We’re a few month into the NBA season, and whereas the damage bug has bitten almost each group in a technique or one other, there are different worries which might be value … nicely, worrying about.
The Athletic requested its NBA employees for every group’s largest concern at this level. The responses coated the total spectrum, from free-throw capturing and poor depth to well-known names not but producing on the ranges we’ve come to anticipate lately. (Stats and data are via Wednesday’s video games.)
Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics
Rim safety: It is a contemporary concern. It is perhaps a short-term one because the Celtics ranked close to the league leaders in rim safety final season and will quickly welcome again 7-foot-2 shot blocker Kristaps Porziņģis. However Boston has been gashed for layups and dunks just lately, particularly in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks and an all-too-close win in opposition to the Toronto Raptors. Joe Mazzulla stated his group wants to enhance its particular person protection and rebounding. The Celtics may simply be struggling signs of a light championship hangover. — Jay King
Brooklyn Nets
Nic Claxton’s again subject: The Nets obtained off to a surprisingly stable begin, whilst Claxton slowly labored his means into the rotation after a preseason hamstring damage. However now he’s out once more with a lingering again pressure. The group desires to construct an identification whereas the entrance workplace ideally desires to get the highest choose within the draft. They’re attaining each in the mean time, and there’s a lot to be enthusiastic about if Cam Thomas is making a leap. However Claxton is among the Nets’ cornerstones, and so they want him to remain wholesome and hold bettering if this rebuild goes anyplace down the highway. — Jared Weiss
New York Knicks
Lack of free throws: I may go together with the protection right here, however I believe that’ll enhance with extra time and the eventual return of Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks rank twenty ninth within the NBA in free-throw makes an attempt per recreation (19.1). For a group that shoots lots of 2-pointers — effectively, I ought to add — and has a head coach who emphasizes capturing 3s, attending to the rim and free-throw makes an attempt, it’s a bit regarding New York doesn’t go to the charity stripe extra. Mikal Bridges has solely taken 11 free throws this season, regardless of the vast majority of his shot makes an attempt coming from contained in the arc. — James L. Edwards III
Philadelphia 76ers
Can they get wholesome and on the identical web page?: The Sixers are caught in a spiral that appears inescapable in the mean time. Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey shared the ground collectively for the primary time Wednesday, a recreation that George left early due to an damage to the identical knee he harm within the preseason. Their solely two wins got here in time beyond regulation, so they’re a couple of bounces away from being utterly winless. They’re already on the group assembly stage of the season. The supporting solid has struggled to shoot and rebound. There merely has not been the spark to beat adversity that defines a season. — Jared Weiss
GO DEEPER
‘Appears like negativity retains following me’: Joel Embiid on Sixers’ group assembly, criticisms
Toronto Raptors
No likelihood to construct chemistry: RJ Barrett had an AC joint damage. Pelvic and elbow accidents have stored Immanuel Quickley to 2 and a half video games. Scottie Barnes suffered an orbital bone fracture early within the second week of the season. The Raptors schedule was all the time going to be powerful to start out the 12 months. Nevertheless, the presumptive beginning lineup, which additionally options Jakob Poeltl and rising sophomore Gradey Dick, has performed zero minutes. Even in case you are rebuilding, you need your core items to get huge minutes in opposition to good groups. The Raptors are lacking out on that chance. — Eric Koreen
Central Division
Chicago Bulls
Workforce protection: After buying and selling Alex Caruso this offseason, the Bulls knew their protection would undergo, however Chicago is on the cusp of rating among the many bottom-three groups in protection. And not using a single elite defender, and absent acceptable dimension, Chicago is aware of its fortunes can be troublesome to alter. The Bulls try to beat their defensive limitations by taking part in quicker and launching extra 3-pointers. However they’ve compounded their points with turnovers and chilly capturing nights. — Darnell Mayberry
Cleveland Cavaliers
How about … none?: Critically, they deserve this second. Only some groups have carried out what the Cavs did — win their first 15 video games — and traditionally talking, these groups wound up within the NBA Finals. It’s OK to say this group has no obvious issues. Take a bow. When you insist, there are some points to control, like wing depth (the Cavs have a bunch of them, however will they maintain up within the playoffs?), defensive rebounding and serviceable bigs off the bench. We simply can’t, with a straight face, name any of these things issues proper now. — Joe Vardon
Detroit Pistons
Turnovers: The Pistons entered Thursday tied with the Bulls for Twentieth within the NBA in turnovers per recreation. Cade Cunningham is Detroit’s main ballhandler and fourth within the league in assists per recreation, however he leads the NBA in complete turnovers. Turnovers are to be anticipated with a group this younger, however Cunningham is the pinnacle of the snake. As soon as he and the Pistons worth the basketball on every possession, there ought to be fewer shut video games that hold Detroit followers on the sting of their seats. — Hunter Patterson
Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton: My man can’t shoot proper now. Haliburton is making simply 37.5 % of his photographs total and is chucking it at an abysmal 28.4 % from 3-point vary. These are each, simply, profession lows, and for what it’s value, his 82 % capturing on the foul line is also a profession worst. The Pacers have higher gamers and extra depth, and Haliburton’s capability to push the tempo and discover the open man are nonetheless paramount (his assists are down too). However for the Pacers to be good, he has to play at his regular All-Star stage. — Joe Vardon
Tyrese Haliburton has struggled capturing within the first month of the season. (Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn Photographs)
Milwaukee Bucks
Khris Middleton’s well being: Throughout coaching camp, Middleton informed The Athletic that he wanted to play in at the least 70 video games to contemplate this a profitable season for himself. The Bucks are 15 video games via their schedule and he has nonetheless not felt assured sufficient to get on the ground for five-on-five actions. The Bucks have rebounded nicely from their 2-8 begin by profitable 4 of their previous 5 video games, however it will likely be troublesome to compete for a championship and not using a wholesome Middleton. — Eric Nehm
Southeast Division
Atlanta Hawks
Trae Younger: You possibly can nitpick about Atlanta’s protection or the capturing on the wings or the backup level guard state of affairs, however none of that issues if Younger isn’t taking part in at an All-Star stage. And whereas he’s main the league in assists, he’s additionally struggled mightily to attain, capturing simply 38 % on the season and failing to get off a shot in two last-shot conditions that each resulted in Hawks losses. Whereas Younger traditionally has been a gradual starter, his Achilles tendinitis to start the season provides to the priority stage this time round. — John Hollinger
Charlotte Hornets
When will Mark Williams play once more?: The Hornets are reaching an anniversary they don’t need: Dec. 8 will mark a 12 months since Williams final performed in a recreation. The fifteenth choose within the 2022 draft has performed in simply 62 video games in his profession. He missed most of final season with a again damage. This 12 months, it’s been a left foot subject. Williams has been productive when he has performed and could possibly be a key piece for Charlotte in its rebuild, however the Hornets have to see him again on the ground to know that. — Mike Vorkunov
Miami Warmth
Terry Rozier’s begin: After their failed pursuit of Damian Lillard in the summertime of 2023, Miami’s huge transfer to bolster its backcourt was buying and selling Kyle Lowry and a lottery-protected 2027 first-round choose to Charlotte for Terry Rozier. The 30-year-old obtained off to a good begin after his arrival in South Seashore, however he missed the 2024 playoffs because of a neck damage, and he’s off to a tough begin this season because the Warmth have stumbled to a 6-7 mark. Rozier’s averaging 12.9 factors and three.7 assists on 38 % capturing. Miami must be extra explosive on offense to compete with groups reminiscent of Boston and Cleveland on the high of the Jap Convention. Rozier has to play a key function within the offense taking one other step. — Will Guillory
Orlando Magic
3-point capturing: Orlando has carried out an admirable job overcoming the absence of injured star Paolo Banchero. However the group nonetheless struggles to attain within the half court docket and struggles to hit long-range photographs. The Magic rank final in 3-point capturing proportion, making solely 30.5 % of their makes an attempt. They continue to be aggressive due to their excellent protection, teaching, cohesiveness and home-court benefit. They’ve lots of positives going for them. However as their capturing woes in final 12 months’s playoffs demonstrated, their incapability to transform from past the arc is an Achilles heel. — Josh Robbins
Washington Wizards
Can they hold gamers engaged?: Nonetheless early of their rebuild, the Wizards want to complete at or close to the underside of the NBA standings to boost their 2025 draft lottery possibilities. It sounds ghoulish to say, however they’re heading in the right direction with a 2-11 file. That stated, for any group, shedding lots of video games (and by vast margins too) could cause collateral harm, particularly to veteran gamers who develop impatient with shedding and probably with younger gamers who may fall into unhealthy habits. Can coach Brian Keefe and the group leaders hold Washington’s older gamers constructive and the younger gamers on the best developmental monitor? — Josh Robbins
Northwest Division
Denver Nuggets
Similar music: The Nuggets are going to win 50 video games and be related come playoff time. However can they recover from the hump this season? Have they got the standard depth to outlive when all-everything Nikola Jokić isn’t on the ground? That’s what terminated their playoff run final season. Can it’s completely different this time round? — Tony Jones
GO DEEPER
With out Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets have appeared alarmingly helpless
Minnesota Timberwolves
