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10 young NBA players in need of a breakout season in 2017-18

By Gerald Bourguet

Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images /
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Honorable Mentions

Victor Oladipo — That 18-4-4 stat line in his second season seems like eons ago, but at age 25, maybe Dipo is what he is: A good but not great two-way player who will do a little of everything for the Indiana Pacers without the star potential he was once pegged for. His sizable contract also keeps him off the list.

D’Angelo Russell — Russell would like to have a breakout year after being spurned by the Los Angeles Lakers, but a talent-starved team like the Brooklyn Nets isn’t going to suddenly give up on him if he doesn’t.

Cody Zeller — Reminder: The Charlotte Hornets went 33-29 with Zeller on the floor last year…compared to 3-17 without him. That, plus Zeller’s steady albeit slow improvement year over year prevents him from making the list as he enters his fifth season.

Jordan Clarkson/Julius Randle — It seems silly to include these youngsters considering one put up 14.7 points per game and the other averaged 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last year, but the Los Angeles Lakers could quickly plop them on the trade block to free up space for free agency.

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The New Orleans Pelicans poor injury luck has already begun
The New Orleans Pelicans poor injury luck has already begun /

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    • Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — The elite defense continues to be overshadowed by his lack of a jumper, but entering his sixth season, can MKG raise his ceiling from lengthier version of Tony Allen to something truly befitting of a former No. 2 overall pick? Or is it already too late?

    Steven Adams — 2016-17 wasn’t the breakout year most were expecting for the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s defensive anchor, even if he did average a career-high 11.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last year.

    Marcus Smart — With Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas gone, plus a woeful defender like Kyrie Irving entering the fold, the Boston Celtics are not only going to need Smart’s defensive prowess, but they’re also going to need him to figure that jump shot out sooner rather than later.

    Trey Lyles — We tried to avoid as many second-year players as possible, but after the Utah Jazz gave up on Lyles, now he has to join a Denver Nuggets team with like 17 power forwards. The time to start carving out his NBA niche is now.

    Stanley Johnson — Marcus Morris‘ departure frees up minutes for Johnson on the wing, but he completely fell out of the Detroit Pistons‘ rotation last year. He’s still only 21 entering his third year, but 2017-18 is the first crucial step in proving he’s a legitimate NBA player.

    Noah Vonleh — Vonleh is still only 22, but at some point all that raw potential has to materialize into something at a position of need for the Portland Trail Blazers. It didn’t happen in his third season, with 4.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game representing his career-highs to this point.

    Tim Hardaway Jr. — Hardaway already had something of a breakout year last season, averaging 14.5 points per game on .455/.357/.766 shooting splits. But with that $71 million price tag attached to his name by the New York Knicks, the pressure is back on.