Pre-Draft Hub: Joel Embiid Is A Young Zydrunas Ilgauskas D:

[Kevin]

Let's just hope Embiid is gonna get healthy

[Alpha_]

Embiid = The Next Michael Olowokandi?????

[NovU]

Hahahaha. OP wants us to QHIA. Done deal!

For the fun sake, I will say this. Joel will be closer to Hakeem than Hasheem. QMIA

[benji]

You know, he shouldn't have been the second pick, but Thabeet isn't that bad of a player there's really no reason he shouldn't get all of Perkins minutes. I can't imagine it would harm OKC, probably would make them better.

Teach him to shoot FT's at 75+%, pump him full of cocaine and we could have the next Roy Tarpley!

[NovU]

That actually might be true. Perkins probably is the worst starter in the league at the moment. And he probably is useless from the bench as well.


But I think benji's only siding with Hasheem only because he's butthurt Embiid is everything Andre Drummond wants to be.

[benji]

The Celtics were very busy last week, holding workouts with Noah Vonleh, Aaron Gordon, Marcus Smart, Julius Randle, Gary Harris, Nik Stauksas and Doug McDermott, essentially everyone they would consider with the No. 6 pick.

I still believe that Vonleh, Gordon and Smart are the heavy favorites if Boston keeps the pick, with Gordon being the choice right now given the way we have the draft board playing out.

But I continue to get strong signals that the Celtics are trying hard to use pick No. 6 and 17 along with future No. 1s and young players such as Jared Sullinger or Kelly Olynyk to persuade the Minnesota Timberwolves to trade them Kevin Love. One source close to the Wolves said that while Flip Saunders does not want to trade Love, he realizes the team likely will lose him this summer and the package the Celtics are offering is probably the best he's going to get. Given the strength of the draft, picks 6, 13 and 17 could land them three young starters to help them rebuild their roster quickly.

Ford has Randle slipping to #10 for the Sixers, so they get both Wiggins and Randle.

[benji]

26 Kyle Anderson Miami Heat (54 - 28) COLLEGE: UCLA HT: 6-9 WT: 230 POS: PF
After watching the way Boris Diaw carved them up in the NBA Finals, finding a Diaw clone might be exactly what the Heat need. Anderson thrives with the ball in his hands, is an emerging shooter and a good rebounder. He's a poor athlete, but he helps the game flow.

delicious

[NovU]

That'd be horrendous. Kyle Anderson isn't no Diaw. He's a SF in the NBA and can't play PF.

Ford has Randle slipping to #10 for the Sixers, so they get both Wiggins and Randle.

Just a few month ago for a stretch, Julius Randle was projected at #1 worth pick. LoL. Imagine this young line up.

MCW, Wiggins, Thaddeus, Randle, Noel

Trade Thaddeus for a decent SG and this team will be fun to watch for a decade depending how they mature. But I doubt Randle will last till 10th.

I think Randle is most NBA ready in terms of physicality. Physically he reminds me of Thomas Robinson. But with offensive skillsets: go to moves, quickness, solid handle.

[Spree#8]

Randle at #10? Not a huge fan of his, but he'd be great value at that pick. However, I don't believe he falls that much.

My optimistic-within-reason scenario still involves Wiggins falling to #3 and then snagging Harris with #10.

MCW-Harris-Wiggins-Thad-Noel

A potential killer defensive lineup. Offense would be questionable with no GTG to speak of, but we're hoping Wiggins develops into one, right?

[Alpha_]

Joel Embiid has suffered a stress fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot, Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski has confirmed.

Embiid will not attend next week's draft in New York.

Embiid had already been dealing with health concerns regarding his back.

Greg Oden in the making.

[shadowgrin]

I'd like to say "Called it!" but it's really unfortunate to have a combination of back and foot issues. What's worse is that if the foot injury were because of his body trying to compensate for his back issues, resulting in a loop of the same recurring injuries.

I'd rather have hime be the next Thabeet and be healthy rather than be the next Greg Oden and dealing with injuries throughout a potentially short basketball career.

[stereoxide]

Sucks if this is really true. We are deprived of the talent of Oden because of injury and now we may see another one.

[Sauru]

how far is this guy going to fall in the draft now.

[shadowgrin]

14, 18, or 27 - if there's a team that can take a risk with his injury history it's the Phoenix Suns, who own those picks.

[NovU]

I know Sauru wants him a Celtic but he's still going top 3.

[benji]

Fuck shadow:

Joel Embiid, one of the top prospects for next week's NBA draft, had two screws inserted into his foot during surgery Friday morning, and a source told ESPN.com's Andy Katz that he will need four to six months to fully recover.

Embiid's agent, Arn Tellem, said in a statement that the former Kansas star underwent the procedure at Southern California Orthopedic Institute.

The surgeon, Dr. Richard Ferkel, said that Embiid "tolerated the surgery without difficulty" and claimed that the 7-foot center should "be able to return to NBA basketball."

"Two screws were inserted into the navicular bone in Joel Embiid's right foot," Ferkel said in the statement released by Tellem. "The surgery went very well and I'm confident that after appropriate healing he will be able to return to NBA Basketball. Joel tolerated the surgery without difficulty and will begin his rehabilitation in the near future."

[shadowgrin]

I blame NovU.

[_Steve_]

I blame NovU.

A canadian conspirancy to get one of their own finally drafted at #1!?
As much as I'm sorry for the kid, but that'll make the draft even more interesting...

[benji]

A canadian conspirancy to get one of their own finally drafted at #1!?

Just because he stunk isn't grounds for allowing them to disown Anthony Bennett.

[_Steve_]

Damn! He was so non-existent that I completely forgot about him...

[NovU]

Really guys? Are Canadienz new jewz? Why is everything our fault?

[kevin02]

Heard some interesting stuff about Parker that may or may not be released later today but if true makes it extremely unlikely the Cavs will draft him.

It sounds like Wiggins then Parker will go 1 and 2... Unless the Cavs aren't as worried about Embiid's injuries as everyone else thinks.

[benji]

Heard some interesting stuff about Parker that may or may not be released later today but if true makes it extremely unlikely the Cavs will draft him.

Oh yeah? Well, I heard even more interesting stuff.

[shadowgrin]

Pffft, you two are still no Chad Ford.

[_Steve_]

Heard some interesting stuff about Parker that may or may not be released later today but if true makes it extremely unlikely the Cavs will draft him.

Multiple sources?!?