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NBA’s Expected, Surprise And Overdue Breakout Players

By Matt Peterson

Nov 25, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Thunder won 132-129. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Thunder won 132-129. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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Every NBA team hopes one of its young players will have a breakout season. Who is making “the leap” like we expected and who has come out of nowhere?

Nov 25, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Thunder won 132-129. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Thunder won 132-129. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Every NBA team hopes one of its young players can make “the leap” to another level of production. Some are expected and happen (Scottie Pippen after Michael Jordan‘s first retirement).

Others are viewed as sure things that, for various reasons, wind up regressing or leveling off instead (Serge Ibaka every year since 2013).

Breakout players are fun, because they upset the established order of the elite. DeMar DeRozan, currently the league’s third-leading scorer, has never been named to any All-NBA teams in his career.

Now, you’d be hard-pressed to name a better 2-guard than him. Who takes the fall in the pecking order? Will DeRozan still be making us answer that question in April?

Also See: 50 Greatest NBA Players Without a Championship

Players were given a hard look if their “leap” took place on a terrible team. Harrison Barnes is putting up more than 20 points per game for league-worst Dallas, but Anthony Davis is producing at historic levels while his teammates are dropping like flies.

We’re pretty sure the latter is significant, but the former looks a lot like the first eight years of Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the league’s expected, surprise and overdue breakout players one month into the NBA season.