Even novices in NBA history tend to know that as a rookie, Magic Johnson led his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, to becoming NBA champions in 1980. A couple of years later, in 1982, they drafted James Worthy, The following season he was (by and large) a starter and subsequently proceeded to win three championships with LAL. Then in 1985, they drafted AC Green. The following season he was a starter and ultimately went on to win three championships with LAL. A bit earlier, in 1983, Los Angeles acquired Byron Scott as a rookie. He was more or less a starter from the get-go and won three championships with LAL.
Compare that to how rookies are being treated these days. A few years back, GM Lebron didn't even give Andrew Wiggins, the number 1 pick, a chance before demanding that the Cavs, who already had Kyrie Irving btw, go out and get another proven superstar in his stead. The Blazers just drafted Scoot Henderson, who's billed to be the most-electrifying prospect in years, and Dame wants to bounce, without the world ever seeing what the two of them can do together. And even with Wembanyama, it's like the Spurs didn't even bother to keep any notable vets around, not even Cameron Payne. These days if you believe you've landed something like a generational talent in the draft, then it's either trade or rebuild from day one.
But I'm not blaming this reality on the likes Dame or LBJ. Rather, it's the late, great Kobe Bryant's fault. "The Mamba Mentality" was a bitch for opponents to deal with, but organizations have to be ready to accept that type of young greatness on their own rosters also. In the old days, even contenders would give rookies a chance. But now, because of Kobe it's like 'wait, let's let him 'develop' first'.
DEVELOP WHAT?
Part of the problem is the fact that dudes are now coming into the NBA, en masse, younger than ever. Worthy, Green and Scott all did at least three years of college, and Magic also did a couple. But this newer reality can also be taken as Kobe's fault, because he was the one who really proved - or at least made the fact indisputable - that superstars can come straight out of high school.
The problem with Kobe - unlike KG, McGrady and those other high schoolers from his influential generation - is that he's unanimously considered to be a G.O.A.T. There may be some debate as to how good Kobe actually was or wasn't, but some people even make those types of arguments about Michael Jordan now that he's no longer playing. Yes, I believe that to some degree Kobe was overrated. But he was a winner and extremely popular as a celebrity. Also, I do remember on a few occasions where he absolutely demolished opposing teams in the most-critical circumstances imaginable. So when you have those three factors on your side, then you have an all-time great.
But what people don't remember is that when he came into the NBA, he was borderline garbage, even if an exciting scrub. The potential was there, and so was the athleticism - just like Scoot Henderson, if you will. But dammit, his production.
You look back now at the 1996 Draft and be like 'why didn't the Sixers choose Kobe at number one'? The answer to that is simple - because Allen Iverson was better, and so was arguably five or six other dudes chosen before Kobe. That's why, as the story goes, it took Jerry West to really perceive Bryant's potential. So the squads who should have really be kicking themselves are the ones who let West talk them out of drafting Kobe. But as for Philly and those top-top picks, you know, it ain't overlooking Kobe was a Jordan/Bowie type of situation.
But the issue was that, in terms of 'developing', it's like Kobe never got the memo. Rather, he had "the Mamba Mentality". What that meant for instance was Bryant, as a rookie, shooting the Lakers out of the playoffs in an elimination game against the Jazz. Now please, sit down and think about that. What type of balls must a player - and not only that, but a rookie - possess to chuck up four airballs in the closing minutes of a playoff game?
That's supposed to be a game that coaches to this day can sit down and watch with thier young superstars and be like 'look son, this is what happens when you're overconfident'. But instead it's like, dafuk you can say bad about the Black Mamba? He took that same mentality, never truly forsaking his chuckin ways, and went on to win five championships, besides being one of the most famous people in the world during his day.
So now, there's a dilemma. You don't want to stifle your superstar rookies' development. 'Go on and chuck, son.' But at the same time, you know you ain't gonna win shit with dudes like shooting four-consecutive airballs. So regardless of how good a rookie may be, you don't want to throw him into the fire, i.e. take his inherent alpha status (as a star already entering the NBA) onto a contender, unless it's a really sane young superstar, like Tim Duncan was.
CONCLUSION
So I think that may be why for instance someone like Lillard may not be convinced he can win with Henderson, or like how Lebron did to Wiggins. After trading away Wiggins, it still took the Cavs a whole 'nother season to win a championship. So for all we know, they could have done it in that same time, or even less, if Andrew had stuck around.
But it's like fuk that. You know what I mean? Like 'what if he suddenly develops the mamba mentality in a critical game'? And most NBA teams these days, unlike the 1980s' Lakers, don't have any actual system anyway. So now, rookies with star potential have gone from being valued to being feared by win-now teams. Therefore, every time such a squad is in on the verge of landing one in the draft, you hear words like "rebuild" and "trade" being thrown around.
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