Joel Embiid

[Big_C_KU]

Chronic back problem is a concern. Seems like he's hurting his back every couple games.

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[noobcake]

Chronic back problem is a concern. Seems like he's hurting his back every couple games.

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Knee and back are issues that can't be fixed.

We'll have to see if he will get a medical red flag like Sullinger for a bad back.

[Big_C_KU]

Chronic back problem is a concern. Seems like he's hurting his back every couple games.

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Knee and back are issues that can't be fixed.

We'll have to see if he will get a medical red flag like Sullinger for a bad back.

Knee is fine now. The way is got bent back it should have been worse.

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[mattg]

Come on people embiid ain't scoring 28 a game in the nba even at his absolute best possible case scenario. It's far more likely he never scores 20 PPG than he is a 25+PPG guy. That's not even a bad thing either, but some of you need to be realistic.

[Dr Positivity]

Embiid's ceiling to me is 28/15/4/3 ish numbers.

Those two are great players but I feel Embiid has a combo of the best of them.

I don't see Embiid as on that level athletically (or David Robinson and Hakeem, which is what that statline implicates)

[moss_is_1]

Holy ****. Embiid averaging 28/15/4/3?

I don't think he's going to be a dominant rebounder, or scorer.

I could see something like 15-18 points / 9-11 boards / 2 assists / 2-3 blocks on all NBA type D, and on a % around 55.

[bigboi]

If Anthony Davis can average 20, Embiid sure as hell can. Embiid is much more advanced than Davis at this stage in terms of offensive skill. The only problem with him right now is the same problem that Drummond is having, he may be able to put up big numbers,but he can't stay in the game due to foul trouble.

[TGB]

28 seems really high, but I could see 22 or 23. He's got all of the skills necessary to be a go-to guy on offense. Beautiful footwork, a constantly expanding arsenal of post moves, nice touch around the basket, a jumpshot that he seems capable of hitting out to 15 feet with reasonable consistency. He's got every tool you look for in a center. He just needs to refine them and learn how to stay out of foul trouble. That will come eventually, given his IQ.

But his back is very concerning. He's played better of late, but he really hasn't been himself ever since that first Texas game, and it's clearly because of his knee and his back. The knee was a freak incident that he seems to have already recovered from, but if his back is giving him problems when playing a college basketball schedule (and at only 23mpg), how is he going to get through 82 games of an NBA season? I still think he's the obvious #1, but this probably needs to be discussed more than it has been. A lot of promising centers have had their careers destroyed because of their inability to stay healthy.

[EMG518]

Embiid's ceiling to me is 28/15/4/3 ish numbers.

Those two are great players but I feel Embiid has a combo of the best of them.

I don't see Embiid as on that level athletically (or David Robinson and Hakeem, which is what that statline implicates)

Im not supporting that stat line but on him not having the same level of athleticism as Robinson or Olajuwan, he is just different. He cant run as fast or jump as high as those guys but the way he moves, there is a smoothness to his motion and a quickness that you just dont ever see. Not to mention he is taller and longer than Olajuwan. There was a play where he went for a rebound and dove on the floor, tapped the ball out while diving to the floor and did a quick roll on the floor and got back to his feet. I have neve seen a big man do something like that, you dont even seen smaller guys being able to move like that. I have only been following the draft since 2009 but he looks like the best prospect to me of all those drafts.

[reignfire]

The main reason I see him being that successful is because of his intangibles. Ignore all this physical tools for a moment.

Not only is he a smart guy that learns fast, but he's not a nice guy. He has an attitude about him; he plays with an edge. He is also a bit of a show off and he has personality. He's not your average African.


He has already established signature "3-point" and "And-1" celebrations.

[hands11]

Embiid's ceiling to me is 28/15/4/3 ish numbers.

Those two are great players but I feel Embiid has a combo of the best of them.

I don't see Embiid as on that level athletically (or David Robinson and Hakeem, which is what that statline implicates)

Closest thing to an Hakeem I have seen.

I'd take him #1 if he comes out.

But if he wants to be really good, he will stay another year. Big take time to develop physically and skills. Better to get in the work and develop the strong fundamentals he needs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakeem_Olajuwon

Put in a good summer of work against the best pro talent he can find. Come back the next year and dominate. He will still go #1 next year. A great big will always get put up there.

[Worm Guts]

I don't know what the point of going back to school is for him. Go pro, focus on basketball. Whatever team drafts him is going to put a lot effort into making sure he develops.

[Tave]

I don't know what the point of going back to school is for him. Go pro, focus on basketball. Whatever team drafts him is going to put a lot effort into making sure he develops.

He'll develop quicker in college at this point because he'll play more meaningful minutes with wider latitude to try new things. Either way he'll receive a lot of individual training (probably moreso in the NBA), but he won't have the same opportunity to experiment with the game and really ingrain those moves until they're second nature if he's only getting a handful of touches every night.

