NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 29: Immanuel Quickley #5 of the New York Knicks is congratulated by teammates Obi Toppin #1 and Nerlens Noel #3 of the New York Knicks after Quickley scored a three point shot in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden on January 29, 2021 in New York City, NBA Players. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Rookies get all of the spotlight, it seems. They are the fresh, new players in the NBA and everyone wants to know what they’re made of. But second-year players deserve just as much attention, if not more.
There are a number of prominent second-year NBA players in the league who are experiencing rapid success during the sophomore campaigns. These players are proving capable of making the leap to the next level of play.
Which second-year NBA players are having breakout seasons this year?
Some of the young guns play for teams that were already championship caliber. The contributions of the second-year players are helping to guarantee a trip to the playoffs, perhaps more.
Other players don the jerseys for teams that are struggling through a bad season or struggling through a rebuild. These second-year NBA players are giving fans of those teams hope for the future.
Not every second-year player is lucky enough to see the fruits of their labor start to come into focus. Some sophomores hit the seemingly-inevitable wall, while others find themselves caught between the NBA and the G League, or out of American professional hoops altogether.
Many of the game’s current superstars are likely to be on their way out soon. As impressive as LeBron James and Chris Paul still are, they can’t keep up their current abilities forever, try as they might.
A new crop of superstars must rise to take their place. Some are already here – looking at you, Ja Morant – but more are coming from the sophomores.
Here are the top 5 second-year NBA players experiencing a breakout campaign.
Most Improved Player candidate</a> is averaging 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. He’s also averaging one steal per game, for good measure.</p>
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<p>Anthony is simply a bigger part of the offense this season. His assist percentage is up significantly and his shooting percentages have risen across the board. The Magic’s offense largely flows through their second-year guard. Both his assist average and assist percentage rank 20th in the league.</p>
<p>He’s also much more willing to launch it from three. His average shooting distance is 16.5 feet, up more than three feet from last year. Forty-six percent of his attempts are threes when only 31.2 percent of his attempts were threes as a rookie; he’s shooting 35.8 percent from three.</p>
<p>Anthony missed a handful of games recently, but he hasn’t shown much rust upon his return. In his two games since returning, he has averaged 25 points and seven assists, playing at least 36 minutes in both games.</p>
<p>It’s too soon to say if Anthony will win the Most Improved Player award, but he’s definitely proving to be the breakout star among the second-year players.</p>
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