Orlando Magic
1 Alarming trend: The injuries are piling up
It was one thing for the Orlando Magic to have to survive a few weeks without Paolo Banchero in the lineup but now having to also figure out a way to remain afloat in the Eastern Conference standings without Franz Wagner may be out of the realm of possibilities. That's exactly where the Magic find themselves and why they should be concerned.
The injuries are beginning to pile up for the Magic and if they're not careful, this could end up evolving into a potential lost season for the franchise. Considering how improved the team looked to start out the year, that would be a big disappointment if things did break that way during the second half of this season.
Philadelphia 76ers
1 Alarming trend: Joel Embiid's deteriorating health
This season has been everything but what the Philadelphia 76ers expected it would be. The Sixers have not made the jump to contention in the Eastern Conference and have been battling injury issues all season long. If there's one alarming concern that stands out the most, it almost certainly has to be the deteriorating health of Joel Embiid.
At this point, it's hard not to be concerned about Embiid. So far this season, if it hasn't been one thing it's been another - in a long string of bad or unfortunate luck. It's hard to believe that Embiid has only played in six games this season for the Sixers. Overall, the team is 7-16 and has the fourth-worst record in the East standings.
Phoenix Suns
1 Alarming trend: The struggles without KD
The Phoenix Suns have a very big problem on their hands. When they are healthy, they have to potential to compete with any team in the league. However, when they're not, they don't have the necessary depth to remain afloat in the conference. That's not ideal considering their best player is starting to find himself on the wrong side of injury concerns.
As Father Time begins to bear down on Kevin Durant, we're seeing the biggest signs of it on the injury front. Through the first third of the season, KD has already been hit by the injury bug a couple of times. At this point, it would be foolish to believe that this is not something he's going to battle all season long. If that does end up being the case, it's almost impossible to envision the Suns being consistent enough to make a deep playoff run or put themselves in a position to.