NBA Draft 2012: 5 Players Who Will Be Terrible Mentors for Rookies

Some rookies selected in the 2012 draft will be saddled with great mentors who know how to play the game and know how to carry themselves on and off the court.

Unfortunately, there are other organizations that have scenarios where explosive star personalities can ruin the development of a rookie and be terrible influences on how to be a professional.

Here are five players that have to be called into question for their mentorship abilities, and will prove to be negative influences in some regard on incoming NBA rookies.

Kevin Garnett

An important aspect of being a consummate professional is how to deal with the media and answer questions after the game.

According to The New York Times' NBA beat writer Howard Beck, KG is the worst interview in basketball. His disdain for the media has also rubbed off on younger teammates.

This lack of professionalism that Garnett has passed down to younger players will continue to plague the Boston Celtics or whatever team he ends up signing with.

It also doesn't help that Garnett goes on constant profanity-laden tirades on the basketball court.

Garnett walks a fine line of instigating another player and talking trash seemingly every minute he's on the court.

That aside, KG still has lots of basketball knowledge he can impart on rookies. It's the way he carries himself off the court that should be a concern.

If rookies become disenchanted with the media right away, it will only make their rookie seasons that much tougher.

The spotlight will immediately intensify the spotlight and criticism on those rookies if they follow KG's example too closely.

Andrew Bynum

At times, Los Angeles Lakers center Bynum looks like the best player at his position in the NBA.

However, he disappears at other times and seems ungrateful of the prominent position he's in.

I never try to psychoanalyze a player. I felt this way even before Mark Cuban so eloquently put Skip Bayless in his place for doing just that.

According to Bleacher Report's own Maxwell Ogden, Bynum is immature.

Bynum also went through a phase when he didn't stand in team huddles during timeouts, and was snide and sarcastic about it afterwards.

He even dropped a hint linked to former head coach Phil Jackson:

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Kobe Bryant missed his first 15 shots, and so a reporter asked Bynum what Kobe was like in the huddle during timeouts?

"I don't know," Bynum said with his characteristic cavalier attitude. "I don't take part in the huddles."

Another reporter reacted with disbelief, asking why not.

"I'm resting," Bynum said. "Getting my Zen on."

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This conduct is a shame for a player of Bynum's caliber, and he shouldn't create controversy in the locker room or with his head coach Mike Brown.

Pau Gasol is rumored to likely be leaving town in a trade. Kobe is aging and will retire in a year or two most likely.

The impression Bynum gives and his ability to lead will have a tremendous impact on a potentially high Lakers draft pick or any other rookie. Bynum's attitude will go a long way in shaping hte future of the team.

Unfortunately, Bynum hasn't displayed adequate professionalism to provide valuable mentorship to a rookie.

Tayshaun Prince

When was the last time the Detroit Pistons were relevant?

It has definitely been a few years, and the only player left from its most recent title-contending teams is Prince.

Whether he is declining as a player or is suffering from a franchise that has been plagued by recent disastrous coaching tenures, the state of the franchise is awful.

A veteran of Prince's caliber should have been able to help some of these youngsters out, but he hasn't done anything to change the recent losing culture.

It's not that Prince is a bad player, or can be blamed for lack of player development. Based on the track record of the last few years, it just seems the trend of flopping draft picks simply won't change.

No. 15 overall pick Austin Daye has been an unmitigated disaster, and Prince clearly hasn't served as a mentor for him even though they play the same position.

As the only established veteran on a young team, Prince must reverse that trend this coming season if the Pistons are to weather this current organizational storm.

After signing an extension for four years in December 2011, Prince is likely in Detroit to stay.

If the franchise keeps putting more talent around him, though, Prince has to step up and teach these guys how to be professionals. If not, the franchise will continue to struggle.

Amare Stoudemire

One of the most talented forwards in the league, Stoudemire had an underwhelming season in 2011-12.

His teammate, Carmelo Anthony, is an elite scorer who is improving his leadership abilities, but does not necessarily make his teammates better due to his isolation-oriented, self-creating offense.

Stoudemire, meanwhile, must improve on the defensive end under new head coach Mike Woodson. Never in his career has Stoudemire consistently showed a willingness to play on that end of the floor.

Defense wins championships after all, but Stoudemire doesn't seem to want to put in the effort in spite of that.

Iman Shumpert is an outstanding perimeter defender, and his injury near the end of last year was a huge blow to the Knicks' chances to go deep in the playoffs.

Even though he's only a second-year player, Shumpert must preach the importance of defense since Stoudemire seems unwilling.

Stoudemire has also done some questionable things since the end of the regular season.

He punched through glass protecting a fire extinguisher following a playoff  loss to the Miami Heat, and he recently tweeted a gay slur in response to a crude message from one of his followers.

Players of Stoudemire's stature with 10 years of experience in the NBA should know better. Based on these factors, it's doubtful he will be a good mentor in any capacity to an incoming NBA rookie.

Vince Carter

Carter had the opportunity to be a surefire Hall-of-Famer based on his talents and some of the teams he's been a part of.

However, Carter has only made it to the Conference Finals once, and The Basketball Jones's blogger Tas Melas wrote a piece discussing how he loved to hate Carter, but secretly still wanted to see a player with such ability win something.

Now that his skill set is declining, Carter might be relegated exclusively to a bench role for the first time in his career.

If the past is any indication, any rookie that comes in and gets a whiff of Carter's attitude will not benefit at all from anything he has to offer despite his immense NBA experience and off-the-charts ability.

Barring an unforeseen renaissance, Carter will eventually fade out.

If he does end up continuing to play for the Dallas Mavericks, any rookie the Mavs draft will have to turn elsewhere for a professional mentor, because Carter has never had anything to offer in that regard.