There's no scientific mathematic formula known to man that will measure how a young professional athlete will pan out in the big leagues.  For every Michael "Air" Jordan, AI, or Kobe Bryant, you have a Sam Bowie, Kwame Brown, or Greg Oden, players who fail to live up to their media hype.  When you take into account factors such as size and athleticism, it's relatively easy to rank a prospect but darn near impossible to calculate maturity and character as it applies to life in the association.   I spoke with an NBA insider who shared with me 6 reasons NBA rookies in particular fail to succeed at the professional level and most of the time it's the players lack of mental development that leads to their undoing. Why Players Bust in the NBA

1. Not willing to work

   " Most NBA prospects are physically gifted enough to have had an easy advantage over their peers during high school and in many instances college.  "In the NBA the 14th man on the bench can beat the brakes off an average man in a one on one game, says the insider."  Some prospects don't have the character to handle the fact that they're not the most dominant player on the floor and don't work to improve their games and there is always, always, always, someone willing to take your spot."

2. Can't handle the money

   "When these guys sign NBA contracts, it's more money than they've seen in their lives and it changes the dynamics drastically. They are very few things outside of their means and many get caught up and lose the focus it takes to stay in the league."

3.  Can't handle the pressure

    "The NBA games is a grown man's game.  It means NO BOYS ALLOWED.  Some rookies forget that while they're getting paid to play, it's expected that they help the team win and it's a business.  The pressure to win is immense and the media is relentless.  Everyone knows what you make to play and the public expects performance commensurate to your status as an NBA player.  Some can't handle the pressure of the game, the media and the public's expectations.

4. Can't handle the fame

    "It all ties together with the money.  There are only about 400 jobs available in the NBA and only a select few get a position. NBA rookies are instant celebrities who are recognized everywhere they go and showered with praise and the special treatment only afforded to a few individuals with celebrity status. Players would rather party than work on getting better.  For some the fame can be distracting and cause a young player to lose focus."

5. Injuries

   Unfortunately for some young players injuries can derail a promising career.  For promising talents such as Sam Bowie and Greg Oden, injuries have been a significant deterrant to any chances of a solid career in the league.  While the book is still unfinished for Oden, he was hyped as the next promising big man but hasn't lived up to those expectations because of injuries. Injuries are an unfortunate and uncontrollable circumstance that raises it's ugly head to wreck havoc on a young players career aspirations.

6. Coaches

   "Sometimes coaches can ruin you. If you are a middle of the pack player who for some reason doesn't fit into your coaches system, they will sit you on the bench. For some young players it's takes years before they find the ideal situation where they can flourish.  Many journey to multiple teams before they find a good fit.  A good example is Chauncey Billups.  He drifted to several teams before finding a home in Detroit and led them to a world championship."

The transition to the highest level of competition is never an easy adjustment when you take into account factors such as better competition, money, fame, and increased media scrutiny.  To successfully make the jump to the big leagues and sustain a productive career one must have more than raw skills and talent, it takes maturity, character, a strong work ethic and luck.

Unfortunately many names from this years draft class will ultimately washout while one or two second round selections could become allstars.  For GMs, they're certain things you just can't insert into an excel spreadsheet and that's heart, desire, and the willingness to get better.

The Dime Piece is a weekly column on everything basketball.

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