Three players on the verge of a breakout
Anfernee Simons
The Portland Trailblazers have come out to a great start, with leader Damian Lillard still playing his best basketball and his new number two exploding onto the scene.
Some people are familiar with the talents of Anfernee Simons, but everyone who didn’t know of him certainly has seen his clips online. He currently leads the Trailblazers in points and assists, averaging 23.8 points and 4.5 assists per game.
The 2018 24th pick has gone from playing less than 20 minutes a game behind CJ McCollum to starting every game he has played this season and averaging 37 minutes. Simons is shooting 42.8 percent from the field and 38 percent from the three-point line.
His confidence on the court is at an all-time high, and teams will have to start seriously game planning for Simons.
Lauri Markkanen
Prior to the start of the season, NBA fans weren’t expecting the Utah Jazz to be a competitive team. However, Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson have come out firing on all cylinders, winning multiple games the Jazz were counted out of.
Markkanen came into the league as the 2017 seventh overall pick. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves quickly traded their pick to the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade.
Markkanen has been moving from team to team ever since his departure from the Bulls, but his new home in Utah looks like a great opportunity. The big man gets to display his talents as the main option in the Jazz offense and his all-around abilities as a player. If he can continue this play, he is undoubtedly a candidate to be an All-Star this season.
Markkanen leads the Jazz in points and rebounds with 22.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Markkanen had a 32 points and nine rebounds outing versus his former team, the Bulls. His highest-scoring game was 38 points in a close win versus the Phoenix Suns.
Christian Wood
The Dallas Mavericks desperately needed a big man to pair with Luka Doncic after the team’s swift exit during the Western Conference Finals.
The undrafted big man bounced from team to team, showing potential as a scorer. Christian Wood has spent time on the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, and the Houston Rockets.
Teams moved on from Wood citing attitude problems and his unwillingness to come off the bench. Wood averaged 21 points last season during his first season as a full-time starter. This is the last year of Woods’s contract, and he is looking for a big payday.
Wood was acquired on draft night last season from the Houston Rockets by the Mavericks and has been putting the league on notice with high-flying plays and back-to-back three-point shots, having him average 16 points per game. However, although Wood has been playing exceptionally well, coach Jason Kidd still hasn’t given him the opportunity to start the games.
Fans are hopeful that Wood will receive more playing time and continue to develop on both ends of the floor. Through his time on the Mavericks, he has shown himself to be a team player, ready to get in the game and make an impact.
honorable Mention : Bennedict mathurin
This list does not include rookies, but I could not go without mentioning Bennedict Mathurin. The sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft has blown everyone out of the water with his talent.
Scouts across the league were focused on obvious picks like Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren for Rookie of the Year, but Mathurin has put together a good case to win the award.
Mathurin is averaging 19.2 points and 1.5 assists per game on 40.3 percent shooting from the three-point line. He has 32, 30, 27, and 26-point games this season and has kept the Indiana Pacers interesting alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner.
