NBA: 10 candidates for breakout seasons in 2018-19

7. Markelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers

Even marginal improvement would count as a “breakout year” compared to the 7.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game Markelle Fultz put up in a bizarre rookie season. Whether it was the shoulder injury or the yips (Fultz insists it’s the former), the No. 1 overall draft pick from 2017 was a major disappointment.

However, this isn’t just about taking the next step forward; it’s about Fultz immediately establishing himself as the Philadelphia 76ers‘ third star after Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. It’s about all the hype his revamped jump shot is receiving, all the time he spent with trainer Drew Hanlan this summer and yes, all the premature All-Star talk.

J.J. Redick has the starting 2 job locked down, but by the end of the season, Fultz may have proven what all the pre-draft hype was all about. Maybe he only takes the next baby step forward, but for the sake of the Sixers, the NBA at large and poor Fultz himself, it’d be fantastic to see him take the giant leap toward stardom most expected to see last year.