NBA Surprise Players: Top Underdogs For Each Team in 2009-10

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Delonte West was a key part of the Cavaliers success during the 2008-09 season, and that should continue heading into this upcoming year.

With the addition of Shaquille O'Neal, West will see much more open looks from the outside and should drastically improve his 39.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc. West may not see his scoring numbers increase dramatically, but having the big fella down low is certainly going to free him up for more open looks and his 11.7 PPG from last year could sneak up to somewhere around 13 or 14.

Dallas Mavericks: Ryan Hollins, C

Dallas continues to baffle me year after year by continuing to start Eric Dampier at the center spot. Last year the Mavericks acquired Ryan Hollins from the Bobcats, and started him for two games. In those two games, Hollins averaged 8.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.0 BPG.

With Dampier not getting any younger and Hollins being the only other center on the Mavericks roster, it only makes sense that Hollins should see an increase in playing time in 2009-10. If he does, then he should see some increased production. Not necessarily great production, but certainly better than his 2008-09 averages of 2.9 PPG and 2.3 RPG would suggest.

Of course, if Dallas signs free agent Rasheed Wallace, then this prediction goes down the drain.

Denver Nuggets: J.R. Smith, G/F

J.R. Smith had the best statistical season of his career last year. So, how could he surprise anyone this year? Well, allow me to explain.

Smith has always been a dangerous, yet somewhat of an erratic scorer, which has led to him staying on George Karl's bench for the vast majority of his time in Denver. However, in a June 16th interview with the Denver Post, Karl said that Smith would likely start in 2009-10, and also gave very high praises to Smith, saying "J.R., we know that we've got to put up with some of his craziness and wildness, but the more he becomes team-efficient, the better he'll become as an all-star type player."

No, that's not a typo. Karl referred to Smith as an All-Star type player. Smith is in line not only for a big boost in minutes, but a big boost in stats as well. He may not jump right into the All-Star mix next season, but he'll certainly be one of the league's more dangerous scoring threats, and add another dimension to Denver's already solid starting lineup.

Detroit Pistons: Kwame Brown, F/C

During the 2008-09 season, the Detroit Pistons had a very deep front court with the likes of Rasheed Wallace, Amir Johnson, Antonio McDyess, Kwame Brown and Jason Maxiell. However, now that the first three names on that list are no longer with the team, Detroit has a gaping hole at both power forward and center.

Assuming they pursue one free agent big man this summer, whichever of the two players listed above is able to keep a starting spot should earn a significant boost in production.

With Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur both "opting in" for the final year of their contracts, the free agent market for front court players is fairly thin, with Charlie Villanueva and Zaza Pachulia headlining. The Detroit News has reported that the team is expected to pursue Villanueva, which means that he will likely be their new starting power forward, since the Pistons are one of few teams this offseason that have a great deal of cap room.

If this happens, then Kwame Brown will more than likely start next to Villanueva and - while I hate to call the biggest bust in draft history a potential breakout candidate - Brown looks to be in line to put up some pretty good numbers. Even in 30 games as a starter last season Brown had to share time in a crowded front court, but when given extensive action (27+ minutes), he produced solid averages of 10.0 PPG and 8.4 RPG. With a very thin front court this year, Brown will be asked to play big minutes and should put up some similar numbers consistently all year long.

Golden State Warriors: Anthony Randolph, F

This was a very tough call, since trying to predict what Don Nelson would do is completely impossible. However, Randolph's late-season success last year and thin competition at power forward made him my choice.

In the month of April, Randolph posted averages of 15.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG and 1.5 SPG in 32.3 MPG, including an April 1st game in which he posted 17 points and 10 rebounds in only 19 minutes of action.

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