Joel Embiid is #1 in mock drafts

[JohnnyMax]

Joel Embiid Usurps Top Spot in Latest 1st-Round Projection (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1923695-2014-nba-mock-draft-joel-embiid-usurps-top-spot-in-latest-1st-round-projection)

[JohnnyMax]

His hand is inside the rim!



http://i.imgur.com/vccqEU8.png

[Katherine Robinson]

His skill level at such a young age leads me to believe that he is capable of becoming a once a decade kind of player. Defense is a scarce commodity today.

[spurraider21]

your arm going through the rim is a goaltend, isn't it?

[Raven]

i don't know, every year there seems to be this new hakeem and yet every year they fail.

[RD2191]

Kid has fail written all over him, next Oden if you ask me. I have a feeling a team will regret taking him #1 instead of Parker/Wiggins.

[RD2191]

And tbh college ball fucking sucks. I was watching some games this past week and damn, terrible basketball. I give props to scouts who can see potential in such a shit league.

[benefactor]

The great big man era is over. Taking one number one overall is a wasted pick.

[Katherine Robinson]

Kid has fail written all over him, next Oden if you ask me. I have a feeling a team will regret taking him #1 instead of Parker/Wiggins.

How do you make an Oden comparison? Oden couldn't stay healthy

[313]

How do you make an Oden comparison? Oden couldn't stay healthy

[RD2191]

How do you make an Oden comparison? Oden couldn't stay healthy
This kid will have knee problems.

[313]

I'd rather take Parker

[313]

This kid will have knee problems.
Does he have history?

[RD2191]

No jk, I just have a feeling he will be a bust, its rare to find a big man who isn't a bust these days. Just don't think he's worthy of a #1 pick.

[RD2191]

Does he have history?
Not that I know of.

[jimbo]

your arm going through the rim is a goaltend, isn't it?

In the NBA it is, no idea in college

[Katherine Robinson]

This kid will have knee problems.

All 7+ footers have a high chance of this, but there is no indication he will suffer from bad knees. So far his only injury was to his eye.

[CitizenDwayne]

People comparing this guy to Hakeem are fucking nuts.

Should be #4/5 pick at best.

[RD2191]

This kid has zero game, He is all potential. Lacks fundamentals, goes up soft, can't rebound, and just all around doesn't know how to play basketball. He is a monkeyballer. You can't teach Hakeem, you can't teach Duncan. Those players just had it.

[Clipper Nation]

And tbh college ball fucking sucks. I was watching some games this past week and damn, terrible basketball. I give props to scouts who can see potential in such a shit league.

Agreed, imho....

:lol Old white people who think shit-ass college basketball is a better product than the NBA
:lol Only worth watching in March

[Clipper Nation]

This kid has zero game, He is all potential. Lacks fundamentals, goes up soft, can't rebound, and just all around doesn't know how to play basketball. He is a monkeyballer. You can't teach Hakeem, you can't teach Duncan. Those players just had it.

To be fair, Embiid just started playing basketball in 2011.... the fact that he's playing for a big-time program like Kansas and getting scouts' attention at all is impressive, tbh....

[BUMP]

yeah he has "potential" to be an all star but when do these "potential" guys ever pan out?

[Katherine Robinson]

yeah he has "potential" to be an all star but when do these "potential" guys ever pan out?

Once or twice a decade. When they do, though, it is quite a thing to whiteness.

[313]

Once or twice a decade. When they do, though, it is quite a thing to whiteness.

#whiteness

[BUMP]

Once or twice a decade. When they do, though, it is quite a thing to whiteness.

meh, I think his ceiling is a 16 and 10 type player. He's got the athleticism to have a nice career in the NBA, that's for sure, just don't think he'll come close to being a 'special player' or anything like that.

The elite players in the NBA usually dominated college right from the get-go. (Shaq, Hakeem, Durant, Anthony, Curry, Griffin, Wade, Rose, Anthony Davis, etc.)

[Katherine Robinson]

meh, I think his ceiling is a 16 and 10 type player. He's got the athleticism to have a nice career in the NBA, that's for sure, just don't think he'll come close to being a 'special player' or anything like that.

