[Bison 49Participant]

What previously forgotten/semi-forgotten player(s) could come out of nowhere this year?  Think Kris Humphries last year.  He always was a good player, but he lit it up by all by his standards last year and is now set (for a little while).

I think Bayless will make a big jump, not to All Star level, but he should come out and really improve.

I am also going to give a nod to Travis Outlaw/Brandan Knight.  The guys have potential, was improving pretty fast (Outlaw).  Got hurt, changed teams and did not play well with the Nets.  Both are still pretty young and has Williams passing the ball.  One could really step up.

[surveParticipant]

young players?  Josh McRoberts, Jordan Hill, maybe Austin Daye

old guys? if he can stay healthy…and thats a big if…I think Baron Davis can become relevent again.  Gilbert Arenas…he can do it.

[surveParticipant]

young players?  Josh McRoberts, Jordan Hill, maybe Austin Daye

old guys? if he can stay healthy…and thats a big if…I think Baron Davis can become relevent again.  Gilbert Arenas…he can do it.

[M-DYMESParticipant]

Brandan Knight was a early 1st round pick this year.  How does he apply to this?

[M-DYMESParticipant]

Brandan Knight was a early 1st round pick this year.  How does he apply to this?

[Bison 49Participant]

My bad I meant Brandan Wright, the skinny PF from UNC playing for the Nets, who had a lot of hype about four five years ago, but went to the Warriors and was somewhat forgotten.

[Bison 49Participant]

My bad I meant Brandan Wright, the skinny PF from UNC playing for the Nets, who had a lot of hype about four five years ago, but went to the Warriors and was somewhat forgotten.

[WizardofOzParticipant]

OJ Mayo – He has confirmd he was be in the " lab" " rewiring" his game. The New OJ Mayo going to be off the crazy good. He even went back to his high school where it all began to do workouts there two weeks ago. Guy so focused on the goal.
 

Travis Outlaw – He was horrible last year, and he’s overpaid, but he said that he could’ve played "way better" and that he was out of shape. I think he can be a nice bench player for the Nets if he keeps on working.

Roddy Beabouis – He wasn’t healthy last year, but you can see the potential. He’s super quick and a great scorer. He isn’t a true-PG though and many Mavs fans overrate him. But I can see him having a bounce back year.

Andray Blatche – I know I’m going to get a lot of flack for this, but I don’t care. He’s gonna be putting up All-Star numbers after this much needed offseason. I don’t even have to explain why, because I have a million times. I’m gonna be pulling up all the threads where I got negatives for saying something good about him when he starts beasting again!

[WizardofOzParticipant]

OJ Mayo – He has confirmd he was be in the " lab" " rewiring" his game. The New OJ Mayo going to be off the crazy good. He even went back to his high school where it all began to do workouts there two weeks ago. Guy so focused on the goal.
 

Travis Outlaw – He was horrible last year, and he’s overpaid, but he said that he could’ve played "way better" and that he was out of shape. I think he can be a nice bench player for the Nets if he keeps on working.

Roddy Beabouis – He wasn’t healthy last year, but you can see the potential. He’s super quick and a great scorer. He isn’t a true-PG though and many Mavs fans overrate him. But I can see him having a bounce back year.

Andray Blatche – I know I’m going to get a lot of flack for this, but I don’t care. He’s gonna be putting up All-Star numbers after this much needed offseason. I don’t even have to explain why, because I have a million times. I’m gonna be pulling up all the threads where I got negatives for saying something good about him when he starts beasting again!

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Brandon Knight has yet to play an NBA game, but I did really like the pick for Detroit. I just really wonder how they are going to divi up minutes with their crowded backcourt. Knight should turn into their main PG option, but it could take a while for him to beat out Stuckey for the starting spot, especially if Rip is still around. Throw in Ben Gordon as well, and there are not many minutes to go around right away. I would throw in McGrady as well, but he is a FA and probably going to go somewhere else.

I guess I agree with the players you listed, I mean, they all should show improvement to some extent. Humphries better, he will more than likely get a pretty nice deal from the Nets or some other team desperate for a PF. I do not know how much improvement he will show, but he had a solid season last year. Bayless has to step it up, have been a big fan of his, but this is a contract year and he has been completely inconsistent. Has to improve his shooting and game management ability. Travis was a MAJOR let down last year, he has little place to go but up. The guy is a fantastic athlete, but a poor rebounder and inconsistent shooter as well.

Brandan Wright is a guy I thought could really play a nice role for the Nets. As crazy as it may sound, I have not given up on him. He will only be 24 when the season starts, and he has technically finished out his rookie deal. If New Jersey puts up the qualifying offer, which is incredibly reasonable at around 4 million or so, than they could be getting some great value. Seeing that the league average is after all around 6 million (though the NBA has come up with 5 from somewhere), getting a motivated and hopefully healthy Wright playing for a contract could be great for the Nets. He seemed to be coming into his own at a point on the Warriors, but he has constantly been hurt. Nonetheless, I think he is worth the gamble, and if a team offers him a long term deal for 4-5 mill per year, they could be getting a major steal.

