Potential can be a difficult thing to gauge in the NBA. Even in life, trying to predict something that hasn’t happened yet is a challenge.
Will you marry this person? You have no idea. You’ve only been on three dates. All you can say is that there’s some potential here.
NBA teams need to gauge potential as well. A player may not be looking like a superstar yet, but they may flash potential. What should teams do with a player like that?
For example, look at RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks. He has not put a consistent season together yet.
On the other hand, he has flashed potential. There surely is a team that would be intrigued to see if he can take a step further in his development in a larger role.
Should the Orlando Magic take a gamble on that potential?