The arrival of an NBA season creates an avenue for new standouts to emerge. Let's take a look at some second- and third-year players who are due for a breakout season.
We won't include the household names or the young players who are already stars right now like Zion Williamson or LaMelo Ball. We're looking for guys who could morph into solid role players. Those who won't become stars or leading scorers right away. Instead, we're hoping that these young guns will become significant contributors to their teams.
Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards)
The third-year player out of Japan has had a solid two years in the NBA. His rookie and sophomore stats are roughly the same, averaging just a shade under 14 points per game while shooting at least 46 percent from the field. His rebounding took a slight dip to 5.5 a game compared to 6.1 during his first year.
Hachimura has been a solid contributor for the Wizards but you do want to see him in more games. He played 48 games in his rookie season, which was cut short by the onset of the pandemic but then he only logged in 57 games last year. You're not looking for him to be a co-star for Bradley Beal, but you do want him to be more reliable.
If he can up his scoring average to around 15 to 18 points and improve his free throw percentage (he shot just 77 percent last year), it'll make a difference for the Wizards who can potentially be a play-in or maybe even a playoff team. It'll be important for Hachimura to not get lost in the midst of the new scoring additions to the team in Kyle Kuzma or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Cam Reddish (Atlanta Hawks)
Another player whose rookie season was short-lived is Cam Reddish. Drafted in 2019, he had a fairly decent first year in the 58 games he was in. The same could not be said about his 2020-2021 season where we only saw 26 regular season games from him due to Achilles soreness.
Reddish's value came into full display, however, in the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Bucks. He played just four playoff games but fans were able to see his potential and what he could do in the Hawks lineup. He was active and engaged, ending up with 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in the postseason.
At 6-foot-8 with 3-point shooting and rebounding capabilities, not to mention his defensive prowess, Reddish can complement the game of Trae Young and the Hawks.
Keldon Johnson (San Antonio Spurs)
As the Spurs begin a new direction post-DeMar DeRozan, Keldon Johnson will be a strong piece that the franchise can build on, alongside Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Lonnie Walker IV. From averages of 9.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17.7 minutes in his first season, he increased them to 12.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in 28.5 minutes last year.
Johnson had big games for the Spurs last season but there were also times he would disappear stats-wise. What you can't say negatively about him is his motor. Even though he's listed as 6-foot-5, he plays a lot of the three and four positions. He can bang bodies in the paint despite giving up a lot of height.
The Spurs have missed the playoffs for the past two years, and Johnson will be a vital cog for them moving forward. Hopefully, his stint with Team USA this past summer has also accelerated his all-around growth.
Cole Anthony (Orlando Magic)
Remember Cole Anthony's hyper, not to mention hilarious, postgame interview after he hit a game-winner versus the Grizzlies? The kid is just oozing with confidence.
Anthony put up 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 47 games in his rookie year and you can bet he'll try to put up more stellar performances. The 21-year-old will also get added playing time to start the season with guards Markelle Fultz and Michael Carter-Williams still injured.
Going into his second year and under a work-in-progress team like the Magic, he has a lot of room to show his game. Expect him to be his uber-confident self once the season gets underway.
Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento Kings)
The Kings guard came up third in last season's Rookie of the Year voting behind Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. Haliburton's last set of games before a late-season injury really catapulted him into the conversation as a top rookie.
Haliburton's stats of 13.0 points and 5.3 assists don't jump out of the page but his game does. He has become an integral part of the Sacramento offense because of his ball handling and decision-making skills. Plus a 40.9 percent 3-point average makes him an extremely reliable shooter from beyond the arc.
Playing backup to De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield is a tall task in itself. He just needs to continue to play his game to excel.
Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls)
It's a bummer that Patrick Williams is currently out with a severe left ankle sprain. With the number of roster moves that the Bulls made during the offseason, Williams still has his slot as the team’s power forward.
Sure, the Bulls have a lot of star power in Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucecic. But for the 20-year old sophomore, this just means that he can continue to gain experience alongside some great players. He won't need to put up a ton of points but he does have to find his niche on both ends of the floor. His 9.2 scoring average last year might be sufficient enough given the firepower of this current Chicago roster. What you want more out of him is to increase his 4.6 rebounding average and improve on the defensive end.
Hopefully, Williams will be back in full strength by the start of the season, or at the very least, just miss a few games.