Other possible breakout players:

PG

• Ty Lawson: I think he could have a really nice season. He was the right PG to get behind for the Nuggets, he is a terror in the open court. The guy has proven to be a very nice 3 point shooter, and it is incredibly hard to keep him from penetrating the D. Andre Miller will probably take some minutes, but I could see them playing together quite often as well. I expect Ty to have a really good year though, as soon as basketball gets up and running again.
• Brandon Jennings: He has been solid in his first couple of years, but his shooting percentages have been a tad, well, gross. I really expect him to pick things up this next year and hopefully justify all of the buzz surrounding him after he had a great start to his rookie year. Yes, the Bucks made the play-offs with him running the show, but the guy needs to take better shots. It would help his team exponentially, not to mention with the acquisition of Stephen Jackson, another streaky shooter, they will need some offensive balance. I am thinking Brandon will hit above 42% from the field, and if he doesn’t, than his team is in trouble.
• Whoever gets the starting PG spot for the Lakers: I think it is about time they have a changing of the guard. Steve Blake and Shannon Brown are fine and all, but I think they will go with an outside hire. Keep Fisher around, but they need someone young and quick to run the team. Aaron Brooks? He is a restricted FA, but he kills this team. I am sure they would not mind having him on their side, if there was some way of getting him.

SG

• Tyreke Evans: His Rookie Year was incredibly impressive, sophomore year, not so much. The guy is a terror to defend due to his strength and handle. He imposes his will on players, and he needs to get back to doing that more than drifting to the perimeter. Think that he really steps it up once things get back in session. Guessing 22-23 per game would be a nice way to get the Kings a few more wins, he needs to become their offensive leader. He has other players that can score as well, but he can be elite in this category, hoping he gets there.
• James Harden: Yes, everyone was incredibly impressed with him in the play-offs. The guy is a very versatile player. Can really do a lot on the floor, has very nice court vision, now he needs to be consistent with his performance. James will be entering his third year as well, and this should be a year where he really steps into the third scoring role. He needs to become a more competent defender, and he also hopefully will be able to play more minutes. Everyone is looking at James as the next Ginobili, and if he were to be in that class, next year would be a great time to try and prove it.
• Rudy Fernandez: After entering the league with a bang supplied by his passionate and fiery play, Rudy has had a pretty disappointing last two seasons. His shooting has gone down steadily, as has his confidence. He believes he is a superstar, but he has yet to play like one, and has not stepped up when given the opportunity. Now, he goes to the defending NBA champions, who actually could use some offense from the wing position. They were a team full of tiny, attacking guards, and now they have a guard with size and fantastic shooting ability for their wide open system. Jason Kidd should do wonders for Rudy, who is also a fantastic passer and talented at playing the passing lanes. Rudy is best playing off of the ball, slashing and spreading the floor. He might actually even get the starting spot on Dallas, it is a definite possibility, depending on whether they re-sign Caron Butler, maybe even if they do. If Rudy wants to show that he can be a high level NBA contributor, it is now or never. This could be the difference between Rudy having a long NBA career, or heading back to Europe for good.
• Evan Turner: This is an easy one. No, he was not going to be Brandon Roy, he was nowhere as polished offensively. However, he is still a very talented all-around player who can contribute in many facets of the game. He should put up numbers across the board and steadily improve as an offensive player. He will more than likely never be a first option, but he will definitely step his game up next year and should mimic Jrue Holiday with a nice second year step up.

SF

• Al-Farouq Aminu: Everyone seems to be looking to the Clippers to upgrade the wing, and they should definitely try to gain depth. But, I still have some faith that Al-Farouq Aminu could turn into a solid player. He is a very smooth athlete, and I think he has potential to improve his shooting. His length is great at the 3, he is a solid rebounder and I would expect a nice step up from one of the forgotten pieces of the "up and coming" Clippers.
• Nicolas Batum: His defensive presence, given his age, has been fantastic. One might think that acquiring Gerald Wallace might mean that the Blazers have lost faith in Nicolas, but I think that it actually worked to make Nicolas even more assertive as an offensive player. The fact is, the two play really well together, and with their combined length, speed and athleticism, they are fantastic in transition. Nicolas needs to start taking more of a role offensively, he really has been holding back. He can shoot and slash, very talented young player who hopefully takes the next step.

