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The 2020-21 NBA Season is officially here. As fans welcome their favorite stars back in their homes, there is new talent around the league aching to have shine on the big stage.
Some of these players are coming in with stellar performances in the NBA bubble. While others made a splash in the preseason games of the 2020-21 NBA Season.
2020-21 NBA Season: intriguing players who could have a breakout season.
Get ready for some NBA action as these young up and coming players take the next step in their career. These guys have shown they have what it takes but now have to carry this momentum throughout the season in order earn the right of having the tag of a legitimate breakout season.
Let’s take a look at some of the prime candidates poised to have a breakout season.
#1: Talen Horton-Tucker (LA Lakers)
A sophomore playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Talen Horton-Tucker of the LA Lakers had a monster performance in Game 2 of the preseason where he scored 33 points. Following his already impressive performance in the preseason opener, where he dropped 19 points and 9 rebounds.
His teammate and arguably the greatest player of this generation, Lebron James took to Twitter to praise the young man. In the preseason press conference, King James did inform the media, that THT was a player he had his eyes on from the start. LeBron even informed Klutch Sports head Rich Paul to bring the player under his wings.
The 20-year-old had his moments even in the NBA bubble, especially against the Houston Rockets, scoring 9 points in just 9 minutes in Game 5. The 2020-21 NBA Season is the perfect setting for him to step up his game and earn a more prominent role with the 2019-20 NBA Champions.
#2: De'Andre Hunter (Atlanta Hawks)
De’Andre Hunter had standout performances in the 2020-21 preseason games for the Atlanta Hawks. He definitely looked much more aggressive than his rookie season and took 17 shots in the two games combined.
He averaged 12.3 points last season and shot the ball 41% from the floor and 35% from beyond the arc, numbers that are bound to get better as he gets more playing time.
The Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce considers the young man as one of his best defensive players. Match that with an improved offense, and the Hawks will have a legitimate breakout candidate for the 2020-21 NBA Season.
#3: Michael Porter Jr (Denver Nuggets)
Michael Porter Jr is set to become a starter for the Denver Nuggets with the franchise losing Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig in 2020 NBA Free Agency. Porter has shown his explosive abilities on the offensive end and is expected by many to have a breakout season for the Nuggets in the 2020-21 NBA Season.
Fresh off the postseason, where head coach Michael Malone bumped his minutes from 16.4 to 23.7 minutes per appearance, the 22-year-old responded well with 11.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 38% shooting from deep.
Even though Michael Porter Jr. has often caught the attention of the media with the kind of quotes he has given in the past, there is very little doubting the talent, the young man possess.
#4: Gary Trent Jr. (Portland Trail Blazers)
With Portland Trail blazers getting hit by a spree of injuries last season, it was Gary Trent Jr.'s turn to help his team by taking on a bigger role. His playing time increased to 21.8 minutes per game, where he averaged 8.9 points in one of the shortest seasons in NBA history.
But it was the NBA bubble where he truly made a mark for himself with his brilliant perimeter defense while averaging 16.9 points on 50.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Trent's combination of lethal shooting and lockdown defense makes him the perfect candidate capable of dominating during the 2020-21 NBA season.
#5: Christian Wood (Houston Rockets)
25-year-old Christian Wood raked in a $41M deal with the Houston Rockets recently and is very highly rated by NBA experts, who predict this could be his breakout season. The former UNLV big man had a terrific performance in the preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs. He and James Harden played off each other as fans cheered from around the world.
While Houstons' future seems uncertain at the moment, their fans will nevertheless be hoping to see their team make a run for the NBA Championship. This is where young talent like Wood comes in, his ability to stretch the floor by rolling to the basket is exactly what they need.
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