Why the NBA is missing the boat on what is REALLY the problem

I'm baaack!!! It's been a minute but allow me to give my usual EXPERT opinion and fix what is wrong (or at least tell you what's wrong) in the NBA.  Ready?!  Heeere we go!
Small market owners are complaining about the rich getting richer and the big market teams fielding better competition than they are/can.  The latest craze (which will somehow find it's way to be blamed on LeBron and/or President Obama somehow) is the 'concept' of "the big 3."  Everybody knows the whole LeBron "decision" campaign and him taking his talents to south beach--not rehashing that.  People came out of the wood work spraining ankles, twisting backs and pulling hamstrings to pile on why this was a "cowardly move."  How quickly do we forget!  They say hindsight is 20/20.  Really?  Then why don't these owners/gm see what's always been there?!

Anybody ever heard of Bill Russel, Bob Cousy?  How about Bird, McHale, Parrish?  Magic, Worthy, Kareem? Dr. J, Darryl Dawkins, Moses Malone, Mo Cheeks? Jerry West, Wilt and the big O? The concept of the big 3 has been in the NBA for years.  The issue isn't teams are putting the big 3's together--the change has come due to two MAJOR pieces.  1. Salary cap and 1a. Talent pool
Salary Cap has prevented the smaller market teams from being able to put their chips in and buy multiple free agents.  On the surface you may say "that's the argument--lack of an even playing field."  This is only one part of it. Teams are having to draft young inexperienced players, teach them over the next 2-4 years (which is what they would get in college).  By the time they develop their games, their 1st contracts are up, likely the coach that was there may be fired by now, the team is left with hiring a new coach, overpaying for a guy who is just now developing and hoping he does blossom into a star.  This is where the salary cap hurts the smaller teams--little room for error.  Don't get me wrong; prior to the high school/1 year college player surge hit, you still had some bad player decisions.  The major difference is you at least got to see them compete in college 2-3 years.  You were able to overcome a bad selection—your percentages of getting a better player were in your favor.  2-3 years of training (college ball) goes a long way in the develop process.  If Kwame Brown went to college would he still have been #1 overall?  Not likely.  If Kobe went to college, do you think he would have been drafted 8^th then traded?  Nope. There’s an argument on both sides.  It helps SOME of these guys mature on and off the court.  It also gets them around better talent. 
Now days with the 1 year rule, you have glimpses of brilliance in college, with kids who typically don't have developed bodies for the NBA grind at potential stars.  THAT is the crux of the problem!  The talent pool of TRUE NBA players is shallow.  You have so many players that aren’t ready that make the jump.  Teams have to draft them on potential when you have very little to go off of.  These decisions lock up money or you let a guy go and he develops elsewhere.  Back in the days of Magic, Jordan, Isaiah, Bird, etc…you had players who proved themselves in college.  They had a more polished game.  Every team in the NBA had a bonified all-star.  Some teams had 2 or 3 or even more.  Over time as the talent weakened it took those all stars from one team and moved them to bigger teams who could afford a luxury tax or afford to pay 2 or more stars.  The smaller markets couldn’t compete not just with money but with time—the gambles on players were even more risky since you didn’t have much to view.  A wrong step and you’ve set a franchise back several years.  A modern day success story is the Thunder.  They drafted young players like Durant, Harden, Westbrook who all developed well.  They also had a supporting fan base to give them time.  You have the opposite in the Wizards and Bobcats who can’t get the right pieces in place.  Solve the problem by improving the talent pool.  Either pay the college kids or put real money and time in your D-league.  The other option is having these small markets continue to struggle to the point of folding or just being the Washington Generals to a league of Harlem Globetrotters.

…maybe it’s just me, but I doubt it!