Protection: The Timberwolves had the perfect protection within the NBA by a rustic mile final season, using all of it the best way to the Western Convention finals. Rudy Gobert was Defensive Participant of the Yr and flanked by a trio of the perfect perimeter defenders within the league in Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Anthony Edwards. Of these 4 gamers, solely Alexander-Walker has resembled what he was final season. Gobert has stated he isn’t taking part in as much as his requirements on the rim, McDaniels hasn’t been anyplace near the disrupter on the perimeter and Edwards has usually appeared inattentive and unfocused on that finish. If the Wolves are going to beat a sluggish begin, these three guys must get their defensive enamel again. — Jon Krawczynski
Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder
Alex Caruso’s capturing: Caruso scored a season-high 17 factors throughout the current win over the Path Blazers. The Thunder are hoping that development continues. For all of the speak of the Caruso-for-Josh Giddey swap in Oklahoma Metropolis, neither facet is seeing dividends but. Giddey has struggled main the Bulls offense and Caruso can’t discover the online from past the 3-point arc, capturing simply 21 % from deep. And worse, defenders are straying all the best way off him when he traces the perimeter. Caruso made greater than 40 % of his 3s in Chicago a season in the past. If he continues to overlook at this charge, he may grow to be ill-fitting on a roster with capturing in all places. But when he begins to appear like himself once more, at a naked minimal hitting open jumpers, the Thunder are in a greater place. — Fred Katz
Alex Caruso places up a jumper in opposition to the Hawks final month. (Joshua Gateley / Getty Photographs)
Portland Path Blazers
Deni Avdija’s shot: The Blazers huge offseason acquisition is off to a flat capturing begin, which performed a component in him shedding his beginning job 10 video games into the season. After making a career-best 37.4 % of his 3-pointers final season in Washington, Avdija has made solely 13 of fifty in Portland (26 %). With Shaedon Sharpe flourishing now that he’s again from damage, Avdija’s minutes even have dipped barely. He has supplied worth along with his smarts, protection and passing, however when the Blazers gave up two first-round picks, two second-round picks and Malcolm Brogdon, they thought they had been additionally getting a shooter on the rise. And possibly that’s coming: Avdija within the final 4 video games has made almost half (7 of 15) of his 3-pointers. — Jason Fast
Utah Jazz
Will Hardy: The Jazz coach is so good at his job that, one way or the other, he nonetheless has a zombie roster aggressive sufficient to solely have the fourth-worst file within the league. It bodes nicely for when the Jazz have sufficient expertise to win that Hardy will maximize that expertise. He’s an exceptional coach. However proper now, the Utah entrance workplace wants about three extra losses than the Jazz presently have. — Tony Jones
Southwest Division
Dallas Mavericks
Crunchtime conundrum: Who knew having too many closers could possibly be this clunky? Whereas the Luka Dončić-Kyrie Irving-Klay Thompson trio has principally labored nicely, it’s nonetheless fairly stunning to see these Mavs drop so many shut video games with all these elite shot-makers on the payroll. Six of their seven losses have been by seven factors or fewer, together with a stretch of 4 in a row (in opposition to Phoenix, Denver, Golden State and Utah) through which they misplaced by a mixed eight factors. Whereas that’s counterintuitive, to make certain, it’s additionally a reminder there’s just one ball and their late-game chemistry must come over time. That course of can be slowed a bit with Dončić sidelined for at the least every week because of a wrist damage. The numbers, nonetheless, point out Dallas has been higher than its file. — Sam Amick
Houston Rockets
Murky offensive identification: There aren’t many issues with an 11-5 Rockets group inside hanging distance of first place within the West, however Houston’s lack of an offensive hierarchy is puzzling. The Rockets wish to management the glass, run the ground in transition and defend aggressively with out fouling, however the absence of a real pecking order rears its head on the flawed instances, particularly in crunchtime. 4 of their 5 losses have come within the clutch when their tempo and ball motion grinds to a halt. It’s exhausting to be a pace-and-space unit whenever you’re fifteenth in tempo and twenty seventh in 3s made per recreation, and people points could possibly be fastened with a defined construction. — Kelly Iko
Memphis Grizzlies
Well being: The Grizzlies’ depth has vastly improved from a 12 months in the past, enabling Memphis to outlive — and even thrive at instances — and not using a full complement of gamers. That stated, the core trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. has performed precisely one recreation collectively, with Morant’s most up-to-date hip damage once more elevating the query of simply how usually the Grizzlies can unite their three stars. Morant solely performed 9 video games a 12 months in the past and simply eight to date this 12 months, whereas Bane has performed 58 and 42 the previous two campaigns and solely seven to date this season. — John Hollinger
New Orleans Pelicans
