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ESPN- NBA draft analyst and writer
Joined ESPN.com in 2023
Covered the NBA and NBA draft for Sports Illustrated from 2015-2023
As the 2024-25 NBA season enters its final weeks, it's a good time to look back at how the breakout players we forecasted in October have fared this season -- both the predictably good and the surprisingly underwhelming.
In the preseason, we projected outcomes for 11 breakout players, including how Evan Mobley could emerge as the centerpiece of the Cleveland Cavaliers' offense, but didn't anticipate Golden State's Brandin Podziemski taking a step back in efficiency.
Let's look back at some of the hits and misses on how those players fared, and with insights from ESPN's Chris Herring, paint a Way-Too-Early look at the players who could take leaps ahead in 2025-26.
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Breakout hits | Breakout misses
Way-Too-Early picks for 2025-26
Looking back at the hits
Evan Mobley
Cleveland Cavaliers
Center
