One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to the NBA community is when a young player is forgotten about after one or two seasons in the league. It could be because they started off slow, or because their team drafted a top prospect who is getting all of the attention, or maybe they got injured. No matter what the reason may be, very few things irritate me more than a young player not getting the fanfare that they deserve. Today I'm highlighting five young players who have not been in the mainstream eye as of late who I believe are about to explode for a breakout season.
5. Scottie Barnes - Toronto Raptors
It's wild how people have already forgotten about Scottie Barnes. Just two seasons ago he was awarded the rookie of the year award, but after somewhat of a sophomore slump he has flown completely under the radar heading into this season. He averaged nearly identical numbers his second year as his exciting rookie season. This was while playing with a guy in Fred VanVleet, who was hustling to get paid this summer, and in turn taking the majority of the shots in the Raptors system. Barnes was still great on defense, and now with VanVleet heading to Houston, Barnes will have a much larger role in the Toronto offense. On top of that there's a good chance that Pascal Siakam gets traded either before the season or early in the year. If that were to happen, Barnes would be the clear number one option in Toronto, a scenario which would surely lead to a third year explosion for the young forward.
pc: Mark Blinch/Getty Images
4. Franz Wagner - Orlando Magic
Franz Wagner was one of the most impressive rookies in the 2021 class, but his position on a tanking Magic team would cause Wagner to fly under the radar his freshman season. The tanking ended up working out for Orlando, as they landed the number one pick the following year which they used to select Duke prospect Paolo Banchero. This past season Banchero was the only player in Orlando getting major media attention despite Wagner having a fantastic sophomore season. He averaged nearly 19 points per game as the second option, and chipped in four assists a night as a forward. His splits were great, shooting 36% from three as a stretch big. He got better in almost every way his second year, and I expect that trend to continue. He's an unselfish player with high basketball IQ, and because of that I don't think there's any chance he gets worse. In my opinion he's a safe bet to only get better, and if Orlando figures out that Banchero doesn't need all the shots, Wagner will start to get the attention he deserves.
pc: via NBA
3. Onyeka Okongwu - Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks and Okongwu are in an interesting spot going into this season. They underperformed big time this past year, and this off-season they unloaded their starting power forward, John Collins, to Utah. Since then there have also been rumors that big man Clint Capela may be on the trade market, and that there's a good chance he isn't a Hawk by the end of this season. The departure of Collins and the potential dealing of Capela means that young big man Onyeka Okongwu will have a very big role in Atlanta this year. As of right now he will likely start at the four position next to Capela in the front court, and if the Hawks are able to deal Capela and land someone like Pascal Siakam he will move to the five spot. Either way, it looks like Okongwu will be a full-time starter this season. This means that a guy who averaged 10 points per game and 7.5 rebounds playing only 23 minutes a night will get a big minutes and opportunity boost. Okongwu is a very efficient player and a great defender, and I think the Hawks are finally ready to give him the opportunity he deserves. The only way I think he has a slow season is if the Hawks manage to land a player like Siakam and somehow keep Capela, which I don't foresee being a possibility.
pc: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
2. Obi Toppin - Indiana Pacers
Obi Toppin is one of those young players that found himself drafted to a team that would never be built to fit his playstyle throughout the first few years of his career. The Knicks have struggled to find their identity for years now, and Toppin got lost in the fray. However, know that he has been dealt to the Pacers, I personally think he will finally find his perfect fit in Indiana. The Pacers are a team that has strategically built their roster over the past several seasons, the main piece of that rebuild being young star Tyrese Haliburton. Toppin, a high flying lob threat, fits perfectly in this new Pacers system. Toppin has only played with one high level point guard in his career (Jalen Brunson), but he's never played with anyone with the playmaking acumen of Haliburton. Do I think Toppin will get exponentially better as a player? Probably not. All I'm saying is that his fit alongside Haliburton will boost his numbers and make him a much more valuable player this season.
pc: Megan Briggs/Getty Images
1. Walker Kessler - Utah Jazz
This is a player I don't think would be on a ton of peoples lists, but he was the first guy to come to mind when I started writing this blog. I absolutely love Walker Kessler, and maybe that's because I value defensive big men more than the average fan, but I think he has a ton of potential. Last season Kessler was the backup center for the Jazz for half of the season, which lowered his averages. He averaged 9 points per game and 8.4 rebounds, but even with those backup minutes he averaged 2.3 blocks a night. It's when you look at his per 36 numbers when you realize just how good he could've been if he was a starter all year. 14.5 points per game, 13 rebounds, and a whopping 3.7 blocks when using starting minute stats. That's a rookie of the year award on his resume if he had started the whole season. I fully expect him to start every game this season, and after a year in the league and a summer playing for Team USA he's only going to get better. I like to say that Kessler has Gobert defensive upside with a chance to be way better on offense, and that is very scary. In only his second year, Walker Kessler is going to be a serious candidate for Defensive Play of the Year.
pc: Ryan Sun/Deseret News