Victor Wembanyama heads list of 10 NBA leap year players poised for promotion during 2024-25 season

If you have even an inkling of experience following NBA games, chances are good you have heard many pundits and fans discuss whether one player was “taking “the leap”. What this phrase entails can differ depending on each individual; some take “the leap,” while for others “it could mean taking some other steps forward in their careers. Some players make that leap from bad to serviceable or from serviceable to good or from great to superstar status in just one season – marking not simply natural progression but instead an opportunity for explosive improvement that the following 10 players seem poised to seize during 2024-25 season – no need for explanation here? In his second season, Wembanyama appears poised to become both one of the league’s premier defensive players and among its 10-15 best overall players – an astounding accomplishment in itself! If that seems far-fetched, consider his success with Tre Jones as point guard; nothing extravagant here just highly functional play aimed at getting him the ball at exactly the right spot and time; Wemby would do his thing without much fanfare! What more could one ask from Wemby than an incredible showing for Tre Jones this past season and in his second? Chris Paul will bring even greater point guard play than Tre Jones could manage! And don’t forget his presence with Chris Paul at nearly 40 – point guard play isn’t likely ever going beyond him in terms of effectiveness!
Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA honors appear to be within reach for Wemby, while MVP votes could even come his way. While his Spurs teammates may allow him plenty of freedom to explore his vast skillsets and explore them on his own time, his intuitive understanding of basketball makes an immediate impression – this man knows exactly how to play! He’s not doing things just to do them; his passing has reached new levels already and this season should see him begin understanding which shots spots work for him best and how best to reach them. We may see an exponential leap forward come year three; nonetheless year two should provide plenty of excitement! Holmgren already ranks among the league’s premier defenders; should his leap come about, however, it would likely occur on offense — where his presence can expand to become one that creates more than simply rolling and spacing the court. With his current average 3-point attempt rate (4.3 attempts per game), that potential leap may well materialise into becoming an increased 3-point shooter (to six or even seven attempts per game) who creates for himself rather than simply rolling or spacing around opponents. OKC must position Holmgren effectively for this opportunity to develop. Although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will play major roles, OKC plays aggressive basketball where ballpops, passes are cut back out quickly, cutting to cute, cutting through defenses for easy layups; by virtue of this activity Holmgren will find himself in more and more leveraged situations to exploit, and his unique combination of handle, shot creation ability and getting his shot off could easily propel him toward 20 PPG output relatively soon.
Many critics were dismissive when the Hornets selected Miller over Scoot Henderson with their second round selection in 2023 (I was one). Charlotte will likely emerge victorious based on their respective rookie campaigns as Miller was impressive during his inaugural NBA campaign with 17 PPG on 37% 3-point shooting efficiency and an efficiency rate of 52% from 3-pointers – but Charlotte should make strides forward when shooting efficiency improves in year two. Miller excels as both an midrange scorer and high-flying finisher if he takes the extra step of playing through contact; this strategy also extends some twos well beyond the 3-point arc. Miller averaged just under seven 3s per game last season; now with more opportunities at hand he could potentially take 10 triples each night and quickly reach 20 PPG average. With such an approach to his shot selection Miller may become an easy 20 PPG scorer! He could reach that benchmark this season on what appears to be an inevitable path toward becoming the team’s premier performer. Shaedon Sharpe appears more poised for an impactful 20 PPG scoring career at Portland than Henderson does due to an underwhelming rookie campaign, yet every step forward from Henderson will likely seem like progress.
Henderson should make significant strides this season. First off, his free throw shooting average was an outstanding 82% last season; that means his shooting should at least maintain or improve upon its 35% clip following All-Star break last season. Over his last seven games he amassed 19 points and nine assists while shooting 42% from 3-point range. Henderson stands out among this group with unquestionable raw ability, and now that we’ve seen signs of skill growth from improved passing to pull-up jumpers and range shooting, his potential second year leap may well surpass anyone on this list. Johnson made waves last season with averages of 16 points, 8 boards, and almost four assists per game – an accomplishment the Hawks clearly appreciate. Reports even indicate he’s been given priority treatment this off-season as their untouchable player (per reports). Now he may make another leap towards All-Star status. His potential has long been evident. Now is his opportunity. The Hawks love Johnson; this could be their opportunity.
