Cramer: Breakout Players 09/10

Every year it seems as though there are a few players that go from mediocre to good/great over the span of one hot summer. Last year, to name a few, Jameer Nelson, Devin Harris, and Danny Granger all became bonafide superstars. I'm here to tell you about 3 players I believe will make this leap in the upcoming season.

1. Anthony Randolph (GSW)- No, I am not saying this because he is having a great summer league, but that doesn't hurt his case. Randolph is averaging 26.8 pts, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks on over 60% shooting this summer! Sure, it's the summer league, so let's look at some regular season #'s. During his rookie campaign Randolph only averaged 7.9 pts, and 5.8 rebounds. Not so good right? The man averaged less than 18 minutes per game! I'm not a math major, but if you translate those numbers out over 36-40 minutes, you're looking at David Lee numbers. Easier said than done, but when Randolph got some minutes at the end of last season, he averaged 15.2 pts and 9.4 rebounds in his last 5 games in 34 minutes. The one game he played 45 minutes, the kid dropped 24 points and 16 rebounds! I'm not saying he's an all-star this year, but he will be one day, and he has an opportunity to be a 20 point scorer this season. Time will tell, my friends.

2. Derrick Rose (CHI)- I almost feel stupid making the ROY one of my 3 players in this article, but I think that he has earned his spot. Rose is going to be an absolute stud. I'm not here to compare his potential to LeBron James (THE KING), but I think Rose will be a top 3 PG in this league for years and years to come (watch out for John Wall). Last year, I feel like Rose was a little tentative offensively, but he came into his own in the playoffs. In 7 playoff games, Rose averaged 19.7 pts, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists. Those are mini-LeBron numbers, and that's what I think Rose could be: a mini-Lebron. With Gordon gone, the Bulls have quite a few points to replace offensively, and I don't see James Johnson doing much of the replacing. Look for Rose to have a HUGE season, gaining himself a spot on the all-star roster. As for the bulls... 8 seed if they're lucky, but it's all about the summer of 2010.

3. Courtney Lee (NJN)- There were a lot of players I could have chosen for this 3rd spot, but I decided to go in Lee's direction. As a cavs fan, I have seen what Lee can do. How many other players in the league can throw down a dunk on a fast break when LeBron is lurking waiting to block the... out of him? Not too many. Now that Lee is on a bad team, with not a lot of offensive weapons (Lopez, Harris...), I think he is going to start making a serious name for himself. Ever since the Magic traded Lee, I have criticized them a lot because I think they gave up a future all-star. He's a very good defensive player, a good slasher, and a good shooter (40% from 3). There aren't too many numbers to support my choice here, but my instinct tells me we could have a 17 point scorer who fills up the box score offensively and defensively.

We'll see what happens, but I think these 3 are due for big seasons. Look for Randolph or Lee to get the MIP award this year. Also, keep in mind that Kevin Love didn't get a lot of minutes last season, and still averaged close to a double-double. Watch out for him as well. In my next article I will look at the rookies and tell you which ones will have significant impacts in their rookie years.