NBA: 15 Players Due for a Breakout Season in 2011-12

Yes I know, speculating the future of the NBA is about as risky as biting into a pizza roll hot out of the oven, with the lockout that continues to hold fans hostage dragging us all down, but I have little else on my mind in my quiet time besides basketball.

The NBA will probably go into a lockout, and I will likely make like Punxsutawney Phil and hide in fear until it comes back, but until we have word that there are without a doubt games going to be missed, I'm going to keep on trucking like this is just any other offseason--just with way less player movement.

Right now, I have to say the season is in jeopardy, but I truly believe that we will have a version of the 1999 season (when they played 50 games) at the very worst, as I think neither side wants to lose an entire season after the successful season that just happened.

So in optimistic hope of an NBA season coming out of the ashes of this summer, I'm going to continue to speculate about how teams are going to play and how players are going to perform in the coming season, starting with my predictions for the 15 biggest breakout players of the 2011-12 season.

15. Amir Johnson

I watched the cluster of power forwards in Toronto very closely this year, mostly because I love the fact that Reggie Evans is a threat to get 20 rebounds and not score a single point on any given night, and when he got injured, I was a bit depressed.

However, Amir Johnson stepped in to fill the role, starting 54 games for the Raptors at the four this year, and I was quite impressed with the way he played ball.

He was physical when he needed to be and not when he didn't, and he seems to have a good basketball head on his shoulders.  After a year of getting used to being a starter, Johnson should end up having a big step upward this season.

14. Marcus Thornton

Marcus Thornton has had stretches of games in his two-year career where he looks like he could turn into a very good player, but he just needs to hone his skills.

This season, when he was traded to the Sacramento Kings and turned into the leading scorer for the team in Tyreke Evans' absence, I was very impressed.  With very few bumps in the transition, Thornton took the team and led the offense with great poise.

A team may overpay for him in free agency, but I see him having a big improvement in production this season after teams have seen what he can do when he is a big part of the offense, which should mean that he will end up being involved more.

13. Jordan Crawford

After playing just 16 games for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging just a tick over four points a game, Jordan Crawford was traded to the Washington Wizards with Mike Bibby's decaying body. 

After joining the Wizards, he played 23 more minutes a game and made his impact known, scoring 16 points a game for the Wiz.

What is most impressive is his ability to fill a stat sheet, as when he is an integral part of the offense, he is a legitimate triple-double threat, notching the first of his career in April against the Cavaliers.

Another year of NBA experience and a full season of playing should make Crawford an even better player next season.

12. Paul George

Quite honestly, the only thing that I think could make me like Paul George even more is if it was revealed that his full name was Paul John Ringo George, otherwise I have completely fallen in love with him as a basketball player.

When he was drafted last season, draft experts were saying he could be a poor man's Tracy McGrady, a notion that I pooh-poohed quickly, and then he laced up his sneakers.

George is going to be a legitimate game-changer in the NBA, it's just a matter of when he puts his game together, which could be next season or could be five years from now. 

Either way, I see a large improvement from the eight points and four rebounds a game he put up this year.

11. Omri Casspi

When he was with the Sacramento Kings, Omri Casspi had to compete with Francisco Garcia, Donte Green and Marquis Daniels for minutes. 

I know that's not exactly like Lou Gehrig trying to break through with Wally Pipp in front of him, but his situation is a lot rosier in Cleveland.

With the Cavaliers, Casspi has to win a spot over Anthony Parker and Christian Eyenga, a much easier task when considering the fact that Parker is a free agent and Eyenga is still very much a work in progress.

Just for the mere fact that he should be playing more minutes, Casspi should end up improving by leaps and bounds.

10. DeMarcus Cousins

When looked at as a whole, DeMarcus Cousins had quite a good rookie campaign, if you take away the bumps along the way where he would fight a teammate or stupidly foul out. 

However, Cousins' season can't be dissected when looking just at his overall numbers.

