Breakout Players
The NBA is back, and so are breakout players across the league. And teams for that matter. The Detroit Pistons are currently the first seed in the Eastern Conference; the Memphis Grizzlies hold the same title in the Western Conference. Other teams, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, are still trying to figure out their kinks struggling in the early weeks of the young season.
The same goes for players. Some players have shown great signs throughout the first two weeks of the year. Young players and those on new teams have specifically stood out, and these are the type of players that have potential to breakout impactfully over the entirety of the season.
Ben Simmons
Dare I say it, but Ben Simmons is the real deal. Through the Philadelphia 76ers first six games, Simmons has fully demonstrated why he was the number one pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He is proving why his play will dictate the future of the 76ers’ franchise as one of their breakout players.
He has been efficient and effective more so than many would have expected him to be in his rookie season. Simmons is averaging 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in 34.4 minutes per game. While he is not shooting threes, he is shooting 51.2 percent from the field, an area that the Sixers are not shooting very efficiently in as a team.
Ben Simmons is the franchise player of the Sixers’ future and he is playing like so.
Stanley Johnson
The Detroit Pistons are the first seed in the Eastern Conference. Woah. Read that again. Why… and how? Well, their success is partly due to the emergence of the third year forward out of Arizona, Stanley Johnson.
While the national news surrounding Johnson to start the season was his 0-13 shooting performance opening night against the Charlotte Hornets, Johnson has since been a completely different and more effective weapon for the Pistons. Since that performance, Johnson is averaging 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 29.8 minutes per game. His shooting has been extremely reliable as well, as he is shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from behind the long line.
Johnson has also impressed on the defensive end, his calling card so far in his career. Watch below how he is able to jump in front of Kevin Durant, steal the ball, and finish on the other end.
STANIMAL. #PistonsNow pic.twitter.com/bxHemR1W6a
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) October 30, 2017
While many were quick to pull the plug on him after last season, Stanley Johnson is playing at a much higher level and proving those who had given up on him wrong, making him a clear part of this year’s breakout players.
Victor Oladipo
As I wrote before the season began, Victor Oladipo is going to have a big season with the Indiana Pacers. Through six games, he has done just that, proving himself as a member of the breakout players. This season Oladpio is averaging 25.5 points per game, a near ten point improvement from the 15.9 points per game he averaged last season. He is shooting an insane 50 percent from the field and a lofty 46.9 percent from the three-point line on 5.3 attempts per game.
Clutch 3 from Victor Oladipo! pic.twitter.com/svDnjiXrl8
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) October 29, 2017
Moving away from scoring, Oladipo has shown an ability to distribute and compete consistently on the defensive end. He is posting a soaring usage rate of 31.4 percent, only behind the likes of superstars DeMarcus Cousins, James Harden, Kristaps Porzingis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Indiana has been dealt a poor hand early on as Myles Turner has missed their last five games, but Oladipo has kept the Pacers afloat. They are 3-3 and are apart of the early scrap for a playoff spot. His numbers may not stick, but Oladipo will continue to have a strong campaign in Indiana.
Kristaps Porzingis
With Carmelo Anthony gone, the New York Knicks now indisputably belong to the Zinger. Through New York’s first five games, Porzingis is averaging 27.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. He is attempting 22 shots per game, which is a promising occurrence when looking at the talent alongside Porzingis. New York should be giving Porzingis all the opportunities he can handle and thankfully, it looks like they are doing so early on.
While the deep ball has not fallen at the rate he or the Knicks would hope, as he is knocking down just 30.8 percent of his shots from three, but he is shooting 46.4 percent from the field, a career high.
The Knicks are going to be miserable this year, but allowing Kristaps Porzingis to join other breakout players in a large role, to dominate the way he has, and continue his fast-paced development will make their struggles well worth it in the future.
Spencer Dinwiddie
I had the chance to speak with Spencer Dinwiddie over the offseason, and our conversation was a foreshadowing to the emergence of Spencer Dinwiddie among other breakout players that is currently underway.
In just 23.1 minutes per game, Dinwiddie is averaging 11 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. He is shooting a steady 42.1 percent from the field but is shooting 41.7 percent from the three-point line, an area of his game he was criticized for in the early seasons of his career.
Dinwiddie’s scoring and shooting abilities have been very impressive, but his distributing ability has stolen the show this year. He has put together a 4.33 assist to turnover ratio and a 31.7 assist percentage. He is averaging a career-best 7.8 net rating while helping lead the Brooklyn Nets fun and fast offense. Dinwiddie will likely see a bigger role as the season progresses with the absence of Jeremy Lin and the surging improvement of his play.
