Thursday, August 2, 2007

Breakout Players for the 2007-08 Season

Here's just a rundown of some of the players I think will break out next year. Monta and K-Mart (The one that actually plays) did it last year, look for some of these players this year.

Rajon Rondo (Bos) - With Delonte West gone, Rondo will get a chance to show what he can do. Pierce and Allen will make up for the fact that he can't shoot, while his defensive presence, playmaking ability, and exceptional rebounding will make him a valuable member of the Celtics next year. He's strong with long arms, he's going to a really good defender in this league.

Amir Johnson (Det) - If your in Detroit or you follow the D-League, you don't really need an explanation here. Amir Johnson probably won't see that much playing time, but he likely will appear in more than the 8 games he played last year. The last high school player picked in the NBA draft, Amir Johnson is a high-flying athletic beast. Just to give you a taste, during garbage time last year (aka the last few games of the season) he put up 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 rebounds on Philly. The last game of the year he had a tantalizing 20 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 steals, albeit against a Boston team that had no interest in winning games. If that is any kind of indicator of the potential of this guy, the league better watch out. He is slowly getting groomed to take over the starting PF spot as Sheed ages, and he may even surpass Jason Maxiell in playing time. Johnson definitely needs to add some bulk and experience, but a lot of Pistons fans are hoping he is our diamond in the rough.

Dorrell Wright (Mia) - Dorrell Wright is just what the doctor ordered for an aging Miami team. Wright is a solid on defense and the boards while possessing the athleticism to get to the rim and finish. With Wade missing some time early in the year, Posey likely out of town, and Antoine Walker falling out of favor, look for Wright to put up some inflated November numbers.

Francisco Garcia (Sac) - Ron Artest has hindered the emergence of Garcia, but with Artest being Artest, Garcia's minutes are bound to increase. He's been a silky smooth shooter since his days at Louisville, and proved he could score in the league with a strong finish to the season. He's lanky, and is pretty solid rebounder because of it. Do not be surprised if Artest is traded and they give the starting role over to Garcia, he could be a solid starter in this league for a while.

Louis Amundson (Phi) - You know those intangible guys that just seem to hang around the league even though they really do one thing right? That's Amundson, and he's a phenomenal rebounder. Philly will play this guy this season, and he'll go get the job done.

Robert Swift (Sea) - This was supposed to happen last year, then he tore his ACL. I honestly haven't seen much of this guy, but I'd expect him to put up around 10/10 on a very young Seattle squad.

Tarence Kinsey (Mem) - Along with Argentinian Walter Herrmann, Kinsey made a lot of people do a double take when they kept seeing them with 20 point performances. If you've never seen him play, one scouting report called him a poor man's Rip with hops. While I don't accurate this really is (He did wear a mask part of last season), there is no doubt the man can shoot the ball. As a starter, he averaged 19 ppg on 49% shooting. While most of that came during the last month of the season, this guy will be a contributor on a young Memphis team.

I don't know if it's pity or what, but I also think that Darko is going to have his best year and Adam Morrison isn't going to suck. I'd feel a lot more comfortable banking on Darko though.

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