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Posted 2 years ago

Basketball NBA

NBA: 10 players to watch out for in the 2022-23 season

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While the NBA boasts many star players, with a young pool of talent, the upcoming season is expected to reveal several breakout stars and here are some candidates:

1) Nic Claxton, Center, Brooklyn Nets: The 23-year-old has held his own and made his mark alongside players like Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond, and while Ben Simmons may also play an important role, Claxton is expected to be a key player for the Nets. With an average of 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 4 games against the Boston Celtics, and ongoing training to improve his shooting, Claxton is a player to watch out for.

2) Cade Cunningham, Point Guard, Detroit Pistons: The 21-year-old is a key player in the Pistons’ roster of young talent as it gears to shape up a new team. Cunningham, who has averaged 17-5-5 as a rookie, has been training hard and has gained 15 lbs of muscle ahead of the next season. Given his age and dynamism, the Pistons are expecting him to better his performance every season and be their star player.

3) Chris Duarte, Shooting Guard, Indiana Pacers: Duarte has already made a splash and won praise from Kevin Durant and LeBron James in the previous season, and is looking to leave a larger mark with the exit of Malcolm Brogdon, who has moved to the Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-5 scorer has already played a key role for the young team and scored 43.5% of the team’s 3 pointers last season.

4) Josh Giddey, Point Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder: While a hip injury restricted his influence in February, Giddey proved to be the most impressive of the team’s top picks with his trademark effortless style of play. With an average of 14.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists in the final 24 games of the 2021-22 season, and 4 triple-doubles in the last 4 games, this player looks set to be a breakout star.

5) Jalen Green, Shooting Guard, Houston Rockets: While Green struggled to make a mark initially on his induction into the team, he has since gained 12 lbs of muscle and finished his rookie season in style, with an average of 29.3 points in the last 7 games. He also delivered 5 back-to-back 30-point games, a feat previously achieved by Allen Iverson in 1997.

6) Tyrese Haliburton, Point Guard, Indiana Pacers: With the Pacers losing three of their best players – Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, and Caris LeVert - to other teams, Haliburton is in a position to make a splash for the team. He has increased his average of 14.3 points and 7.4 assists to 17.5 points and 9.6 assists since his move from the Sacramento Kings. He also scored 5 double-doubles in the final 10 games of the previous season.

7) Trey Murphy III, Shooting Guard, New Orleans Pelicans: A part of the Pelicans’ top 3 key players, including Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarao, Murphy scored an average of 10.1 points in the final 16 games of the previous season. He was also instrumental in the Pelicans’ comeback win over the LA clippers where he scored three of his four 3-pointers in the final quarter.

8) Onyeka Okongwu, Center, Atlanta Hawks: The 6-foot-8 player has plenty of room to make his mark with the exit of Danilo Gallinari and the doubtful role of Clint Capela and John Collins in the upcoming season. While he has only played 98 games in his maiden 2 seasons, he has demonstrated his potential with a star performance against Milwaukee Bucks and their leading player Giannis Antetokounmpo.

9) AlperenSengun, Center, Houston Rockets: With an average of 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks which led him to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Turkish Super League, Sengun is a much-hyped player at the NBA. However, with Christian Wood starting, he has only played an average of 20.7 minutes per game. With the exit of Wood, he is expected to play a larger role in the team.

10) Franz Wagner, Shooting Guard, Orlando Magic: Wagner played a key role in Germany’s win of the bronze medal at the EuroBasket, with an average of 15.2 points per game. Wagner is now looking to increase his 3-point accuracy, which currently rests at 35%, and Orlando Magic are now banking on him and Paolo Banchero to lead the team to the playoffs, which they last qualified for in 2010.