The elite players in the NBA usually dominated college right from the get-go. (Shaq, Hakeem, Durant, Anthony, Curry, Griffin, Wade, Rose, Anthony Davis, etc.)

But even Hakeem played basketball longer than Embiid before his NBA debut. We have to remember Embiid just started playing in 2011 and already is developing a polished game.

[JohnnyMax]

Embiid was 5-of-6 for 13 pts 11 rebounds and 8 blocks vs Oklahoma State

[ambchang]

Reminds me a lot of thabeet. Not sure why.

[Katherine Robinson]

Reminds me a lot of thabeet. Not sure why.

Similar in stats, but Thabeet had never developed his raw game.

You can see the breakdown here, Embiid shows strong signs of a developing talent rather than a static talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-dtrmh0nM

[RsxPiimp]

Reminds me a lot of thabeet. Not sure why.

Because they're both Afrikkaan and athletic?

Come on, people who have seen Thabeet in College knows Embiid is on another level. Thabeet never had the footwork, IQ in college. He was a shot blocking machine. Embiid has offensive moves. :lol

[RsxPiimp]

Similar in stats, but Thabeet had never developed his raw game.

You can see the breakdown here, Embiid shows strong signs of a developing talent rather than a static talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-dtrmh0nM
Compare those to his clips in HS and you'd be amazed just how quick Embiid has progressed in such a short amount of time. Embiid in a span of few months under Bill Self has transformed into one of the nations best college prospect. Statistically, he's not impressive and he probably won't even make 2nd Team All American, but he's progressing at a rapid pace.

[Katherine Robinson]

Compare those to his clips in HS and you'd be amazed just how quick Embiid has progressed in such a short amount of time. Embiid in a span of few months under Bill Self has transformed into one of the nations best college prospect. Statistically, he's not impressive and he probably won't even make 2nd Team All American, but he's progressing at a rapid pace.

Very true, he is actually growing as a player. When you look at Parker or Wiggins, you don't see much growth.

[Rogue]

All 7+ footers have a high chance of this, but there is no indication he will suffer from bad knees. So far his only injury was to his eye.
umm... like the one you're suffering around your right eye, KR?

[BUMP]

yeah, Embiid is already better offensively in the post than Thabeet ever was.

Thabeet was just a n!ggerfreak shotblocking machine in college and that was pretty much it

[sook]

meh.

[baseline bum]

Remember when Olowokandi averaged 20 and 10 in college?

[Katherine Robinson]

umm... like the one you're suffering around your right eye, KR?

No, his eye survived injury.

[AchillesHeel]

Remember when Olowokandi averaged 20 and 10 in college?

It's about the eye test. Embiid looks really great when he runs the floor and plays in the post, he's also a good defensive player and positions really well for rebounds.

[LkrFan]

Lakers should tank for this dude. We know right now it's a guard driven league, but we also know these trends are cyclical. Even still, you must protect the paint and rebound. This dude already does both. I've read comparisons to Dream with this dude. He's raw, but you can see he has tools to work with. Even if he turns out to be no more than Daddy Tyson, (who was The Difference! between Mavs ranging for the 1st time despite many many talented teams) - you still roll the dice with him.

This clip causes me to change my whole tank strategy:

-ai4vNuMtO0

Considering we're not winning jack for a minute or three, it stands to reason that you take someone with a high ceiling and develop him like we did with Baby Drew. 2 rangs later...

[RsxPiimp]

Remember when Olowokandi averaged 20 and 10 in college?

Olowokandi had the potential to be a solid starter in the league, he just never had the discipline. By year 5, he somewhat turned the corner and posted career highs in his career. He still couldn't live up to his expectations but he was getting better.

Mike's problem was his attitude. Embiid is completely a different person and his learning curve is much advance.

KAJ said it best on the Kandi man.

"I have seen this process firsthand. When I coached for the Clippers, I had to deal with Michael Olowokandi, a player who perfectly fit the description "talented but uncoachable." At practice, I would attempt to point out Mr. Olowokandi's faults to him, ones he constantly repeated and resulted in lost possessions for the team or personal fouls that sent him to the bench. His reaction to my attempts to correct his bad habits was to take my input as a personal insult and embarrassment. He told me point-blank that he would not be criticized in front of the team. He stuck to his word and, as a result, had very few successful moments on the court playing the way he wanted to play"

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/kareem-abdul-jabbar-is-still-angry-at-michael-olowokandi?urn=nba,wp6868

Compare that to Embiid's humble approach. The dude was influenced by Luc Mbah Moute :lol yet he still thrived and worked on his game.

