7 NBA Players Having BIZARRE Breakout Seasons (2023)

The NBA is changing more than it ever has in the last decade. I mean, when the trio of Jordan Clarkson, Larry Marknan, and Mike Conley are blowing out LeBron, AD, and Russell Westbrook, you know something's off. Then, when you look at the early MVP race and you don't see a healthy LeBron James in the top five or the top ten, or even in the honorable mention section after that, you'll come to the realization that the NBA is going through a changing of the guards. The greats of yesterday are starting to disappear in the rearview mirror, while the new generation is starting to walk into the light. Drafted 11th overall in 2018 and traded after his rookie season, people thought Shea Gilchrist Alexander would be good, but not this good. Across 10 or so games so far this season, the kid is averaging over 30 points a ball game while shooting over 50% from the field and is currently leading the league in free throw percentages. Then, to add on to that, he's ranked 5th in player efficiency, right behind Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant. That's some pretty elite company if you ask me. From being just a regular rotation player in his rookie season, SGA has really ramped up his game over the years, and now in his 5th year, all signs are leading for SGA to finally seize the chance to become a legit superstar, with the way he's balling out right now both in the stat sheet and on the court. His teammate Lou Dort, despite being known as a tough defender, says that he's always had a hard time guarding SGA in practice, and also revealed the secrets that make SGA such a special player. Shea is a big challenge. He's so smooth, crafty, and at the same time, can explode whenever. I feel like he's hard to guard. He's also really long, so he can make a lot of tough shots around the rim. I feel like every time I go against him, I see it as a challenge, and we always go at it. Now, apart from SGA, Grizzlies Desmond Bain is another guy who's having a huge breakout season. He was the 30th pick in the 2020 draft, but in only his 3rd year in the league, he's averaging 24.6% of ball game while shooting an astounding 46.3% from downtown. Sheesh, that's pretty insane if you ask me. Anyways, though Bain was known to be just a spot up shooter when he first entered the league, he's slowly becoming a more potent offensive threat as he can now confidently put the ball in the ground and make shots off the dribble as well as create open shot opportunities for his teammates after penetrating the lane. Though the season is still early, Bain already has multiple 30-ish point outings to show the world that he's now more than just a guy who stands in the corner waiting for a kick out pass. And if he keeps on like this as the season progresses, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets his first all-star nod in a couple of months. Now, it's clear that Jock can't do it alone, and the question for the Grizzlies has always been, who's going to be the guy who can step up and compliment their electrifying superstar? Well, I don't even think it's a debate anymore. Anyway guys, next on our list is Tyrese Halliburton of the Indiana Pacers. Just like the Knicks, the Kings have made some extremely questionable moves and one of them was letting go of Tyrese Halliburton. Like, whoever decided to trade him should have to sit down with Adam Silver and demonstrate that he knows basketball. I mean, so far this season, Halliburton is leading Indiana in three statistical categories at nearly 22 points, 10 assists, and two steals while shooting 50% from the field, 45% from three, and 88% at the free throw line. Those are some insane production numbers and efficiency. At 6'5", he also towers over most point guards in the league, and this height difference allows him to locate his teammates with precision and ease. Back when he was a rookie, Halliburton had a hard time competing for minutes in the Kings' loaded backcourt and he felt betrayed when they let him go. But looking back at the trade, he believes that it allowed him to have the right platform to finally show what he is truly capable of. I'm not going to lie, for a while it was just complete resentment towards, honestly, everybody in the organization if I'm being quite frank, even people who had nothing to do with the trade. If I'm being completely honest, that trade is such a blessing for me. It's so easy now to look at it that way, but it's a complete blessing for me to be in the situation that I'm in to have the ability to showcase what I can do and play my natural position. Anywho, speaking of up and coming point guards, Tyrese Maxey is also making some noise for the 76ers and is looking to break out this year. Despite the 76ers having a shaky start to begin the season, things are still looking up overall for Philadelphia with the evolution of the third year guard out of Kentucky. It's not just about what he does on the court too, I mean, he seems like he's a bright spot in the locker room. Anyway, let's get back to talking about basketball. Tyrese is averaging almost 24 points of all game while also serving as the team's second leading scorer behind Joel Embiid. And it's not like he's just chucking up a ton of shots to pad his points production either because when it comes to efficiency, Maxey currently shoots the ball at nearly 47% from the field and 42% from three. Throughout his first two seasons, Maxey was splitting his time between scoring and running point guard duties. But with James Harden added into the mix, he transitioned to being a full-time bucket getter, which was his original calling card. And now we can see that he's much more comfortable in terms of fit while playing within the flow of the 76ers offense. Anyway, moving on Somehow, someway, the finished forward out of Arizona is redefining a team that most people, including me, pegged to be in the race for Victor Wambunyama. I mean, it's not a joke when I say that he's currently the best player on the best team in the west, and uh, the twitter world is currently going crazy over this development. In terms of production, he's improved his scoring from about 15 points a ball game last season to 23 today while averaging nearly nine rebounds a game. More than just numbers on paper though, Markkinen is looking like a beast on the floor. I mean, did y'all see that vicious throwdown he had against Rudy Gobert? Sheesh. Is this just a lucky stretch of games, or are we seeing the beginnings of a star in the making? I mean, he has all the attributes that makes a unicorn. Seven feet tall, athletic, mobile, could shoot it from deep, could score in the post. I don't know what to call this, but I'm loving it, and I hope it continues. Alright guys, we're now down to the last two breakout players, and the next one we got on the list is Paulo Banqueiro. The sensational super rookie in Orlando has been breaking records left and right, and what's funny and scary at the same time is that, although the season has just barely begun, he's already been getting mentions from superstars like LeBron on Instagram. Then, uh, you can tell from his response that LBJ is his favorite player. Anyway, in his first 10 or so games into the season, Banqueiro is already looking like an all-star form by averaging nearly 24 a ballgame, 8 boards, and 4 assists while shooting 46% from the field. It's pretty obvious that Banqueiro was already NBA ready before he was even drafted, and there's no doubt that this 20-year-old kid has all the physical tools as well as the skills to become the next great big man in the league. I mean, first, he's extremely versatile for his 6'10 frame. Like, he has a sweet mid-range game to begin with, and if that doesn't work, he can bully or power his way inside for an easy bucket. Aside from this, he also has the vision and handles of a guard, and with that being said, I'm pretty sure we'll be hearing Banqueiro's name in the NBA world for a long, long time, cause this kid is just getting started. Anyway guys, earlier we talked about the breakout of Tyrese Halliburton, and aside from him, there's another player in Indiana that's breaking out, and that guy's name is Benedict Matherman. Drafted as the 6th overall pick of the Pacers in the most recent draft, the 6'6 Canadian shooting guard is averaging 20 points while shooting 46% from the field, 85% from the foul line, and almost 44% from 3. And in case you're having doubts about his potential earlier this season, this dude outperformed both Kyrie and Durant in a game, as he scored 32 points on 16 shots and led the Pacers to a win over the Nets. He has a nice shooting stroke which makes him extremely efficient from deep, and with his quickness and agility, he's also quite crafty in finishing around the rim. He's been a complete surprise so far for the season, and along with Halliburton, the Pacers are going to have one of the best backcourts for years to come.