NBA Predictions 2011: The Player on Every NBA Team Who Has Breakout Potential
Now that all but seven teams have been eliminated from contention for the NBA Title, most squads are looking forward to the next season when they'll have a chance to show off their new and improved players.
Every year, a whole new set of players emerges as major contributors in the world's premier basketball league and to be honest, it's pretty difficult to predict which ones will be the biggest emerging talents.
This season we saw the rise of Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose and many others. Who will be the ones that do the same next year?
Read on for each team's biggest breakout candidate.
Atlanta Hawks: Jeff Teague
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With Kirk Hinrich sidelined with an injury during the Atlanta Hawks' second-round series with the Chicago bulls, Jeff Teague has finally been given an opportunity to shine, and shine he has.
Over the course of the season, the rarely used point guard averaged just 5.2 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. But then he started playing during the playoffs. Look no further than his back-to-back 21-point games against Chicago for proof.
A score-first point guard, Teague may be the final piece to the puzzle the Atlanta Hawks have been trying to put together for quite some time.
Boston Celtics: Jeff Green
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The Boston Celtics are one of those teams where it's tough to find a true breakout candidate.
Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo are already quite established and none of them are going to break out. Other than that, the Celtics don't have too many people that contribute on a nightly basis.
Coming over from the Oklahoma City Thunder during the middle of the season in the Kendrick Perkins trade, Jeff Green may be the one exception. Green averaged 13.3 points, 1.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game last season, but those numbers may just improve even more.
Charlotte Bobcats: D.J. Augustin
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D.J. Augustin wins the featured placement on this slide just because the Charlotte Bobcats roster is quite simply awful right now.
Augustin enjoyed a very productive season running the point, putting up 14.4 points, 6.1 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game. One could say that he has already broken out.
But that said, part of breaking out is gaining national recognition and the majority of the country still has no idea who Augustin is. That could change if he puts up an even better stat-line during the 2011-2012 campaign.
Chicago Bulls: Taj Gibson
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During his second season in the NBA, Taj Gibson took a slight step backwards for the Chicago Bulls. After a pretty decent rookie year, the former USC Trojan put up 7.1 points, 0.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game during the 2010-2011 campaign.
But during this recent series against the Atlanta Hawks, Gibson has shown his ability to step up and deliver big plays in crunchtime. If he keeps that up during the remainder of the playoffs, the Bulls may realize that they have a third option on their team already.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Whoever They Draft
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I don't really feel comfortable endorsing any current members of the Cleveland Cavaliers as breakout candidates right now. The team is simply really bad and the best candidate on the current roster is J.J. Hickson, who already partially broken out but has yet to fully live up to his potential.
The best candidate when next season rolls around is going to be whoever the Cavaliers select first in the draft. Most likely, they'll end up with one of the top picks after the ping pong balls fall and either Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter will end up on the Cavaliers.
Whoever does has the potential to immediately become the rather inept team's best player.
Dallas Mavericks: Jose Juan Barea
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Jose Juan Barea was a pretty productive backup guard for the Dallas Mavericks this season, averaging 9.5 points, 3.9 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game behind Jason Kidd, despite not looking anything like a real basketball player.
He's probably best known right now for being the recipient of Andrew Bynum's flagrant foul at the end of the Dallas Maverick's sweep of the two-time defending champions. With Kidd aging and in line for a few less minutes, that extra playing time should fall to Barea. He'll make it count and become known for more than just that one play.
Denver Nuggets: Timofey Mozgov
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Timofey Mozgov only averaged 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game during his first season in the NBA, during which he spent time with both the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets. But the 7'1" Russian center still has an incredible amount of potential.
With Nene Hilario looking like he might leave the Mile High City via free agency, Mozgov could receive a drastic increase in playing time. I'm still a believer in the 24-year-old, so I still think that Mozgov could break out.
All it takes is an opportunity.
Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe
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The No. 7 pick of the 2010 NBA draft continued where he left off after leaving Georgetown for the Detroit Pistons. Greg Monroe managed to put up 9.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for a rather pathetic Pistons squad during this past season.
As most players do, he's bound to only get better as he spends more time at the game's highest level. Monroe is a very complete player who is especially gifted at passing the ball in the paint. Expect all of his numbers to rise during his second season in the league.
Golden State Warriors: Ekpe Udoh
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An extremely athletic forward out of Baylor, Ekpe Udoh averaged just 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game during his rookie season for the Golden State Warriors. But remember that the 6'10" big man was drafted at No. 6 overall in the 2010 NBA draft and still has plenty of time to avoid becoming one of the dreaded draft busts.
Because of his ridiculous leaping ability and great wingspan, Udoh has the ability to become a defensive presence for the run-and-gun Warriors, as evidenced by his 1.5 blocks per game in just over 17 minutes per contest. Defense is something Golden State is sorely needing of and Udoh can provide it.
Houston Rockets: Terrence WIlliams
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Selecting Terrence Williams as the Houston Rockets breakout candidate may just be me being stubborn more than anything else as I'm still a believer in the former Louisville Cardinal's basketball abilities.
But that said, Williams still hasn't done much to justify his inclusion on an NBA roster. The tweener averaged 5.0 points, 1.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game during his second season in the league, stats that should only rise when he becomes a third-year player. Williams has all the tools necessary to be successful, but he just hasn't used them all in the right ways yet.
Indiana Pacers: Tyler Hansbrough
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Psycho T averaged 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.2 blocks per game during the 2010-2011 regular season and then upped his game slightly during the four-game series with the Chicago Bulls. Receiving nearly 11 more minutes of time on the court per game, Hansbrough fought his way to 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest against the heavily favored Bulls.
If he maintains his playing time from the postseason when the regular season rolls around, the former North Carolina Tar Heel absolutely has the potential to post double-doubles on a nightly basis. It's not too long ago that Hansbrough was dominating the world of college basketball.
Los Angeles Clippers: DeAndre Jordan
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Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon are already quite established now and none of the aforementioned trio really deserves the potential breakout player label. But DeAndre Jordan has the ability to become a quality contributor on the Los Angeles Clippers squad.
The insanely athletic Jordan produced quite a few highlight reel plays of his own during this past season but he was largely overshadowed by Griffin. The 7.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game that Jordan added to the cause were largely dismissed. But that may change as he continues to progress as a player.
Los Angeles Lakers: No Idea
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To be perfectly honest, I have absolutely no idea who has the potential to truly break out on the Los Angeles Lakers roster.
Shannon Brown may be able to, but I still don't think he is going to receive consistent playing time. No other player is really going to break into the Lakers rotation, assuming of course that the team stays together. You'd be crazy if you thought that Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum or Kobe Bryant would break out in a big way.
Further still, if the Lakers roster gets blown apart as some expect, there's no telling who will be on the team. That makes it even more difficult to select a breakout candidate.
So once again, I am clueless here.
Memphis Grizzlies: Greivis Vazquez
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Greivis Vasquez truly made a name for himself when he hit a boatload of clutch shots in the Memphis Grizzlies' epic triple-overtime showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder. It may be going too far to even call some of them shots. They were more just throw-ups.
But Vasquez is emerging as a potential contributor for the up-and-coming Memphis team. The only hard evidence we have is that Game 4 performance in place of Mike Conley, but his name is quite buzz-worthy right now.
Miami Heat: Mario Chalmers
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Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh aren't exactly going to break out by any stretch of the imagination, but how about the guy who is technically supposed to be running the show?
Mario Chalmers has a huge shadow cast over him by the big three in Miami, but he may develop into a fourth big player, much like Rajon Rondo did in Boston. Chalmers averaged 6.4 points, 2.5 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game during the regular season, but the former Jayhawk has had a few big playoff performances that show his potential.