Is it too late to make noise?: The Pelicans are going via an unprecedented stretch of unhealthy damage luck that’s left the roster decimated the previous few weeks. After beginning the season 2-0, New Orleans solely has two wins in its final 14 video games. There can be a couple of key items getting again on the court docket within the subsequent two weeks. There’s a superb likelihood CJ McCollum, Jordan Hawkins and Herb Jones will all be again within the lineup earlier than the top of November. The Pelicans could begin turning issues round very quickly. However the West is so extremely deep that it may not matter. That is the flawed season to be taking part in catch-up. — Will Guillory
GO DEEPER
Pelicans coach Willie Inexperienced faces crossroads as injured stars close to their return
San Antonio Spurs
Lack of ball penetration: Almost half of Victor Wembanyama’s photographs are coming from the perimeter, up from simply 30 % as a rookie. The Spurs hoist the ninth-most 3s within the league, however to enhance on their Twentieth-ranked offense, they’ll have to diversify their method. A few of it’s circumstantial: Rookie Stephon Fort, a bodily downhill risk, continues to be studying; Tre Jones and Devin Vassell, San Antonio’s most frequent drivers final season, have solely just lately returned from damage; and Jeremy Sochan, who was fourth, has been sidelined since early November. Perhaps reserve Keldon Johnson, who leads the best way with 6.6 drives per recreation, will get extra minutes, nevertheless it begins and ends with Wembanyama. The Frenchman must set the tone. — Kelly Iko
Victor Wembanyama is capturing almost 34 % from 3 this season. (Daniel Dunn / Imagn Photographs)
Pacific Division
Golden State Warriors
Free-throw capturing: The final time an NBA group shot beneath 70 % from the road for a season was 5 seasons in the past when the Knicks did it. The final time a group with a profitable file did it was 9 seasons in the past, when the Pistons did it. The 11-3 Warriors have made solely 69.5 % of their free throws. Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Inexperienced, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Brandin Podziemski and Kevon Looney are all struggling from the road to various levels. They went 9 of 19 collectively in a three-point loss to the Clippers just lately. In a convention the place the standings margins are anticipated to be slim, a couple of free-throw-related losses within the center months could possibly be the distinction between a number of seeding slots — the third to the seventh, for instance — come April. — Anthony Slater
LA Clippers
Turnovers: One of many causes the Clippers are hovering round .500 is as a result of they donate possessions like a pink kettle is on the ground. Solely the Path Blazers and Jazz common extra turnovers per recreation. And it’s the flawed sort of turnovers, as opponents steal the ball from the Clippers greater than another group. The Clippers could be higher than league common on offense in the event that they take higher care of the ball, particularly in fourth quarters. — Regulation Murray
Los Angeles Lakers
Depth: The Lakers’ depth was a priority coming into the season, and it has grown extra problematic since coaching camp. Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wooden have but to return from offseason surgical procedures. Jaxson Hayes is out with an ankle damage. Anthony Davis is battling plantar fasciitis, an damage that has bothered him since final season. Gabe Vincent and Max Christie have underperformed preseason expectations. Los Angeles is profitable sufficient to remain aggressive within the West, nevertheless it’s largely been due to manufacturing from the starters and D’Angelo Russell. Long term, the Lakers have to get wholesome and/or enhance their roster through commerce(s). — Jovan Buha
GO DEEPER
Dalton Knecht is on fireplace — and so are the Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Staying wholesome: Via 9 video games, Phoenix appeared nice. Then misfortune hit. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal suffered calf strains, and a group that opened 8-1 dropped six of seven. Fully wholesome, this group appeared like a title contender. Durant performed like an MVP candidate. Beal excelled in his function. A rebuilt bench contributed. Nevertheless it’s not even Thanksgiving, and the Phoenix damage report has grow to be a primary storyline. The excellent news: The Suns confirmed what was potential. They weren’t excellent, however they’d one thing stable from which to construct. The unhealthy: Because the league’s second-oldest group at 28.26 years, per NBA.com, the well being issue could not go away. — Doug Haller
Sacramento Kings
Star workload: De’Aaron Fox is averaging 37.4 minutes per recreation. Keegan Murray is at 36.7. Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan are each at 36.5. That provides the Kings’ 4 out of the NBA’s high 14 gamers in minutes per recreation. That’s a ton to ask over the course of an 82-game marathon, particularly with Sabonis (in his ninth season) and DeRozan (in his seventeenth season) already lacking time because of again accidents. However that’s the difficulty for the Kings, who’ve injured bench gamers (Malik Monk, rookie Devin Carter), questionable depth and a voracious starvation from Mike Brown and the group to wrestle away each potential regular-season win to keep away from the Play-In Event. Fox, Murray, Sabonis and DeRozan have been very sturdy gamers traditionally. That can be examined. — Anthony Slater
Signal as much as get The Bounce, the important NBA publication from Zach Harper and The Athletic employees, delivered free to your inbox.
(Prime photograph of Paul George and Joel Embiid: Invoice Streicher / Imagn Photographs)