Are Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins the Next Great NBA Tandem with Kings?

Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins have long careers ahead of them that is largely defined from the onset by how well the two young stars can coexist and make each other better.

One season of experience as teammates does beg the question of just how strong a partnership could grow in an Evans-Cousins tandem.

The 2011-12 season will offer further support for the projections of what these two young stars have to offer at the NBA level. The elusive Evans can benefit from drawing defenders and dishing off or taking shots for Cousins to clean up on the offensive glass.

Pick-and-roll connections between Cousins and Evans offer a troubling scenario for defenses. Guarding Evans is difficult because of his size and quickness. Cousins is a threat of momentum barreling down the lane. Making a false move could be the downfall of defending this duo.

Balancing the quiet and mild Tyreke Evans with the overly demonstrative DeMarcus Cousins could benefit the team as a whole. If the two leaders can gel for a consistent length of the season, the Sacramento Kings might have found the core to function around instead of looking around for a hero to arise game to game.

Evans and Cousins really have a heavy impact on the other's development as players. Their performance will make up at least 40 percent of team productivity this year in terms of scoring and offensive production. Forging an on court bond will be crucial in team success.

This next season will indicate how good this duo might become. Speed and size at both positions make this young combination interesting to watch, as their young careers continue to unravel and the Kings have high stakes that this duo might be the rebuilt core of a playoff-bound Kings' team ready to contend in coming years.