Darko to Breakout? No, but these Guys Might

Every season there are players who come into their own and become key pieces to their team. Sometimes these players breakouts are expected, and sometimes they come out of the blue.

The following is a list of players who I think could "break out" this season. First, we must develop a criteria for a breakout player.

• Must be under 25 years of age or have played less than 5 years in the league (sorry Darko and Joe Smith).
• Must have a substantial statistical improvement
• There must be some element of surprise for the breakout. All-World players like Kevin Durant, LeBron, and Dwight Howard do not qualify.
  

Here are a few examples of last year's breakout players

• Joakim Noah (Bulls) - In his 3rd season, Noah showed he is a cornerstone of the Chicago Bulls. So much so that they wouldn't consider trading him for Carmelo Anthony and gave him a 5 year, $60 mil extension. Last season he averaged 10.7 points and 11.0 rebounds, compared with 6.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in 2009
• Danilo Gallinari (Knicks) - After an injury plagued rookie season that included back surgery, the Italian sharpshooter proved that he was worthy of the 5th overall pick in 2008. He averaged 15 points, 5 boards, and 2.6 3's a game after averaging only 6 points and 2 boards a year prior.
• George Hill (Spurs) - When he was drafted by the Spurs, most people thought, "who?". Hill proved the doubters wrong last year, averaging 12 points and 3 assists (16 and 4 in January and February!) after averaging only 6 points his rookie season.

This years break out players:

• Serge Ibaka (Thunder) - The bigman from Zaire averaged 6 points and 5 boards in his rookie season. He is athletic, has a nice mid-range jumper, and a chiseled NBA physique. I don't think 8 points and 10 boards with a few blocks and an eventual starting gig is out of the question this season.
• Roy Hibbert (Pacers) - Finally, the Pacers have a point guard. Hibbert should benefit from Darren Collison's presence as much as anyone. The 7'2 C out of Georgetown is primed for a big season. He doesn't have much competition for playing time (Tyler Hansbrough, Jeff Foster, and Josh McRoberts), and has shown potential in his first 2 years (5 double doubles in 7 games last November). He is a naturally gifted scorer (12 ppg), but hasn't figure out how to crash the glass (5.7 rpg). Look for him to average 14-7 with 2 blocks this season.
• Anthony Randolph (Knicks) - He should explode in Mike D'Antoni's uptempo offense. Of course we said the same thing when he played under Don Nelson, but he battled injuries and inconsistent playing time. If he can stay healthy and buy into D'Antoni's system, he should put up big numbers alongside Amare Stoudemire. He averaged 11 ppg and 6.5 rpg last season -- I'm thinking 14 ppg and 8 rpg with 2 blocks.
  
• DeMar DeRozan (Raptors) - With Bosh gone, the Raptors are looking to rebuild, which means give DeRozan a lot of burn. The wildly athletic 21 year old averaged 8.6 ppg and 2.9 rpg last season. It will be an ugly season in Toronto, but DeRozan should get plenty of looks. 14 ppg, 4 rpg, 2 apg.
• Tyrus Thomas (Bobcats) - As a Bulls fan, it pains me to include him. But Larry Brown and co. must have seen something in Tyrus before offering him a $40 mil contract, right? We've been expecting big things from Tyrus for 4 years now, and this is his last chance. 15 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.5 bpg.