Six Breakout Players To Watch – Atlantic Division

The Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference is going to be an outright bloodbath. For one, it features the top three teams in the conference, and arguably the only three teams from the East with a prayer to compete in the Finals. The Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers all have plenty of talent to make a push through the playoffs, and before the start of the season, the first seed could really belong to any of them.

The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are both bottom-feeders in the conference but have spent the last couple of seasons building their respective rosters through free agency and the draft. In the weak Eastern Conference, both teams have a justifiable shot at a postseason berth.

Let’s take a look at six players throughout the division that will have the opportunity to make noise for their team. Whether it be as a scoring threat, a defensive savant or a playmaking expert, these breakout candidates are sure to make an impact this upcoming season.

Semi Ojeleye – Boston Celtics

When factoring in his size, Semi Ojeleye could be the most athletic player on this roster. Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing in at 240 pounds, Semi moves fluidly on the court, both in outright speed and sliding defensively. Thanks in part to his combination of size and speed, he is able to guard multiple positions on the floor. He played this defensive role admirably coming off the bench for the Celtics in his rookie year.

Semi’s issues came on the offensive side of the floor. Playing over 15 minutes per game, he put up a measly 2.7 points on 34.6 percent shooting. His play during the Las Vegas Summer League was highly encouraging for his offensive play this upcoming season. He averaged 12.4 points on 42.6 percent shooting while playing roughly 28 minutes a game. While only shooting 33.3 percent from three, he attempted more three-pointers than any other player on the summer league roster, showing that the coaches have faith in his long-ball as well.

Shabazz Napier – Brooklyn Nets

Shabazz is now playing for his fourth team while entering his fifth season in the league. He saw stints in both Miami and Orlando before finding a solid role with Portland. Signing with Brooklyn in the offseason, Napier is coming off his best statistical season in the NBA. He averaged 8.7 points per game on 20.7 minutes off the bench. He is a proven scorer that can handle the ball and score at an efficient mark.

While he may be fighting for minutes early – he is currently the third point guard on the roster – his ability to score will naturally get him more playing time. Playing behind one of the best scoring duos in the NBA in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum likely prevented Shabazz from seeing the floor more often and could have affected his development. Joining a Nets roster that desperately needs scoring off the bench, Shabazz could break out and average double-digit scoring.

Mario Hezonja – New York Knicks

Mario is entering his first season with the Knicks after signing a 1-year, $6.5 million deal in free agency. Originally a top-five pick in the 2015 NBA draft, Mario didn’t develop as quickly as the Orlando Magic would have liked, so they decided to let him walk in free agency. Regardless of what the Magic thought of his production, his per-36 minutes splits this last season were impressive. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 44.2 percent shooting.

Hezonja has plenty of length in today’s NBA; this allows him to seamlessly guard multiple positions on the defensive end. His three-point shot hasn’t quite caught fire, but he has enough to work with to eventually become an efficient marksman from downtown. As his shooting ability and defensive instincts continue to progress, look for Mario to make a big impact early with Kristaps Porzingis out to start the season. David Fizdale is one of the better coaches in the business and his expertise should be enough to push Mario to the next level of his game. As his game develops, Hezonja will morph into a true weapon in today’s era of “positionless” basketball.

Markelle Fultz – Philadelphia 76ers

This candidate should come as no surprise. Markelle Fultz was the number one selection in last year’s draft for a reason. He was a highly capable scorer and facilitator at the NCAA level and was, unfortunately, sidelined due to injury for most of the season. A lot of his game is still developing. His shooting, which has taken many forms throughout the last year, seems to finally be coming around. But what we saw at the end of the season looked very promising. For starters, Fultz became the youngest player in the history of the game to record a triple-double, pouring in 13 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in the 76ers’ final game of the season.

Fultz still has a ways to go, but by no indication can he be written off. As his health continues to come around, look at him to make a huge impact for Philadelphia coming off the bench. There’s a reason he was the number one pick in the draft and he’s going to prove that this season.

Furkan Korkmaz – Philadelphia 76ers

Originally drafted by the 76ers back in 2016, he was a draft-and-stash player who spent a year in Europe before signing with the 76ers in 2017. He spent much of his rookie season in the G-League and saw limited time with the 76ers – but he looks to make a jump this season. The first reason is due to his stellar play in the 2018 NBA Summer League. On the first day against the Boston Celtics, he put up a blistering 40 points, thanks in part to shooting 8 of 14 from three. The second highest scorer in the game had 16. He shot confidently, found open spots, and knocked down buckets with ease. It was a very impressive performance from a 21-year-old.

The impressive play didn’t just stop there. Four games into this year’s edition of the preseason, Furkan is putting up 10.3 points per game on 62.5 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from three. He’s doing that in only 12.4 minutes per game. The 76ers have a very impressive starting five, but Furkan will surely add quite the scoring threat coming off the bench.

Pascal Siakam – Toronto Raptors

Siakam was a large part of the reserves’ success for the Toronto Raptors last season. His presence on the floor from a defensive standpoint is impressive. His frame at 6-foot-9 is impressive but his wingspan of 7-foot-3 makes him a highly versatile piece. He’s athletic enough to guard multiple positions and his defensive IQ always has him in the right spots.

While his effect isn’t as strong on the offensive end, he still averaged 7.3 points per game last season on roughly 50 percent shooting. Now entering his third year in the league, Siakam looks to make a huge impact for the Raptor’s bench unit. With Jakob Poeltl gone to the Spurs, Siakam will have to anchor the second team defensively. He’s shown major strides in his young career up to this point, so he looks to make the Raptor’s bench one of the most feared backup units in the league.

Like I previously mentioned, the Atlantic Division is going to be one of the toughest divisions in the league this year. In order for a team to rise to the top, they’ll need a lesser-known player or two on their roster to rise to the occasion and have a true breakout season. As you can see from the players listed, each of these potential candidates has a case as to why they’ll stand out. In order for their team to find success throughout the year – especially within the division – they’ll need to showcase their specific skills and prove that they can produce at a high level.