You're 100% right.
It can be summarized as "it would take at least one elite hoops skill to get that nat'l media attention out of HS. Your starting MyPlayer has none."
It would take something, anything, to separate yourself from the thousands of HS hoop & AAU players. You'd need something to flash, and then show consistently to get your name mentioned on the national scale. Your starting MyCareer player is bottomed out, RPG style, but the scripted story presents you as a player who has already shown flashes of brilliance on the court, without ever really going into detail about what separates you from all of the other players who can run, dunk, pass, and shoot, when need-be...
I mean...Lance Stephenson has been hyped since his days at Lincoln, he dominated on then court -- you could see the handle, the athleticism, the finishing around the rim...and he didn't get the type of hype you see 'Pres' get from the jump. 'Pres' is on par with The Brow, KD, & Irving. But all 4 people named came into the league with elite NBA attributes that teams wanted to nurture & develop. 'Pres' comes in with a story of being the "next big thing" while having the skills of a rec league player.
Anyone who tries to "defend" the current setup is just on that "non-consumer consumer" kick. "If it's good enough for me, then that means it's clearly the best it can be."