Predicting every NBA team's breakout player for 2024-25 season
By Dalton Sell
LA Clippers - Kai Jones
After missing all of last season, former Charlotte Hornets big man Kai Jones returned to the NBA to sign with the LA Clippers. During his first two years in Charlotte, Jones always flexed his potential as an uber-athletic 6-foot-11 big man, but he never fully harnessed it. On LA's end, the hope is that the 23-year-old can indeed break through that barrier and become a rotation piece.
Jones has an opportunity to be LA's backup center behind Ivica Zubac. If Jones does earn the nod, it wouldn't be hard for him to shatter his career averages of 2.7 points and two rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game. In the preseason, Jones has shown glimpses of improvement on both ends, but especially on defense. If he has grown as a rim protector, it could make him a regular for the LA Clippers.
Los Angeles Lakers - Dalton Knecht
Plenty of people were shocked when Dalton Knecht fell to the Los Angeles Lakers with the 17th pick in this past draft, as he was projected to go much higher. The Lakers certainly were not complaining about Knecht falling into their lap, especially after his preseason efforts. In five games, he averaged 18 points while shooting 36 percent from deep on 10 attempts per game. His potential is clear.
On a Lakers team spearheaded by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, perimeter shooting is essential to running a smooth offense. As he's shown in the preseason, Knecht is not afraid to let it fly from the outside, and he'd have countless open looks playing with these two every night. At 23, he is among the more experienced rookies, which may make him more ready to help right away.