[noobcake]

I don't know what the point of going back to school is for him. Go pro, focus on basketball. Whatever team drafts him is going to put a lot effort into making sure he develops.

He'll develop quicker in college at this point because he'll play more meaningful minutes with wider latitude to try new things. Either way he'll receive a lot of individual training (probably moreso in the NBA), but he won't have the same opportunity to experiment with the game and really ingrain those moves until they're second nature if he's only getting a handful of touches every night.

No, no one ever develops quicker in college than in the NBA. Some player go back to school because they don't get a fair chance in the NBA. Embiid is going to get plenty of chances before his rookie contract is over.

[SmoothLefty21]

I don't see the Olajuwon comparison at all. It's like one person made that claim early on and the rest of the basketball world ran with it without giving it much thought. Hakeem was a significantly better athlete. Much more quicker and more nimble though he was 1-3" shorter than Embiid. Their games aren't similar and neither is their athletic profile.

Embiid has some decent footwork for a young big but he's on the robotic side and isn't that explosive off his feet. There is no way I'd take him over Wiggins but I'd probably roll the dice with him at #2 since centers are still such a commodity.

[mattg]

I don't see the Olajuwon comparison at all. It's like one person made that claim early on and the rest of the basketball world ran with it without giving it much thought. Hakeem was a significantly better athlete. Much more quicker and more nimble though he was 1-3" shorter than Embiid. Their games aren't similar and neither is their athletic profile.

Embiid has some decent footwork for a young big but he's on the robotic side and isn't that explosive off his feet. There is no way I'd take him over Wiggins but I'd probably roll the dice with him at #2 since centers are still such a commodity.

People made the Hakeem comparison because he did that dreamshake-esque move(shoulder fake step through) against New Mexico and because he's an African big who hasn't been playing long yet has developed quickly.

[RSCD3_]

I don't see the Olajuwon comparison at all. It's like one person made that claim early on and the rest of the basketball world ran with it without giving it much thought. Hakeem was a significantly better athlete. Much more quicker and more nimble though he was 1-3" shorter than Embiid. Their games aren't similar and neither is their athletic profile.

Embiid has some decent footwork for a young big but he's on the robotic side and isn't that explosive off his feet. There is no way I'd take him over Wiggins but I'd probably roll the dice with him at #2 since centers are still such a commodity.

But potential wise

Wiggins is a demar derozan 2.0 with better defense and off ball movement

Embiid is a Dominant offensive and Defensive Anchor a poor mans Hakeem.


Embiid is a very fluid athlete and has an advanced skill set for a player with such little experience.

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[SmoothLefty21]

I don't see the Olajuwon comparison at all. It's like one person made that claim early on and the rest of the basketball world ran with it without giving it much thought. Hakeem was a significantly better athlete. Much more quicker and more nimble though he was 1-3" shorter than Embiid. Their games aren't similar and neither is their athletic profile.

Embiid has some decent footwork for a young big but he's on the robotic side and isn't that explosive off his feet. There is no way I'd take him over Wiggins but I'd probably roll the dice with him at #2 since centers are still such a commodity.

People made the Hakeem comparison because he did that dreamshake-esque move(shoulder fake step through) against New Mexico and because he's an African big who hasn't been playing long yet has developed quickly.

Nearly every African 7-footer has only been playing basketball for a few years when they hit the US.

And it really says something about the state of post play in the US, pro and college, if one step-through by a big man draws Olajuwon comparisons.

[mattg]

Embiid is further along than the usual 7 foot African bigs that come in with poor fundamentals and little to no skill though. He shows a strong feel for the game and skill base for being so new to the sport.

I agree that the particular post move was overrated and over celebrated by many. Good move no doubt, but it's not something that Joel performs regularly and the defense wasn't very good either.

[Tave]

I don't know what the point of going back to school is for him. Go pro, focus on basketball. Whatever team drafts him is going to put a lot effort into making sure he develops.

He'll develop quicker in college at this point because he'll play more meaningful minutes with wider latitude to try new things. Either way he'll receive a lot of individual training (probably moreso in the NBA), but he won't have the same opportunity to experiment with the game and really ingrain those moves until they're second nature if he's only getting a handful of touches every night.

No, no one ever develops quicker in college than in the NBA.

That's impossible to prove definitively either way, but if history is any indication, an extra year or two seems to really benefit the big men, which makes a lot of sense given that low-post footwork is one of the hardest skills in the game to master.

Some player go back to school because they don't get a fair chance in the NBA. Embiid is going to get plenty of chances before his rookie contract is over.

I don't know what you mean by this. Players who turn pro become ineligible to return to NCAA competition.