This year’s NBA postseason feels different than in years past. Seemingly gone are the days you can easily predict which teams will be facing off in the NBA Finals. For a long time, you could put in pen, not pencil, that a LeBron James-led team from the Eastern Conference would be facing off with the Golden State Warriors.
But, this season, there is more parity in the league. The Phoenix Suns are the betting favorite by a sizable margin, but they are far from a super team. Their front office deserves a lot of credit for the roster they put together, which is an excellent mix of younger players they drafted and savvy veteran pickups throughout the last two seasons.
The NBA Play-In Tournament has also added a wrinkle to things. This year’s version featured a preseason favorite in the Brooklyn Nets and up-and-coming franchises in the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, and New Orleans Pelicans.
The league is in a great place when it comes to star power, as All-Stars and All-NBA team members are littered on squads throughout the playoffs. That is how it should be, as the postseason provides the biggest stage and brightest lights for the best players to cement their status among their peers.
LATEST NBA NEWS: 5 Bold Predictions Ahead Of 2022 NBA Playoffs
Every year in the postseason, players that casual fans may not have been aware of burst onto the scene as well. Normally, younger players that haven’t played in the postseason yet are the ones catching people’s eyes.
Who may fall into that category this year? Here are six potential breakout candidates for the 2022 NBA Playoffs; two players that are still in the NBA Play-In Tournament and four that are on teams that have already qualified for the 16-team field.
