Potential.
Oxford Dictionary defines it as “having or showing the capacity to become or develop into something in the future.”
But in the sports world, it’s a far more empty term. It’s a word that we throw around carelessly. It’s a word that we religiously hurl at whatever young, trendy team with “upside” makes some noise during a particular era.
We thought the “Lob City” Clippers had potential. We thought Derrick Rose‘s Bulls had potential. “7 seconds or less” revolutionized basketball, but Mike D’Antoni‘s Suns never quite got over the hump. What about The Thunder?