4. Jeremy Lin
According to a recent piece by FanSided’s HoopsHabit, Jeremy Lin is a potential breakout candidate for the Atlanta Hawks in 2018-19, and it’s easy to see why. Lin is coming off an awful injury in the first game of the 2016-17 season, and he has shown that he can contribute at extremely high levels over the course of his fascinating NBA career.
Lin should have ample opportunities to help guide the youngsters on this team by example, though his preseason efforts have been fairly limited so far.
However, in a contract year, Lin must show that he can still produce at a solid level so that he collects a contract from a contender or a young team (like Atlanta again) that’s looking for a solid leader and floor general at the point guard position.
Lin is also still extremely popular worldwide and generally seems like a wonderful human being. Still though, if he doesn’t produce at similar levels to his previous seasons, then the pressure will mount for Lin as the season continues.