The NBA's 2011 "All-Breakout" Team

Every player's goal is, of course, to enter the next season producing at a higher rate than they did in the past. This goal can be motivated by anything money, winning or legacy-related.

Regardless, the drive to get better is one commonality that links all NBA players together.

Every year, there seems to be a few guys who manage to make, what Bill Simmons refers to as, "the leap." This term is used for the players who do not just get better but also move themselves into a completely different echelon in a season by elevating their games.

And with a crazy, lockout-shortened season unfolding, the opportunity for players to make the jump into greatness is a lot wider. 

There will be players who start the season sluggish and out of shape, those who have maintained and those who arrive in tip-top shape after working on their games and conditioning all offseason.

Because of the overall strange nature of this season, there will be a much larger gap in conditioning and skill between players. Analysts and commentators will frequently remark about "rust," using the term when discussing players and teams that have moved around or have new roles this season.

But the word will also be used as an excuse for players who simply look slower than they should.

The players who manage to shake off this "rust" right at the beginning of the season are those who stand the greatest chance of leaping forward into their next tier.

Here are the starting five players poised to do just that.

Point Guard: Rajon Rondo

The Boston Celtics' best player is still left out and disrespected, even when compared to his own team.

Rajon Rondo is the cog that makes the Celtics win, yet he is still—even after becoming an automatic double-double with serious triple-double potential—not even in the "Big Three" moniker given to his future Hall of Fame teammates.

That whole "living in the shadow of the colossus" storyline will completely die this year.

Rondo is already the best defender at his position, man-on-man. He scores at the rim just as well as any other point and displays a craftiness around the rim that a lot of guards lack.

Many argue that he is not a great passer and his assist numbers are products of his teammates' skills.

However, the talent that once surrounded Rondo does not detract from his ability to continually know his teammates' positions. He also knows their tendencies and preferences, and gets them the ball when and where they want it.

The main takeaway is that Rondo is essentially inept outside of 15 feet and is a legitimate candidate to become the next "Hack-a-Shaq."

But, as everyone will see this year, Rondo is capable of more. He has always shined when he had to put the team on his back, even without a jumper. As Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce continue to age, Rondo will have to get his Greg Jennings on far more than in the past.

That side of Rondo emerged in the first game of the season to the tune of 31 points, 13 assists, five rebounds and five steals. He also went 9-of-12 from the line.

Granted, this is a small sample size, but what it reflects is of infinitely more significance than just numbers. It shows Rondo's willingness and ability to carry this team.

He was not able to bring his team all the way back to victory, but he made the commitment to be the guy on Christmas Day. Rondo took and made some jumpers, he attacked without fear of not converting at the charity stripe and he led with unrelenting effort.

Expect efforts like this from Rondo every game by the end of this season, expect him to emerge from his teammates and pencil him in as a bonafide superstar.

Rondo will realize this year that he cannot fix all parts of his game and, instead of being bogged down, will embrace his positive abilities. 

Teams may even have to guard him when he steps past the three-point line.

Sixth Man: John Wall

Honorable Mentions: Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans

Shooting Guard: Eric Gordon

Scoring is romanticized in today's NBA, making many purists shake their heads and yearn for an appreciation of defense—but it also makes one new member of the New Orleans Hornets smile ear-to-ear.

That man is Eric Gordon, and he has been shooting the face off of opposing defenses for three years already. He is a walking shooting drill, and his release and form should be filmed and used as the de-facto shooting training DVD around the nation. 

Gordon's breakout season actually started last year when he averaged 24 points a night after the All-Star break and 22 a game for the season.

However, he was only able to play in 56 games due to ankle injuries, and the breakout was put on hold.

It will resume in full force with Gordon's new team this year. 

He goes from being the second-fiddle to Blake Griffin on the Clippers to being the only player capable of emerging as a real leader on this Hornets squad.

He's also a gifted passer and will be called upon to do that more this season, but the real spike in his stats will come from him being treated as the No. 1 in this offense and getting enough shots to sustain and improve on the pace he set last season.

As Sebastian Pruiti of Grantland points out in his article detailing how Gordon can become a superstar, all he really needs to improve on is his off-ball movement to become unstoppable as a shooter. 