PF

• Ed Davis: He is a player in progress, and I think he will show great improvement every year left in his rookie contract. He is a willing rebounder, a nuisance on defense with his length. He needs to develop his back to the basket game, and definitely needs to work on his body, but I think he has something. I expect a big step up next year for one of the steals of the 2010 draft.
• Greg Monroe: He is going to make the Warriors pay dearly for choosing Ekpe Udoh over him. He is a 4/5 combo who has great court vision and a solid build. The fear with Monroe was whether he would be assertive as an offensive player, but he was starting to show that ability. He should step up big time as an offensive option for the Pistons, I think he has a bright future in the league.

C

• Greg Oden: It is all about his health. I am sure people have heard me talk about him adnauseum, but if he is healthy, he will be a force, plain and simple.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Brandon Knight has yet to play an NBA game, but I did really like the pick for Detroit. I just really wonder how they are going to divi up minutes with their crowded backcourt. Knight should turn into their main PG option, but it could take a while for him to beat out Stuckey for the starting spot, especially if Rip is still around. Throw in Ben Gordon as well, and there are not many minutes to go around right away. I would throw in McGrady as well, but he is a FA and probably going to go somewhere else.

I guess I agree with the players you listed, I mean, they all should show improvement to some extent. Humphries better, he will more than likely get a pretty nice deal from the Nets or some other team desperate for a PF. I do not know how much improvement he will show, but he had a solid season last year. Bayless has to step it up, have been a big fan of his, but this is a contract year and he has been completely inconsistent. Has to improve his shooting and game management ability. Travis was a MAJOR let down last year, he has little place to go but up. The guy is a fantastic athlete, but a poor rebounder and inconsistent shooter as well.

Brandan Wright is a guy I thought could really play a nice role for the Nets. As crazy as it may sound, I have not given up on him. He will only be 24 when the season starts, and he has technically finished out his rookie deal. If New Jersey puts up the qualifying offer, which is incredibly reasonable at around 4 million or so, than they could be getting some great value. Seeing that the league average is after all around 6 million (though the NBA has come up with 5 from somewhere), getting a motivated and hopefully healthy Wright playing for a contract could be great for the Nets. He seemed to be coming into his own at a point on the Warriors, but he has constantly been hurt. Nonetheless, I think he is worth the gamble, and if a team offers him a long term deal for 4-5 mill per year, they could be getting a major steal.

Other possible breakout players:

PG

• Ty Lawson: I think he could have a really nice season. He was the right PG to get behind for the Nuggets, he is a terror in the open court. The guy has proven to be a very nice 3 point shooter, and it is incredibly hard to keep him from penetrating the D. Andre Miller will probably take some minutes, but I could see them playing together quite often as well. I expect Ty to have a really good year though, as soon as basketball gets up and running again.
• Brandon Jennings: He has been solid in his first couple of years, but his shooting percentages have been a tad, well, gross. I really expect him to pick things up this next year and hopefully justify all of the buzz surrounding him after he had a great start to his rookie year. Yes, the Bucks made the play-offs with him running the show, but the guy needs to take better shots. It would help his team exponentially, not to mention with the acquisition of Stephen Jackson, another streaky shooter, they will need some offensive balance. I am thinking Brandon will hit above 42% from the field, and if he doesn’t, than his team is in trouble.
• Whoever gets the starting PG spot for the Lakers: I think it is about time they have a changing of the guard. Steve Blake and Shannon Brown are fine and all, but I think they will go with an outside hire. Keep Fisher around, but they need someone young and quick to run the team. Aaron Brooks? He is a restricted FA, but he kills this team. I am sure they would not mind having him on their side, if there was some way of getting him.

SG

• Tyreke Evans: His Rookie Year was incredibly impressive, sophomore year, not so much. The guy is a terror to defend due to his strength and handle. He imposes his will on players, and he needs to get back to doing that more than drifting to the perimeter. Think that he really steps it up once things get back in session. Guessing 22-23 per game would be a nice way to get the Kings a few more wins, he needs to become their offensive leader. He has other players that can score as well, but he can be elite in this category, hoping he gets there.
• James Harden: Yes, everyone was incredibly impressed with him in the play-offs. The guy is a very versatile player. Can really do a lot on the floor, has very nice court vision, now he needs to be consistent with his performance. James will be entering his third year as well, and this should be a year where he really steps into the third scoring role. He needs to become a more competent defender, and he also hopefully will be able to play more minutes. Everyone is looking at James as the next Ginobili, and if he were to be in that class, next year would be a great time to try and prove it.
• Rudy Fernandez: After entering the league with a bang supplied by his passionate and fiery play, Rudy has had a pretty disappointing last two seasons. His shooting has gone down steadily, as has his confidence. He believes he is a superstar, but he has yet to play like one, and has not stepped up when given the opportunity. Now, he goes to the defending NBA champions, who actually could use some offense from the wing position. They were a team full of tiny, attacking guards, and now they have a guard with size and fantastic shooting ability for their wide open system. Jason Kidd should do wonders for Rudy, who is also a fantastic passer and talented at playing the passing lanes. Rudy is best playing off of the ball, slashing and spreading the floor. He might actually even get the starting spot on Dallas, it is a definite possibility, depending on whether they re-sign Caron Butler, maybe even if they do. If Rudy wants to show that he can be a high level NBA contributor, it is now or never. This could be the difference between Rudy having a long NBA career, or heading back to Europe for good.
• Evan Turner: This is an easy one. No, he was not going to be Brandon Roy, he was nowhere as polished offensively. However, he is still a very talented all-around player who can contribute in many facets of the game. He should put up numbers across the board and steadily improve as an offensive player. He will more than likely never be a first option, but he will definitely step his game up next year and should mimic Jrue Holiday with a nice second year step up.