Milwaukee Bucks: Chris Douglas-Roberts
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During his third season out of Memphis, Chris Douglas-Roberts averaged just 7.3 points, 1.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game for the Milwaukee Bucks, who really don't have too many breakout candidates.
Douglas-Roberts is my pick for a few reasons. First, I can still remember the days that he dominated at Memphis and showed a remarkable ability to fill up a stat-sheet in a whole bunch of ways. Second, Douglas-Roberts' season this past year was marred by a plague of injuries that kept him of the court for large portions of the season.
With an increase in playing time and consistency, Douglas-Roberts still has the potential to do great things for this underachieving team.
New Jersey Nets: Kris Humphries
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Some may argue that Kris Humphries has already broken out, but to those people, I'll argue back that no breakout is complete without name recognition. The vast majority of basketball fans still have no idea who this New Jersey Net is.
Humphries averaged 10.0 points and 10.6 rebounds during his seventh year in the league, and another increase in production may help get his name out there. The fact that he's dating Kim Kardashian won't hurt his cause either.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Whoever They Draft
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Just like the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in this slideshow, the Minnesota Timberwolves really just don't have that many great players and the few they do probably aren't going to break out any more.
After all, there's a reason that Minnesota is one of the teams in strong contention for the first overall pick in the upcoming 2011 NBA draft. Whoever they take with their inevitably high draft pick is immediately going to become the team's biggest breakout candidate, be it Derrick Williams, Kyrie Irving or someone else.
New York Knicks: Toney Douglas
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The New York Knicks are a tough team to pick a breakout player for because it seems as though the squad is already firmly set. Chauncey Billups will be running the point with Landry Fields, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Ronny Turiaf playing alongside him for the most part.
The Knicks may bring in a few players via free agency and the draft, but they're most likely going to bide their time and wait for Chris Paul to make his way to the city that never sleeps. But don't forget about Toney Douglas.
The little sparkplug still gets some playing time and makes his minutes count. Douglas averaged 10.6 points, three rebounds and three assists per game last season and should improve once more in his third season for the Knicks.
New Orleans Hornets: Trevor Ariza
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Trevor Ariza first broke out a few years ago when he set the world on fire with his play for the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs, then signed a big contract with the Houston Rockets before moving on to the New Orleans Hornets and fading into relative obscurity.
Ariza still managed to post 11.0 points, 2.2 assist and 5.4 rebounds playing alongside Chris Paul, but the 25-year old is still talented enough to do far more. I have a gut feeling that he'll take another step forward during his eighth year in the league.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Serge Ibaka
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Serge Ibaka is already a tremendous shot-blocking presence for the Thunder, but his offensive game hasn't yet caught up to the other facets of his play.
In his second season for the Thunder, Air Congo improved his play across the board and posted 9.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game while seeming to get better as the season progressed further and further. The Thunder are already legitimate championship contenders, but a breakout for Ibaka could be what clinches a title for them.
Scarily enough, Nick Collison and James Harden could dramatically improve as well.
Orlando Magic: Ryan Anderson
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Coming off the bench for the Orlando Magic in his third season out of California, Ryan Anderson managed to fight his way to 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game from the power forward spot for his team.
If Dwight Howard leaves as expected, Anderson could see an increase in minutes and maybe even work his way into the starting lineup. So far, he's shown that he can be everything his team wants him to be. If he's putting up those kinds of numbers in just 22 minutes per game, imagine what he could do with a few more.
Philadelphia 76ers: Evan Turner
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I refuse to give up on Evan Turner. He was simply too good at every aspect of the game when he played at Ohio State, even after he broke his back.
After being drafted at No. 2 in the 2010 NBA draft, Turner was given an opportunity to succeed from the beginning but immediately proved that he wasn't ready for the challenge and struggled out of the gate. By the end of the season, Turner had averaged 7.2 points, 2.0 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 23 minutes of action per contest.
