C.J. McCollum’s emergence was among the biggest reasons why the Portland Trail Blazers avoided a major drop off last season despite the losses of LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez. McCollum enjoyed a breakout season with 20.8 points, 4.3assists and 3.2 rebounds to earn the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and help Portland finish fifth in the Western Conference standings. Who are the most likely candidates to follow in McCollum’s footsteps with breakout performances this coming year? Here is a look at the top NBA breakout candidates at each position for the 2016-17 season.
PG: Dennis Schroder, Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks finally decided to make the move to Schroder as their full-time starting point guard and traded Jeff Teague to the Indiana Pacers in a three-way deal that landed them the No. 12 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Schroder established himself as a capable starter while battling for playing time with Teague last season when he averaged 11.0 points, 4.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game. Now he will have the opportunity to prove he can handle a significant boost in minutes and responsibility while leading the Atlanta offense at the point guard position. All of the pieces are in place for the 22-year-old to enjoy a breakout season in 2016-17.
SG: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Booker enjoyed a mini breakout over the second half of last season when he averaged 19.2 points, 4.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game as a 19-year-old. The Suns are hoping he can pick up from where he left off and continue his development as one of the bright young shooting guards in the NBA. Booker should get every opportunity to play a bigger role even with Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight back in the fold as a Phoenix team with the fourth-worst record in the league last season turns to the future. Another full offseason of strength and conditioning should also help as Booker looks to breakout in his sophomore season.
SF: Bojan Bogdanovic, Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn might be in the worst position of the 30 NBA teams, but they do have a potential bright spot in Bogdanovic. The 27-year-old averaged 15.1 points including 2.2 three-point shots in just 28.0 minutes per game after the All-Star break last season and he is primed for a bigger role with the Nets this coming year. Brooklyn should have one of the worst offenses in the entire NBA so Bogdanovic will be leaned on at that end of the floor in a position where he could really improve his scoring numbers. He’s not only a player entering his prime but one that should get plenty of opportunity.
PF: Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
Milwaukee’s Jabari Parker was considered for this position but the combination of offseason moves and player potential led to us sticking with Gordon as the top breakout candidate at the power forward position. Gordon moved in to Orlando’s starting lineup in January and averaged 11.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.5 minutes per game the rest of the way. The Magic brought in Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo to help take some of the defensive responsibility away from Gordon and their presence should help him to concentrate more on his offensive game while developing in to a better all-around player. Gordon’s versatility could lead to him playing minutes at the small forward position where he will have a chance to showcase his versatility and talent.
C: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
There are some around the NBA that feel Embiid is one of the best kept secrets in the league at this point and they could be right. The third-overall pick from the 2014 NBA Draft has spent the past two seasons getting healthy and developing his skill set in the 76ers system with the goal of eventually stepping in to a major role when he is ready. Philadelphia’s frontcourt is loaded with Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor already in the mix but there has been plenty of talk about the potential for a trade to move one of those two players and open up a bigger opportunity for Embiid. The 22-year-old big man was a top-five pick in 2014 and after a couple of years of development he should be primed for a breakout season in 2016-17.
