Is the NBA Draft order officially now fucked? Poor Philadelphia 76ers fans.
With the number one overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select….Joel Embiid. That is how draft night was shaping up to go, according to those closest to the Cavaliers organization and almost every mock draft that has come out since the lottery. However, the 7-foot big man from Kansas may have scared off a few teams with another injury, especially this close to the draft and summer league games.
Embiid, was already dealing with critics pointing out the fact that his back caused him to miss last year’s Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. Teams were willing to overlook that fact and focus solely on his solid output as a freshman averaging 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks a night in conjunction with a healthy physical leading the league to believe injury problems were behind the young man.
UPDATE: A source close to Joel Embiid are saying he will likely be out 4-6 months after surgery inserted two screws inside his the navicular bone.
You have to wonder how serious the injury is for it to even make news and cause his agent to be unreachable. If it was a minor injury, they should’ve gotten out in front of it and kill all rumors, but that hasn’t been the case thus far (hopefully the foot is not broken). This has to bring up recent memories of Andrew Bynum and Greg Oden, two talented 7 footers that have been sidelined most of their careers due to injuries.
This injury definitely shakes up next Thursday’s draft, as teams have seen their top picks (most recently Nerlens Noel) miss their entire inaugural season. The Cavs will now have a second look on drafting either league ready Duke freshman Jabari Parker or standout wing Kansas guard, Andrew Wiggins. With many owners and GMs now skeptical of his health for the future, the 7-foot big could drop as far down to the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers.
OS REWIND: 2014 NBA Draft Lottery Order
OS REWIND: NBA TV: The 84 Draft [Documentary]
OS REWIND: The Biggest Free Agents of the 2014 NBA Off-Season