Atlanta has an overcrowded wing chart, yet Johnson seems destined for playing time at four. If he continues this trajectory he should become a fairly consistent 20-point scorer; perhaps even nightly 20-point scorers. Paired with Trae Young, Trae Young has all of the characteristics John Collins once displayed before his 3-point shot faltered and his place within Atlanta’s offense was taken over by another. Trae can jump out of the gym quickly to shoot from deep while simultaneously passing for multiple baskets from beyond the arc. Johnson is the kind of long, athletic defender everyone looks up to; all it needs to be successful will be staying healthy if this goalkeeper can hold onto his spot for long enough for that to occur. If that can be accomplished then Johnson could see his stock skyrocket. Not enough people realize Kuminga’s potential, as his talents often go overlooked by fans and media alike. There’s a reason the Warriors seem intent on keeping him, though. Kuminga posted 16 PPG last season and with his vast array of athleticism and positional size ideal, his ceiling appears quite lofty. He’s a better shooter than his 32% 3-point clip last season suggests; all it needs to be successful this time is confidence and rhythm; hopefully there won’t be any interruption to his minutes like last time around. As one of only a few players that give the Warriors an athletic advantage, he needs to step up dramatically if they intend on becoming playoff teams. My prediction? Near 20 PPG increase in efficiency and defensive impact that more closely match his physical/athletic profile.
Last season, Podziemski shot 38% from 3-point range on just four attempts per game and has expressed the Warriors’ wish that he doubles that volume – in other words 8-10 3s per game! On that basis alone, Podz – who earned All-Rookie honors last season and has likely played the major role in keeping Lauri Markkanen away from Golden State (Golden State has basically refused to trade him this summer) – stands poised for an increase from nine points per game last season to potentially 15+ in an expanded role with greater freedom due to Klay Thompson being out. Where will Podziemski find all these extra 3s? He’s already noted the shots he missed last season that he simply passed up, while dialing up his own creation if need be. Last season Podziemski converted 42.5% of off-the-dribble 3-pointers per Synergy while hitting 41% pull up 3s and 56.5% step-back 3s according to NBA shot-tracking data – some impressive numbers indeed!
The Houston Rockets possess an abundance of young prospects ready to break out as future All-Stars. Amen Thompson seems destined to follow in Andre Iguodala’s footsteps while Cam Whitmore could follow Corey Maggette into becoming one himself. And Jalen Green could very easily join this elite list. Alperen Sengun has already proven himself outstanding and only entered his fourth season with Houston this fall, yet Smith, as Houston’s all-around player is worthy of our full consideration. Smith is already impressive, but to truly grasp his value you need to look further within the game than Jalen Green who stands out with scoring and shot creation but may lack depth of contribution. Smith is an all-around team player whose shooting efficiency jumped dramatically between seasons one and two (40% to 45% overall and 30% to 36% from 3). Smith’s rising confidence is evident as he finds more shots and aggressively pursues spots as an independent creator, which appears attainable given all he does defensively – leading him into best player status on some teams.
George has shown his scoring prowess, although efficiency must improve significantly; but for him to become their future point guard he needs to evolve in terms of decision making and offensive management. He’s got all of the potential needed to take a major leap this season and his talent suggests he will do just that. On paper, this would look something like this: improving shooting percentage by moving it from below 40 up into mid 40s; also, raising 3-point clip average and becoming at least league average on 3-point shooting attempts. Given his creativity, tough-shot making ability, and burst, 16-18 PPG would seem reasonable, up from 13. But that number doesn’t tell the whole story: George has it in spades! Once George becomes consistent in scoring first, his scoring threat becomes opportunities for other teammates – quickly making him one of the major forces on court. At times in his rookie campaign he showed that kind of gravitas with the ball in hand that makes me expect him to have another stellar sophomore campaign.
Nembhard’s breakout began during the playoffs when she shot 48% from 3-point distance and became Indiana’s star against Boston in the conference finals, recording 56 points and 19 assists over the final two games of their series. Nembhard, who went from playing 18 minutes a game in November to consistently near 30 by the end of regular season, should become much more of an impact player this season when his playing time nears 30 minutes per night, double-digit scoring, plus 3-point shooting capabilities as well as his ball pressure defense are featured prominently. Just like young Goran Dragic, Immanuel Quickley and early Fred VanVleet did before him, Nembhard may soon become another backup point guard worthy of their own team.
While waiting to ring in 2019, why don’t we look around our home town of Exeter. Lets give it some love.