Top 10 Backcourt Potential Pt. 1

Let's get this out of the way first. Potential is a tricky subject. One that can be interpreted in a myriad ways by everyone. It is really a made up fancy that scouts came up with to determine if a prospect was worth drafting or not. The truth is, over the past 25 years I've been following the NBA, potential has lead to some of the worst draft mistakes in league history. Likewise, players "lacking potential" have gone on to have great and sometimes extraordinary careers. So, the following list is not how it's going to end up. Injuries happen. Players are traded. Players get paid and stop working. Other players step up through hard work and sacrifice.

The following list is current pairings of young guards sharing the same backcourt that have the potential to be great. I left off Derrick Rose because I have no idea what he will be when he comes back, nor is there any indication of who the Bulls plan on putting next to him going forward. Rip Hamilton and Marco Belinelli are not the answer. Nor, is Kirk Hinrich. And, for the record, Chris Paul has been omitted for a similar reason. My cousin did point out that if Chris Paul is healthy, it really won't matter who's next to him, because that backcourt will automatically be one of the top backcourts in the Association.