NBA Today: 5 players who can have a breakout season in 2019-20
Every year we witness a select group of players who elevate their game to the next level and electrify their respective fanbases. It is particularly surprising when a budding talent exhibits flashes of great promise en route to having a great season. There are not many occurrences that catapult a franchise more effectively than an explosive breakout year of an individual talent.
Their sizeable growth coupled with a rejuvenated sense of maturity is what turns them from good role players into great franchise cornerstones. It makes perfect sense to project a year of elite basketball quality from some players keeping in mind their recent surge on the NBA landscape.
Let's take a look at five players who are most likely to have a breakout year during the upcoming 2019-20 campaign.
#5 Caris LeVert
LeVert was the the arguably the biggest what-if from the recently-concluded NBA season. Before going down with a gruesome leg injury against Minnesota on November 12, the 24-year-old was the Nets' best player in their first 13 games of the year.
He effectively would have followed the path that was taken up later by Russell, who then emerged as an All-star and led Brooklyn into the season. Nevertheless, LeVert returned to stand as the team's best player in the five-game first-round exit against Philly in the playoffs. He averaged 21 points per game on 46% shooting from deep (50% overall) against Embiid and Co. and left an indelible mark.
His playoff numbers were a huge leap up from his regular season shooting averages, and now that he is not expected to have any long-term side effects from his dislocated ankle, LeVert is one tough candidate to watch out for.