Which NBA Players Will Surprise This Upcoming Season?

Thu, Aug 21, 2025
by CapperTek

The impending NBA season promises to be one of the most competitive and exciting in recent memory. Last season there were thrills and spills galore, with Oklahoma City Thunder finishing up as the NBA champions after an enthralling 4-3 series win over the Indiana Pacers.

Individually, there were a number of eye catching performances that took fans, pundits and even coaches by surprise. Typically it is youngsters that steal the show in unexpected feats of individual brilliance, but last season it was the old guard who turned back time and caught the eye.

The now 34-year-old Kawhi Leonard was in imperious form for the Los Angeles Clippers, most notably showcasing his pedigree in his 39 point game against the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs.

Then there were the performances of Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, all of which played last season as if they were back in the prime of their careers.

What though will be the story this season? Will it be another case of veteran players rolling back the years? Or can we expect a raft of previously unheard talent to come in and absolutely dominate the league?

Read on to find out as we profile some of the players most likely to surprise the masses this season and throw your NBA lines into chaos.

Victor Wembanyama: San Antonio Spurs

There’s no point shirking the most obvious choice until the very end. Everyone and their Mother is tipping Victor Wembanyama to have his breakout season this time around, which in a way would make it unsurprising if he did.

That said, he doesn’t have a long body of work behind him that would make a genuinely good season an expectation. He does however, have a huge amount of talent and all the physical attributes needed to succeed in the league.

He may have taken some time to find his feet last season, but toward the second half of the campaign he found a good degree of consistency and his confidence seemed to be increasing week-on-week.

If he can take those two C’s into next season and combine them with his raw talent, he could be the most talked about player in the NBA.

(Wembanyama got better and better as the season wore on.)

Amen Thompson: Houston Rockets

Tempting as it is to riff on Thompson’s forename and make some sort of prayer joke, we’ll refrain and instead look at his chances next season. Despite flying under the radar with most fans, those in the know and with a keen eye for stats have long held high hopes for the Rockets forward.

Last season he showed in fits and starts just how good he can be, with a number of eye-catching playmaking performances against some of the bigger teams in the NBA. Alongside that though, Thompson was also inconsistent and naïve at times on the court.

That’s to be expected from a young player. Perhaps though, this season could be the one where he irons out some of those issues and takes his game to the next level. Rockets fans will certainly be saying amen to that!

(Thompson is not just a talent, he’s an incredible athlete too.)

Jaden Ivey: Detroit Pistons

23-year-old Jaden Ivey represents the perfect surprise pick ahead of the new season. In the 2023-24 season Ivey was part of a team that had a lot more downs than ups. Then in the first half of last season, he showed real signs of improvement before ending his season prematurely on New Year’s Day by fracturing his left fibula.

Whilst the majority of basketball fans may have forgotten Ivey’s performances before his fracture, we certainly haven’t. Which is why we’re backing him to pick up where he left off and be a real threat for the Pistons this season.

(Jaden Ivey’s season was ended by injury.)

The Gambles

The three players picked above are all talents that we are fairly confident in ahead of the new season, but where’s the fun in being safe? Below we’ve picked out three players who we think could have good seasons this time round, but are in no way guaranteed to.

If we get these right, we’ll look like geniuses in 9 months’ time. If not, well, you can remind us in the comments section below! Without further ado, here are our gambles:

Yaxel Lendeborg: His raw talent and physical composition all provide him with the perfect base from which to flourish, can he do it this season though?

Deni Avdija: Consistency is a skill and it’s one that the Israeli has thus far failed to demonstrate with Portland. Improve on that and he could make a real name for himself this season.

Jalen Duren: The holes in Duren’s game still looked quite substantial last season. If the offseason has given him enough opportunity to work on those deficiencies, he could be a real threat this time round.