Breakout Players From The 2019-20 Season

With the 2019-20 regular season all but over, we can now review the season and see which players had breakout years. Some of these players are starting to mature and master their skills, while other players have come out of nowhere and surprised us all. Today I will be reviewing 3 of the players who broke out this season.

Brandon Ingram – New Orleans Pelicans

Brandon Ingram was apart of the dysfunctional 2018-19 Lakers. Ingram was one of the better players on that team, but it didn’t work out. Ingram was solid that season, averaging 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. Ingram was a major piece in the Anthony Davis that sent him to the New Orleans Pelicans. While the majority of NBA fans were disappointed that Zion would not be playing in a Pelicans uniform for most of the season, this didn’t stop Ingram from playing at a high level.

This season Ingram is averaging 24.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. He was a first time All-Star this season and was one of the best scorers in the Western Conference. While many people associate the Pelicans with Zion Williamson, Ingram had a great year and is one of the front runner for the Most Improved Player Award.

Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

The talent with Tatum was obvious from the start. But he was overshadowed by the other stars on the Celtics, mainly Kyrie Irving. But Tatum showed us his real potential during the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals in where the Celtics were one game away from the NBA Finals. In his 2nd season in the league, Tatum was again solid but his growth was stunted by Irving and Hayward. Tatum was not able to grow as well as he could have with all the other stars needing touches. In the 2018-19 season, Tatum had averages of 15.7 points and 6.0 rebounds. Again solid, but not where he should have been.

The Celtics made major moves in the off-season as they got rid of Kyrie Irving and Al Horford and added a more team player in Kemba Walker. Many expected Walker to be the #1 option on this team, but that role has been given to Tatum. Ever since late December, Tatum has been one of the best players in the Eastern Conference. He has shown us his shooting ability from both the mid-range and the 3-point line along with his driving ability. Pair this with his guard handles, and Tatum is one of the most lethal scorers in the NBA.

This season Tatum has been averaging 23.6 points and 7.1 rebounds along with 40% from 3. Tatum is starting to find his potential and now he and the Celtics are on the rise in the Eastern Conference.

Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks

Last season, Doncic was your typical European player who is the next “big thing”. Not many people had heard of him, and he was not thought of as an elite talent in the 2018 NBA Draft. These quickly went away after he saw Doncic start to play. In his rookie season, Doncic averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. Doncic was crowned the Rookie of the Year, and the future was bright for him and the Mavericks. Going into Doncic’s sophomore season, the Mavs had an added All-Star level forward in Kristaps Porzingis. These two would form a dynamic international duo. Now with Doncic on the map, many people expected him to take a big step. And, he did.

This season Doncic is averaging 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists. Doncic is like a prime Lebron James with those numbers. Luka is a very crafty player saying that he is only 21 years old. He is a great floor general and makes difficult passes look very easy. He is also a great rebounder for his position. Doncic is the perfect all-around player. Many people expected him to improve, but not this much. Doncic is going to be top-5 maybe even top-3 in the MVP voting this season, and some people believe that he might win it. Nonetheless with the NBA playoffs coming soon, the world will get to see some more Luka Magic.

What do you think? Did all 3 of these players have break out seasons? Which player took the biggest leap? Leave all of your comments down below.

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