5 NBA Players Primed for a Breakout Season according to www.msnbc.com!
Can't say that I agree with all of these, but maybe Mike Connolly. The rest of the group I think I could find 4 more players. What do you think????
Sometimes, it's circumstance.
Sometimes, it's simply maturation. And sometimes, it's a new twist added to a player's game that changes everything. Whatever the cause, every season there are breakout players — those who manage to go from middling to mint almost overnight. This season will be no different.
Andrea Bargnani, C, Raptors
Bargnani benefited from a coaching switch. In his third season, he thrived with coach Jay Triano after wilting under the criticism of Sam Mitchell, who wanted Bargnani — a 7-footer with a great 3-point shot — to play more like a traditional center. "The thing with Andrea — I think you have to let him be who he is," Triano says. "You would like more rebounding, more defense, more of those things. But you have to emphasize the positive, too."
Sometimes, it's circumstance.
Mike Conley, PG, Grizzlies
Conley never found his way during his rookie year and still was struggling in the first half of last season. But then, a blessing: Memphis hired Lionel Hollins as its coach. Hollins committed to Conley as his point guard, and the team traded Kyle Lowry, Conley's competitor for the starting job. After the All-Star break, Conley averaged 14.5 points and 5.6 assists and made 43.5 percent of his 3-pointers. "You could see Mike's confidence grow in the second half last year," teammate O.J. Mayo says. "I think we're all excited to go out and play with him."
Amir Johnson, PF, Bucks
Johnson has talent, but getting him to use that talent on the floor was a challenge in Detroit, especially because the Pistons were trying to contend in the Eastern Conference. Now, heading into his fifth season after being drafted out of high school, Johnson is in Milwaukee with the rebuilding Bucks and tough-minded coach Scott Skiles. Oh, and he will become a free agent next summer. If ever there were a perfect opportunity for Johnson to show he belongs in the NBA, it has arrived. "We think he has a lot of potential," Bucks general manager John Hammond says. "But, to be honest, he needs to show it."
Anthony Randolph, PF, Warriors
Randolph spent much of his rookie year in coach Don Nelson's doghouse and nailed to the bench. In the first half of the season, he averaged 5.8 points in 12.8 minutes. But after meeting with Nelson and getting a better understanding of what his coach was looking for, Randolph blossomed, averaging 10.7 points and 7.9 rebounds in the second half. He was the star of the NBA's summer league, where he averaged 26.8 points on 60.9 percent shooting, and is primed for a big year. "I have been working out all summer, mostly in Oakland," Randolph says. "I have been trying to stay in touch with Coach Nellie throughout the offseason so that I know what I need to work on. I am looking to get playing time this year."
John Salmons, G/F, Bulls
Salmons has had a strange NBA career. He struggled with his shot for four years in Philadelphia before blossoming with the Kings. But, because he played in Sacramento, few noticed Salmons had grown into an offensive threat. He averaged 18.3 points after his trade to Chicago last February, though, and with Ben Gordon gone, Salmons should take over the role of go-to scorer in a brighter media market. "He was unbelievable for us last year," teammate Derrick Rose says. "I think, now that he has had time to play with us and after he goes through training camp, he is going to be even better."
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