler.
Jimmy and his agent could push back on the narrative all they want but the fact that the whispers are loud at this point, it's hard to ignore the issues. There's a very real chance that Jimmy is playing his final season in a Heat uniform. And if that does end up being the case, it's going to lead to an unknown future for the team.
Milwaukee Bucks
1 Alarming trend: Khris Middleton's slow return
The Milwaukee Bucks have looked improved over the last few weeks. They are beginning to look more and more like a potential dark horse in the Eastern Conference, having won 12 of their last 15 games. However, if there is one growing concern for the team, it has to revolve around how Khris Middleton has looked since making his regular-season debut.
Middleton has played in four games but has had a delayed impact on the team. Even though there was an expectation that he was going to need time after offseason surgery on both his ankles, I'm not exactly all that confident in how he's looked so far this season. There are some natural concerns about whether he'll be able to work his way back to All-Star form. And for the Bucks to compete with the likes of the other contenders in the East, he almost certainly has to get to back form.
Minnesota Timberwolves
1 Alarming trend: The slight fall from contention
When the Minnesota Timberwolves announced themselves as having arrived as a contender to the rest of the league with their play last season, there were many who had penciled them in as a potential championship favorite before this season. However, it's been anything but a smooth start for the team to begin the year.
Part of that could be attributed to the trade for Julius Randle (in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns) just before the start of the season and part of that could be the team regressing to the mean a bit. Either way, it's far from an ideal circumstance for the franchise as they explore ways to improve the roster moving forward.