Then the playoffs rolled around and Turner's minutes went down while his production went up. With an average of four minutes less on the court, Turner increased his points and rebounding to 8.0 and 4.6 respectively per game.
Turner is still ridiculously talented and the 76ers still know it. Watch out for this guy.
Phoenix Suns: Marcin Gortat
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Marcin Gortat looks and seems like he's been around forever, but the truth is that the Polish center only just finished his fourth season in the NBA and will turn 28 next February. He's still got time to get better and has a lot of productive years left in the NBA.
After he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, Gortat took off and increased his seasonal averages to 10.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while displaying remarkable consistency. Part of the reason the numbers are so low, though, is that he spent a portion of the season trapped on the bench behind Dwight Howard.
When you look at Gortat's numbers with the Suns, they are much more impressive. The 6'11" center averaged 13.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and had quite a few 20-point, 10-rebound nights. He's in line for quite a few of those next year and a full season of consistent playing time will do wonders for his status.
Portland Trail Blazers: Nicolas Batum
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Nicolas Batum was one of my big sleepers for the 2010-2011 season, but after a blazing start, the Frenchman kind of fell off the radar.
Still just 22 years old, Batum averaged 12.4 points, 1.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game when the season drew to a close for him. He was neutralized almost completely in the postseason, but don't give up hope.
The lanky small forward still has a lot of potential and a lot of time to improve. I'm hoping that I was just one year early in proclaiming him a big sleeper. This could be the year that Batum puts it all together.
Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins
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DeMarcus Cousins put together a very impressive rookie season, but he was outshone by Blake Griffin and John Wall. That prevented the mercurial talent from getting the type of recognition that he deserved.
Showing surprising maturity throughout the season, Cousins banged his way to 14.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game despite still not being old enough to legally consume alcoholic beverages. I guess it's a blessing in disguise for Cousins that champagne didn't have to be popped in the Kings' locker rooms.
Once the former Kentucky Wildcat cuts down on the fouls, he'll get to spend more time on the court and be even more productive. But regardless, another similar year will give him the national recognition that he should have earned this past year.
San Antonio Spurs: DeJuan Blair
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With Tim Duncan getting older and older, it appears as though DeJuan Blair is going to be taking an even bigger slice of the San Antonio Spurs' offensive pie. Well, that will be true if his knees can manage to hold up.
An increased role for Blair is a scary proposition for the rest of the Western Conference considering the second-year player from Pittsburgh averaged 8.3 points, 1.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game in just 21.4 minutes per game this past year.
He's a bit undersized but he makes up for that with tremendous hustle and an incredible passion for the game when he's on the floor. No. 45 is only going to get better and better.
Toronto Raptors: Linas Kleiza
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Linas Kleiza, in his return to the United States, averaged 11.2 points, 1.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in a season that was cut short by a knee injury after just 39 games.
Kleiza showed that he was an absolutely prolific scorer while playing in Europe, but he never got the opportunity to show how good he was for the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors need scorers too and if healthy, Kleiza will be able to fill that role.
Utah Jazz: Gordon Hayward
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Derrick Favors is another player that could be put here, but I just wanted to give a shout-out to Gordon Hayward because I still think he has potential and needs an opportunity.
Hayward averaged just 5.4 points, 1.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game, but he also only received 16.9 minutes per game to show off his stuff.
The former Butler Bulldog was an absolutely dominant player at the college level and single-handedly carried his team to the NCAA Finals. There's still no reason that he can't do the same at the next level.
Washington Wizards: Jordan Crawford
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Jordan Crawford didn't receive much playing time at all for the Atlanta Hawks, but as soon as he was traded to the Washington Wizards, he started showing off his skills with the basketball.
In 26 games with the Wizards, Crawford managed to average a ridiculous 16.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. That's just what happens when you give a talented player an opportunity. His 39-point game against the Miami Heat shows just how high the ceiling is for this guard.
A backcourt of Crawford and John Wall could be quite intimidating next season.
