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Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley named the top 10 NBA players who could break out during the 2022-23 regular season.
Breakouts occur for players due to a combination of age, experience, development and comfort level. It usually occurs with players heading into their second or third season in the league because the rookie season is spent getting acclimated to the NBA schedule.
Due to this, the list is filled with relatively young players. The Oklahoma City Thunder have one surprising entry on the list: Aleksej Pokusevski at No. 10.
The 20-year-old is entering his third season, which is about the time a breakout happens if one occurs. Here’s what Buckley had to say about Pokusevski:
No. 10: Aleksej Pokusevski
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“This is either audacious or absurd, as Aleksej Pokusevski has both a mountain of upside and a glaring lack of polish. That combination has so far manifested in a 37.6 career field-goal percentage for the 7-footer.