The NBA regular season is upon us soon and it’s time for outlandish and potentially wrong predictions for an unpredictable season. We’ve seen some unlikely breakouts the past few seasons, whether it was Lauri Markkanen reviving his career or Tyrese Maxey proving to be a leading star guard for the Sixers, sometimes it’s the ones you least expect. Nonetheless, let’s get into some potentially predictable and maybe even… unpredictable sophomore “breakout” seasons.

Brandon Miller, SF, Charlotte Hornets

Brandon Miller was one of the more underrated rookies this past season. With a lot of the traction and spotlight put on Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller had one of the more productive rookie seasons. He averaged 17 PPG with decent shooting percentages and showed flashes of becoming a future star in the league.

His ability to shoot from anywhere at his size and get to the rim smoothly has many seeing another Paul George for a reason. He’s got the potential to take over as the #1 option on the Hornets this season next to LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.

Projected Stats in 2024-25: 21.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 47.5% FG, 37.5% 3PT

Gradey Dick, SG, Toronto Raptors

In the 15 games that Gradey Dick got 30+ minutes, he averaged a modest 14 PPG and showed why the Raptors drafted him. Dick’s ability to shoot the ball at a high level when given the opportunity. The Toronto Raptors are going towards a rebuild with players like RJ Barrett, Quickley, and Scottie Barnes being part of the youth movement in the 6.

Let’s not forget how impactful Gradey Dick can be if he continues to grow defensively and improve his ability to play off the ball and generate looks inside as well as he does on the outside.

Projected Stats in 2024-25: 18.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 50.1% FG, 41.5% 3PT

Keyonte George, PG, Utah Jazz

Opportunity, opportunity, and also opportunity. With the Utah Jazz, Keyonte George should get plenty of opportunity to showcase if he can become a lead-guard in the NBA and potentially more than a microwave scorer. He’s set to be the starting PG and has showed the ability to be a playmaker, averaging over 6 assists a game when playing 30+ minutes last season. After All-Star break, George had averaged nearly 16 PPG for the Jazz, scoring in various ways.

Although being pretty ineficient, he gave the Jazz fans something to be excited about. If Keyonte can improve his playmaking and efficiency this season, he’s got the ability to be a star in this league with his ability to get hot from range and have an impressive bag offensively.

Projected Stats in 2024-25: 20.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 6.5 APG, 45.4% FG, 36.6% 3PT