SF

• Al-Farouq Aminu: Everyone seems to be looking to the Clippers to upgrade the wing, and they should definitely try to gain depth. But, I still have some faith that Al-Farouq Aminu could turn into a solid player. He is a very smooth athlete, and I think he has potential to improve his shooting. His length is great at the 3, he is a solid rebounder and I would expect a nice step up from one of the forgotten pieces of the "up and coming" Clippers.
• Nicolas Batum: His defensive presence, given his age, has been fantastic. One might think that acquiring Gerald Wallace might mean that the Blazers have lost faith in Nicolas, but I think that it actually worked to make Nicolas even more assertive as an offensive player. The fact is, the two play really well together, and with their combined length, speed and athleticism, they are fantastic in transition. Nicolas needs to start taking more of a role offensively, he really has been holding back. He can shoot and slash, very talented young player who hopefully takes the next step.

PF

• Ed Davis: He is a player in progress, and I think he will show great improvement every year left in his rookie contract. He is a willing rebounder, a nuisance on defense with his length. He needs to develop his back to the basket game, and definitely needs to work on his body, but I think he has something. I expect a big step up next year for one of the steals of the 2010 draft.
• Greg Monroe: He is going to make the Warriors pay dearly for choosing Ekpe Udoh over him. He is a 4/5 combo who has great court vision and a solid build. The fear with Monroe was whether he would be assertive as an offensive player, but he was starting to show that ability. He should step up big time as an offensive option for the Pistons, I think he has a bright future in the league.

C

• Greg Oden: It is all about his health. I am sure people have heard me talk about him adnauseum, but if he is healthy, he will be a force, plain and simple.

[Bison 49Participant]

Solid list Mikey V.  With regard to the point guards, I can Collison taking it up a notch.  Things were not really clicking in Indy early in the season, but the team showed a good response to the coaching change.

I think a lot of these guys are set for an improvement, especially the second and third year players who played well in their rookie/sophmore years.  Interesting is who will be the guys who emerge as solid starters from a reserve/bench role (not sixth man type role) and become important starters.

I really like the pick of Rudy Fernandez, and even Greg Oden in this case.  For both of these guys, a lot of people have begun to stop asking what if?

[Bison 49Participant]

Solid list Mikey V.  With regard to the point guards, I can Collison taking it up a notch.  Things were not really clicking in Indy early in the season, but the team showed a good response to the coaching change.

I think a lot of these guys are set for an improvement, especially the second and third year players who played well in their rookie/sophmore years.  Interesting is who will be the guys who emerge as solid starters from a reserve/bench role (not sixth man type role) and become important starters.

I really like the pick of Rudy Fernandez, and even Greg Oden in this case.  For both of these guys, a lot of people have begun to stop asking what if?

[LazarusMunozParticipant]

Nice list Mikey…just shows you that the nba has crazy young talent right now and a missed year would be horrible to those young guys who need to prove something

[LazarusMunozParticipant]

Nice list Mikey…just shows you that the nba has crazy young talent right now and a missed year would be horrible to those young guys who need to prove something

[tuck243Participant]

Andray Blatche? My dude this lay-off is what he DIDN’T need.  He’s a terrible teammate, bad motor, ball hog, turnover pron… And ALWAYS in the club…  I really dislike a talent like this going to waste… He’s not the one for saying that… You are the only ONE that believes in him outside of his circle… He’s probably somewhere smoking cigarettes right now…

The funny thing I was going to say Bayless… I really hope he balls this year because dude can play and has a great motor…

[tuck243Participant]

Andray Blatche? My dude this lay-off is what he DIDN’T need.  He’s a terrible teammate, bad motor, ball hog, turnover pron… And ALWAYS in the club…  I really dislike a talent like this going to waste… He’s not the one for saying that… You are the only ONE that believes in him outside of his circle… He’s probably somewhere smoking cigarettes right now…

The funny thing I was going to say Bayless… I really hope he balls this year because dude can play and has a great motor…

[Author]

Posts