NBA up-and-coming duos tier list: Where do Scoot Henderson & Shaedon Sharpe rank?

Part of what makes the NBA such an exciting league is the parity and plethora of young, emerging talent, keeping fans invested in the long-term outlook of their team. Unless your team is stuck in "no man's land" and annually competing for an eighth seed (like the Chicago Bulls until this offseason), whatever team you are a fan of likely has a chance at a deep playoff run or few young players that possess a ton of potential (that is, unless you're the OKC Thunder, who somehow fit both criteria).

So, what teams have the best up-and-coming duos in the league? The requirements were challenging to determine, but ultimately, players 23 years and younger were in consideration—that left Tyrese Haliburton, Zion Williamson, and Darius Garland out of the mix.

Tier 1: Extraterrestrial

1. Victor Wembanyama & Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs

Most of the second-best players in the next tier of duos are significantly better or more established than Spurs rookie Stephon Castle. But Victor Wembanyama is a generational talent who carries the duo to its own echelon of tiers.

Deep, well-balanced teams like last year's Celtics squad are one way of winning a championship, but another proven formula is simply having a superstar who is far and away the best player in the series. Wembanyama is only 20 years old and already has a legitimate shot of winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in his second season and making his first of what should be several All-Star appearances.

Pair that with Castle's Swiss army knife archetype, who will be a versatile two-way player from day one, and the Spurs suddenly have their duo of the future that could lead them to multiple championships.