He had stretches of games where he was just brilliant and would score 20 points and grab 15 rebounds, and then there were valleys where he would just completely bottom out and go for six and three.

I think he will smooth out his game this year and get rid of those valleys that plagued him so much last season.

9. Derrick Favors

I wasn't the biggest fan of Derrick Favors coming out of college last season and I still am not (I would have taken a chance with Cousins over Favors if I had my GM pants on), but I do think he is going to get better.

He is going to be playing more minutes with just Paul Millsap in front of him, and he should end up doing better with the time that he is given.

8. Omer Asik

The measly 2.8 points that Omer Asik put up last season do nothing to reflect the impact that he had on the game.

He was buried on the depth chart, playing behind Joakim Noah and Kurt Thomas, and even Carlos Boozer who was occasionally thrown in at center, but with the productivity that he showed in his rookie season, it would be foolish to think that he won't be higher up on the depth chart this season.

He should go from playing 12 minutes a game to around 20 and just bruise the opposition for six-minute stretches at a time.

7. Rudy Fernandez

Rudy Fernandez was stuck on a team that just didn't play the style of basketball that will help him be the most productive player he can be.

He was forced to be a part of a Blazers team where every player must do their part in moving the ball and creating for his teammate, and on Dallas, he shouldn't have to do much creation.

Fernandez should thrive on the ball-moving Mavericks and should find himself with open looks quite often in the corner of the floor.

6. Marcin Gortat

Realistically, there are only four or five centers in the NBA who can be considered top-tier centers; Dwight Howard, Andrew Bogut, Nene, Al Horford and maybe Joakim Noah (LaMarcus Aldridge if he continues to play center could get there).

Of the other centers in the NBA, Al Jefferson doesn't play enough defense, and Kendrick Perkins and Andrew Bynum aren't healthy enough (and Perk doesn't score). 

Otherwise there are two or three guys who could threaten to be a top-tier center: Marc Gasol, Roy Hibbert and Marcin Gortat.

Gortat is a physical player who can rebound and score, and a full season with the chance to start every game could give him a bump up into the next level.

5. Roy Hibbert

I have heard a lot of people who don't think Roy Hibbert is going to get much better and believe that the Pacers should trade him.

However, when you have a seven-footer who plays physical basketball who has only shown improvement in his years in the NBA, why would you trade this man?

Hibbert should continue to rise and could become one of the better centers in the league within the next few years.

4. DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan is most likely going to end up with a rather large contract from the Los Angeles Clippers, and it will be based more on what they think he is capable of rather than what he has done.

He is a seven-footer who can score the rock and has steadily improved every aspect of his game, which is a trend that should continue into next season.

3. Marc Gasol

Quite honestly, this one is a no-brainer.

Marc Gasol went from being Pau's little brother to a legitimate threat to being a dominant center in the NBA in the span of about two weeks.

After the Grizzlies beat the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs and nearly upset the Thunder in the next round, it was done for me.  I now had a full-on man-crush on Marc Gasol.

His breakout performance was key in the playoffs, and he should easily continue into next season.

2. John Wall

John Wall had a great rookie season last year, but was largely overshadowed by the hype-machine that was Blake Griffin's rookie year (it was all deserved hype by the way, I'm not trying to put the guy down).

However, with a year of NBA-style basketball under his belt and the prospect of being healthy the whole season, Wall should end up working his way into a conversation as one of the better point guards in the league.

1. Evan Turner

In last year's draft, after John Wall not much was certain, but what was certain was that the Philadelphia 76ers taking Evan Turner could end up giving them a very good player.  That's why when he struggled out of the gate, many people became concerned.

As the year rolled along, Turner started to get into the flow of the NBA game more easily and his shots started falling, which should be something that rolls over to next season.

The biggest thing that could be a boon to Turner is the possible departure of Andre Iguodala.  While Turner played most of his minutes at the two spot and Iguodala at the three, they still have similar roles that will give Turner way more minutes if Iguodala is on the way out.