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Alla Zakarian

01-10-2018 | 19:41 Basketball
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TOP 10 NBA players poised to breakout during 2018-19 season

There are plenty of players across the league's landscape that are poised for a breakout season in 2018-19. With that in mind, CBS Sports compiled a list of 10 players poised to break out this season.

DEVIN BOOKER, PHOENIX SUNS

From CBS Sports: "He needs to get his buckets with more efficiency, dedicate himself to defence and use his offensive skills to make his teammates better. Basketball nerds might pick on him too much -- he's just 21! -- but their criticisms are valid: It's not great when a team is outscored by 10 points per 100 possessions with its franchise player is on the floor." MYLES TURNER, INDIANA PACERS From CBS Sports: "The ideal version of Turner is a dominant rim protector who can also be trusted to defend the perimeter. A diversified offensive game would be helpful, too -- his shooting makes him a threat, but the Pacers would love for him to earn more touches and finish better on the inside. It's all possible." DEJOUNTE MURRAY, SAN ANTONIO SPURS From CBS Sports: "If he becomes a more confident, decisive offensive player, stardom could be in reach... With Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili out of the picture, there should be plenty of room for Murray to expand his game within San Antonio's offence." PASCAL SIAKAM, TORONTO RAPTORS From CBS Sports: "Aside from his work ethic and his strong summer, there is another reason to expect more from Siakam: his new coach. A nurse is a man who will not be afraid to try new things or play weird lineups. He will explore all the options that the Raptors' roster gives him, and that means a versatile oddball like Siakam should be given ample opportunities to show what he can do." TAUREAN PRINCE, ATLANTA HAWKS From CBS Sports: "Trae Young and Jeremy Lin should be the lead playmakers here, and Prince should get a chance to operate as a secondary creator. His breakout might not involve averaging way more than the 14.1 points he did last season -- it is more about him proving that he is a winning player with a well-rounded game."JAKOB POELTL, SAN ANTONIO SPURS From CBS Sports: "The forgotten man in the Kawhi Leonard trade, Poeltl should thrive in San Antonio. He sets good screens, rolls hard to the basket, finishes well, loves to pass and has excellent timing. Gregg Popovich adores players like him, and it wouldn't shock me if the coaching staff decides to start him and make Pau Gasol the focal point of the second unit." JARRETT ALLEN, BROOKLYN NETS From CBS Sports: "Allen shot 5-for-15 from 3-point range in his rookie season, and he worked on his shot in the summer. He also appeared to be stronger, though at media day he didn't make any over-the-top claims about putting on 15-20 pounds of muscle. The key thing here is that the Nets know what they have with him and that he had enough success in his first season to know he can be an impact player. Everybody compares him to Clint Capela; let's see if he can show the same type of year-to-year improvement." CEDI OSMAN, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS From CBS Sports: "Lots of smart people thought Osman deserved more minutes as a rookie. If he was slowly given more minutes as the season went along, perhaps he could have made the Cavs a more versatile team in the playoffs. Regardless, there is no reason for Cleveland to limit him now." JORDAN BELL, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS From CBS Sports: "Bell had an up-and-down rookie season, but the high points indicated he can be an ideal fit in Steve Kerr's system, finishing on the inside and defending everywhere. Kerr said at media day that Bell has a 'much more steady' approach now, and he expects to see him take a step forward." BRANDON INGRAM, LOS ANGELES LAKERS From CBS Sports: "All the Kevin Durant comparisons coming out of college were unfair, but kind of understandable. Ingram is the human embodiment of upside. If you watch the right example of him running the pick-and-roll, attacking the rim or covering ground on defence, you can come away thinking he'll be a superstar. He has a long, long way to go there, but I'll bet on LeBron helping to bring him along."

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