*Which player – at any level – will have the biggest breakout season this year? Think it through because the best comments/responses below will be printed in the next issue of Dime.*
Back in high school, it was amazing what one year could do to a kid. He’d grow a little bit. His body would fill out. He’d mature. But despite all that, it amazed me how someone could be a JV starter as a sophomore and then only 12 months later be one of the two or three best players on the varsity. Back then, we were all improving by leaps and bounds. Once you hit 18, you’re supposed to be past the initial growing phase. At that point, the little things are expected of you: get that jump shot consistent, learn how to push off without being called for it, hit the weight room so you don’t get thrown around defensively.
But confidence is a fleeting thing, and not everyone ages by the same calendar. Opportunity, talent, maturity, they all play a part in when a basketball player introduces themselves to the world. Blake Griffin did it last year, overcoming a missed season and the dreaded Clipper curse to become the most exciting player in the world, a nightly highlight reel capable of single-handedly taking over Sportscenter. In college ball, Jeremy Lamb emerged out of Kemba Walker‘s shadow to play Robin on a championship team. Then there was Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins, who used the combination of her on-court exploits with her good looks to become one of the faces of women’s basketball. This year, you should expect more of the same. But the names will be different.
No one ever wishes for an extended lockout. When it happened this summer, basketball’s fanbase needed someone to step into the void. That man was John Wall, who had watched his celebrity fade somewhat during an overshadowed rookie season in Washington. But once the summer charity and playground games hit, Wall reminded everyone why he was the 2010 No. 1 pick. He was exhilarating. He was unstoppable. And he was everywhere. No one exemplified the love of the game more than Wall this summer. While the league’s owners and many of its players were busy shouting insults across New York City hotel room tables, Wall was out playing in games all across the country, taking over raggedy gyms at every turn.
The story of John Wall couldn’t be told in just one day, so we took three with him and put him on the cover of Dime #66, and coined it “The Breakout Issue.” While he comes from some very humble beginnings – he was cut from his high school team – Wall’s performance this summer shows he’s ready for the ultimate breakout this season. But will it be the biggest breakout in basketball? There are players all over – in the NBA, on the streetball circuit, overseas, in high school, even female players – who could blow up. Which player do you think will have the biggest breakout on the court this year?
Which player – at any level – will have the biggest breakout season this year? Think it through because the best comments/responses below will be printed in the next issue of Dime.
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