NFL
By: Jordan Hom
As the 2021-22 NBA season will be underway in a few months, each year, a new crop of young players will break out from emerging prospects to breakout stars in the making.
Rui Hachimura
The Japanese forward, Rui Hachimura, will be starting in his third season with the Washington Wizards. Hachimura had a solid, but unspectacular, second year with averages of 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds on 47 percent shooting splits. However, his solid play helped the Wizards sneak into the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season and he should be able to carry that momentum into this upcoming season. With triple-double engine Russell Westbrook back in his hometown of Los Angeles with the Lakers, Hachimura should seamlessly slot into the number two role on the team behind All-Star Bradley Beal.
With an improving mid-range shot and three-ball, this season will see Hachimura with more offensive touches where the young forward can expand his offensive arsenal into a 20+ points per game scorer. Additionally, Hachimura has shown tremendous improvement on the defensive side of the basketball as well. He has strong physical tools, including a 6 feet 8 frame and 7 feet 2-inch wingspan, which gives him the size to defend some of the top forwards, including NBA MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant. His defensive IQ and positioning is something that can be improved upon and new Head Coach Wes Unseld Jr. can implement a team defensive system to highlight Hachimura’s defensive potential just as he did with the Denver Nuggets as an assistant.
Hachimura has all the physical tools to become a breakout star next season and with Westbrook gone and Unseld Jr. at the helm, he should have no problem clearing the 20 point mark and emerging as one of the top defenders in the league.
Keldon Johnson
The relatively unknown Keldon Johnson made national headlines when he was selected to the 2020 USA men’s basketball team. After a last-minute withdrawal from All-Star Bradley Beal, Johnson was chosen among a crop of young talent from the USA’s select team to head the 12-man roster. Although he didn’t receive much playing time outside of garbage time during the Tokyo games, his time with the team earned him an Olympic gold medal as he got to experience practices against some of the top American stars like Damian Lillard and Devin Booker.
Currently, with the San Antonio Spurs trotting along as a team stuck in mediocrity, the Spurs are looking for their next star(s) to take them back to their familiar championship territory as they had with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and most recently Kawhi Leonard. With All-Star Demar DeRozan traded to Chicago, Rudy Gay off to Utah, and longtime Spur Patty Mills joining Brooklyn, Johnson is the perfect player to take the mantle fresh off his gold medal.
Johnson should see his averages increase on offense and despite his relatively smaller stature at only 6 feet 5, he has shown the versatility to guard players much bigger than him. Before, Johnson used to use only straight-line drives and threes in his arsenal but now, he has shown the ability to handle the basketball more efficiently and use the screens given to him to make a play. Additionally, he has displayed the willingness to do the dirty work and the things that don’t show up in the stat sheet.
With legendary coach Gregg Popovich and Becky Hammond guiding the 21-year-old, Keldon Johnson should see himself emerging onto the scene next season as he attempts to lead the Spurs back to the top of the western conference.
Aleksej Pokusevski
Standing at a towering 7 feet tall, Aleksej Pokusevski is one of the most unique prospects in the league today. Despite his tall stature, Pokusevski only weighs a whopping 190 lbs, which is significantly lighter than most of his counterparts. He started 28 games out of 45 and produced statistics of 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on subpar 34 percent efficiency. However, despite his raw game, the Serbian native showed flashes of his limitless potential with his solid ball-handling skills as well as his fluidity with crossover moves.
In addition to his guard-like handles, he also displayed a strong shooting prowess, connecting on 28 percent of his threes. While that isn’t a great percentage, the fundamentals are there for him to improve during this upcoming season.
With veteran Al Horford returning to Boston, the team is putting all of their chips into their youth. Young big Moses Brown is also no longer with the team, which gives Pokusevski a chance to cement himself as one of the starters.
As Pokusevski grows into his body and adds weight to his wiry frame, his game will only continue to grow just as his body does. He has all of the physical tools to make a big jump next season and with Oklahoma committing to their youth, Pokusevski, along with budding star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the two young stars should bring the Thunder back into the national spotlight within the next few seasons.
Kevin Huerter
Trae Young receives most of the media attention in Atlanta but the other member of the Hawks backcourt, Kevin Huerter, is one of the main reasons why the Atlanta Hawks surprised everyone in their route to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
Last season, Huerter averaged just under 12 points on 36 percent from deep and 43 percent overall. However, as the Hawks saw success in the playoffs, Huerter also saw his game rise with confidence as he scored 27 points in the game 7 clinching victory against the Sixers in the semi-finals. That strong momentum should carry him into this upcoming season as his role should likely increase as veterans Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic take a backseat on the bench.
Huerter is the glue that holds the team together and his willingness to do whatever it takes will only vault him even further up the list of rising stars in the league. During the playoffs, when the Hawks needed him most, he showed up and abused the mismatch against Seth Curry and the other smaller defenders that the Sixers tried to throw at him.
Although the comparison might seem far-fetched right now, there is no doubt that Hueter has all the tools to be the Hawks version of Klay Thompson. Thompson is the better defender with his longer wingspan but Huerter possesses the leaping ability to keep pace with some of the top NBA wings. Additionally, Huerter is the stronger playmaker as he averaged 3.5 assists, which was second on the team, only behind Trae Young.
Riding off the momentum of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, Huerter should see his game grow to new heights this upcoming season as he further refines his shooting and playmaking abilities. If the Atlanta Hawks can maintain a top-four seed during the season, there is no reason not to believe that Huerter can secure an All-Star berth, as he has all the tools to make a big leap.
