Opportunity is everything in the NBA.
Being a first-round pick does not guarantee a chance. It is always something that gets earned. And teams try to help their young players have pathways to playing, but still opportunity can be fleeting and brief.
And when the moment passes, if a player does not take advantage of it and earn more opportunities, it can disappear quickly.
Sometimes that is out of a young player’s control. Sometimes the team is simply too deep at the spot and the window closes tight. Sometimes injuries prevent a player from every getting off the ground.