NBA Power Rankings: Ross ready to break out?

Festus Ezeli: He will come off the bench most nights, but if injuries continue to plague Andrew Bogut as they have for pretty much his whole career, Ezeli’s athleticism fits in nicely with the Warriors’ up-tempo starting lineup.

Austin Rivers Outside of Jamal Crawford, the Clippers have been noted for their struggles once the reserves take the court. The arrival of Paul Pierce helps ease the scoring load, but coach Doc Rivers will need his son, Austin, to help make the second unit really tick.

Patty Mills With Tony Parker aging and Cory Joseph out of the picture, the productive Mills should see a career-high in minutes for the perennial contenders.

Tristan Thompson: After finally signing a mammoth $82 million contract, the Cavaliers are expecting the Canadian big man to be the player he was during last year’s post-season, and then some.

Dion Waiters After a turbulent start to his NBA career, Waiters says he has ‘never felt more comfortable’ than he does with OKC. The spotlight is off of him with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook generating the headlines, and that could be exactly what he needs to thrive.

Nikola Mirotic: One of last season’s top rookies, Mirotic continues to impress. The Montenegro native has seen an increased role in the Bulls’ frontcourt, and has averaged 18.8 points and 6.8 rebounds over the first three games of the year.

Brandan Wright: The Grizzlies’ core remains the same, but Wright was one of the pieces brought in to help improve the team’s depth. A shot-blocker and menace on the glass, Wright fits in nicely on a squad loaded with talent up front.

Terrence Ross: A move to the second unit is typically seen as a demotion, but the recently extended Ross has the chance to become Dwane Casey’s best scoring option off the bench. The early signs have been mostly encouraging, highlighted by Ross’s performance vs. the Celtics on Friday.

Dennis Schroder A pesky defender at the point guard position, Schroder has been seeing some time alongside Jeff Teague in Atlanta’s backcourt. The increased playing time should take Schroder’s game to the level his per 36-minute stats indicate he can reach.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: A big reason for the Pistons’ undefeated start is the play of Caldwell-Pope, a three-point marksman who looked especially impressive in the team’s season-opening win in Atlanta.

Hassan Whiteside: A former Toronto Raptors cut, Whiteside enjoyed a coming out party a season ago, averaging a double-double over 48 games with the Heat. Seeing an uptick in minutes, the centre should be primed for even bigger things in 2015-16.

Otto Porter: The biggest beneficiary of Paul Pierce’s departure, Porter has been inserted into the Wizards’ starting lineup and it looks like he will get all the minutes he can handle. His length at the small forward spot can give opponents fits, as Raptors fans witnessed first hand in last year’s playoffs.

Clint Capela Capela appeared in only 12 games in 2014-15, but his per 36-minute numbers were through the roof. The 21-year-old should be a real force for the Rockets if he can get a full season under his belt.

Deron Williams: Ok, so Williams broke out years ago as a member of the Jazz, but has seen his career fall into a tail spin over the past few seasons. Starting at point guard for Rick Carlisle and the Mavs could provide the rejuvenation the former all-star is looking for.

Alec Burks Burks has been shifted to the bench and has seen his minutes decrease but his usage rate increase. The talented guard is capable of big things as a second-unit weapon.

Alex Len: The fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft hasn’t lived up to expectations in Phoenix thus far, but the talent and upside remain as tantalizing as ever. Learning from veteran Tyson Chandler should do wonders for Len’s development.

Anthony Davis Sure, it can’t truly be a breakout when you’re already one of the best players on the planet. However, Davis has added the three-point shot to his offensive arsenal, making him close to unguardable. Expect ‘The Brow’ to once again find himself in the MVP discussion.

Kyle O’Quinn The 25-year-old should see an increased role in the offence after his move from Orlando to his home state of New York. Over a small sample size, his per 36-minute numbers sit at a robust 16.8 points and 13.8 rebounds.

Jabari Parker The Bucks are off to an abysmal start, but help is on the way in the form of Parker. Injury derailed his promising rookie campaign, but the Duke standout will make an instant impact on a young Milwaukee squad once he debuts in the near future.

Marcus Smart: Already a top-notch defender at the one spot, Smart’s minutes have increased by more than six per game over last season. If he can figure out how to be more efficient on the offensive end, Smart will help lead the improving Celtics’ playoff charge.

Myles Turner Turner has an impressive skill-set for a player who stands nearly seven feet tall. He has the ability to stretch the floor with his jumper and can also put the ball on the floor with surprisingly good handles.

C.J. McCollum Without LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard is really the only household name remaining on the Blazers. Enter McCollum, who has exploded on the scene by averaging better than 20 points a night in the first handful of games. He should have plenty of opportunities to keep it going.

Willie Cauley-Stein Sacramento used the sixth pick in this year’s draft on Kentucky’s Cauley-Stein, and his athleticism has come as advertised. With virtually no competition for minutes at the centre spot, he should have a big year for the Kings.

Ricky Rubio One of the most fun point guards to watch in the NBA has had his promising career derailed by injuries. With the young weapons around him, he could threaten to lead the association in assists if he can stay healthy in 2015-16.

Emmanuel Mudiay: With Ty Lawson out of the picture in Denver, the offence is in capable hands with Mudiay, who looks impressive through his first three NBA games (aside from his high turnover rate). By the end of the season, the 19-year-old could prove to be the steal of the draft.

Elfrid Payton Payton was a beast for the Magic down the stretch a year ago, flirting with a triple-double nearly every time he took the court. His shooting stroke is still suspect, but he is a strong facilitator and rebounder and also swipes his share of steals.

Marvin Williams With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist likely out for the entire season, Williams will see an increased role in Charlotte. With his minutes on the rise, the 29-year-old will likely set a new career-high in points per game.

Jordan Clarkson With so many shoot-first players in Lakers jerseys in 2015-16, don’t expect to see Clarkson duplicate the eye-popping numbers he put up last March and April right away, but as Los Angeles inevitably slips out of contention, look for the second-year man to have an increasingly larger role.

Nik Stauskas Moving from the Kings to a team fully committed to rebuilding in the 76ers should be a nice change for the Mississauga native. The minutes should be there, and a player with as sweet a jumper as what we saw at Michigan won’t stay cold forever.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson The Nets are an absolute mess right now, but they do have a promising rookie in Hollis-Jefferson, who is really the only player eligible to have a breakout season in a veteran-heavy lineup.