In order to avoid the double-teams that will come to him as a product of his new situation, Gordon will need to learn how to curl off of screens so he can be set and shoot immediately. He will not have the time to turn and shoot with increased defensive pressure.

These are fundamentals that can be learned and mastered, and when Gordon gets them down this year, he will take the league by storm.

Sixth Man: Arron Afflalo

Honorable Mentions: DeMar DeRozan, James Harden

Small Forward: Danilo Gallinari

There's a lot to be excited about in Denver. 

Even with losing Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets have managed to assemble an extremely deep roster with a lot of potential.

Then came the lockout, which cost them Wilson Chandler, Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith. It was unlikely that the team would have retained all of these players, but it is safe to say one or two would have been back.

There goes most of Denver's depth, although they still possess a strong bench.

The other facet of a true contender they are missing is a true star.

Danilo Gallinari is the kind of player who could fill that hole for the Nuggets, and he could even do it this season.

Like Eric Gordon, Gallo can shoot. He is also more athletic than he is given credit for, and he will be able to run in the Mile-High City very effectively.

Gallinari will not become a superstar by any means, but averaging more than 20 points a game is certainly in the realm of possibility and would afford him the best season of his young career, by far.

He may not exactly be capable of "the leap," but no NBA small forward really is this year. There are either established superstars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, or players whose situations do not allow them to reach that tier, like Rudy Gay and Andre Iguodala.

Gallinari offers the most upside at the position of anyone in the NBA this year.

Sixth Man: Austin Daye

Honorable Mentions: Devin Ebanks, Michael Beasley

Power Forward: Blake Griffin

I wanted to go with Kevin Love here, but I ultimately don't think you can improve on the absurdity he unleashed last year in what was his true breakout year.

But that does not mean that Blake Griffin is any sort of consolation prize.

In his rookie season, which was his rookie season since it was the first time he played, he put up a 22-12 double-double average while dunking everyone's face in.

The upside he offers is ridiculous and almost too easy to see.

The keys for Griffin this year will be showing that his rookie effort was not some sort of fluke and working on establishing his post game and jumper.

His pure athleticism is overwhelming, and he is already showing us more flashes of it by leading fast break opportunities and displaying some surprisingly silky handles.

Love's development of a shot made him frustrating to guard; Griffin developing a shot would make him offensively unstoppable.

The power forward spot is one that tends to favor the athletic players who somewhat defy the traditional standard of a bruising post player, like Kevin Garnett. Griffin is the clear-cut choice to take the torch as the next freak of nature power forward superstar set to destroy the league.

The only difference between Griffin and Garnett or Chris Webber is that Griffin is on a championship contender early in his career. 

Scary.

Sixth Man: LaMarcus Aldridge

Honorable Mentions: Derrick Favors, Kris Humphries, Serge Ibaka

Center: DeAndre Jordan

Lob city Clips, lob lob city Clips.

Two Clippers, two breakout players, one year.

Chris Paul.

The hype machine is in full effect, the bandwagon is filling up and eventually people will tire of hearing how Paul is transforming the very landscape of Los Angeles.

Putting two Clippers on this list is not a product of getting caught up in this hype; Griffin is obvious, but DeAndre Jordan is just as deserving of attention.

Regardless of skill, almost any 6'11" athletic center could average about 10 points a game flying around the court off Paul's and Griffin's cuts and pick-and-rolls. 

Jordan will do that easily while also grabbing 10 boards and being top three in the league in blocked shots.

He will fully evolve into a defensive terror by year's end and will be the unsung hero behind Griffin's defense, which is good, but significantly improved with a one-man swat team playing right across from him.

Griffin's per-40-minute numbers have always been staggering, and he finally looks to capitalize on his projected 11-point, 11-rebound, and 3-block line from last year. These numbers and statistics are all very positive and encouraging, but they will never be able to manage the true impact of what a player in the mold of Jordan will accomplish.

Jordan's breakthrough will come more as backup center to Tyson Chandler, a defensive anchor rather than a statistical whirlwind. The Chandler comparison also brings vivid flashbacks of what Paul can do for an athletic center's career.

Paul will do the same for Jordan on offense, and Jordan will reward the entire team for those easy points with his defense.

Sixth Man: JaVale McGee

Honorable Mention: Greg Monroe, DeMarcus Cousins, Roy Hibbert, Marcin Gortat