Philadelphia 76ers
1 Player who has been a disaster: Joel Embiid (health)
The NBA's regular season started nearly three weeks ago and Joel Embiid has still not made his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers. He didn't participate in training camp or the pre-season. After playing in the Olympics for Team France, that's certainly not a good look for Embiid. Nevertheless, that's the bed he's laid for himself. To add injury to insult, without Embiid, the Sixers have been a near disaster. At this point, the season needs saving. As Embiid prepares for a return, the pressure is even greater for the perennial MVP candidate.
Dating back to the start of training camp, the way both Embiid and the Sixers have handled his new "load management" plan has been pretty polarizing. It's one of the biggest reasons why there's been so much mystery around Embiid's availability so far this season. Had the team been more open about it, perhaps there's not this much heat coming at the front office and Embiid. Right now, the Sixers are not in a great place. Maybe winning cures all. But, at this point, that's far from a guarantee.
Phoenix Suns
1 Player who has been a disaster: Grayson Allen
The Phoenix Suns are off to an amazing start this season. They're tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the Western Conference and have the look of a team that is going to factor greatly in the postseason - if they can remain healthy. One concern the team may have revolves around their depth. At some point, you'd have to imagine that this team's bench is going to have to step up in a big way for them to make a deep run in the NBA Playoffs. One bench player who has taken a swift step back this season is Grayson Allen.
Considering he had the best season of his career last season in Phoenix, the way Allen has looked early on this year can't be described as anything other than a disaster. Allen is averaging eight points per game on 35 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from 3-point range. Playing a different role, Allen's numbers have taken a big hit. If the Suns are going to continue to play at this level over the course of the season, you'd have to imagine that's going to have to change.