That’s what makes Embiid so fascinating. A native of the African country of Cameroon, Embiid hadn’t played organized basketball until the summer before his junior season of high school, when he was discovered at a camp hosted by Cameroon native and ex-UCLA star Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.

"Now a forward with the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, Mbah a Moute became a mentor to Embiid and encouraged him to move to America to enhance his game at a prep school before entering college. Embiid listened and, just two years later, he’s blossoming for one of the most tradition-rich programs in the country.

Even Wiggins can’t believe it.

“It’s crazy,” Wiggins said. “I remember playing him last year in high school. Seeing him now, it’s crazy. He’s only been playing basketball two years. To be this good and this dominant (already)...that’s something special.”

[RsxPiimp]

Very true, he is actually growing as a player. When you look at Parker or Wiggins, you don't see much growth.

Yeah, Parker has definitely regressed, especially late in the season. He came shooting lights out in the first few weeks of December, but Parker has hit a slump shooting 35% for his last 6 games. No wonder Duke looked like a borderline Top 25 team this year. Simply put, the opposition has figured him out and he's struggling to adjust.

Wiggins has been steady but is no longer the best player in his team. He's been acting like a Beta lately. Embiid brings the nasty and fire in Kansas.

[Katherine Robinson]

Remember when Olowokandi averaged 20 and 10 in college?

You mean during his senior year?

[baseline bum]

You mean during his senior year?

Came out after his junior year.

[Katherine Robinson]

Came out after his junior year.

Transferred from a British university, I believe. Although, for the sake of clarity, his 3rd year of playing college basketball.

[AchillesHeel]

Embiid looks so damn deadly in the post. People are saying he's going to be a major bust but somehow he's managed to leap Parker and Wiggins and is now considered a #1 pick. This kid is special.

[Katherine Robinson]

From high school, he has developed very quickly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBwSvIOOzMo

[Killakobe81]

Back to back wins hurting our cause tbh ...
Embiid to Lakers would be awesome.

[RsxPiimp]

Seriously, WTF are they doing? They're on pace to win 35 games. That's a late 1st rd pick draft. SMH

[Clipper Nation]

Considering we're not winning jack for a minute or three, it stands to reason that you take someone with a high ceiling and develop him like we did with Baby Drew. 2 rangs later...
Please take Embiid.... Fredo and Antoni will ruin his development, and even if he turns out to be good, Kirby will run him offPERIOD like he did with Shaq, Dwight, and tried to do with Bynum :lol

[Bynumite]

Please take Embiid.... Fredo and Antoni will ruin his development, and even if he turns out to be good, Kirby will run him offPERIOD like he did with Shaq, Dwight, and tried to do with Bynum :lol

The kid already has a better post game and plays better defense than your ginger tranny in 5 years of NBA :lmao

[LkrFan]

Please take Embiid.... Fredo and Antoni will ruin his development, and even if he turns out to be good, Kirby will run him offPERIOD like he did with Shaq, Dwight, and tried to do with Bynum :lol
M_A is a lame duck coach. I highly doubt he's here next year. TWC will see to it. As for Fred:lol? We're stuck with him - for better or for w:lolrse. :depressed

[LkrFan]

Like most of you farmers, apparently Embiid is a Laker Fan:


In the past few weeks, Kansas Jayhawks (http://throughthephog.com/?utm_source=FanSided&utm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=InPost) big man Joel Embiid has put himself in consideration for the top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Of course, he’d need to leap over Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins for that to happen but given his recent play, that doesn’t seem all that unlikely.
One team who’ll likely be in the Embiid sweepstakes (assuming things continue to go south) are the Los Angeles Lakers (http://lakeshowlife.com/?utm_source=FanSided&utm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=InPost) who sit at 16-25 and will undoubtedly find themselves as participates in the NBA lottery. That’s good news for the Kansas center though as Embiid appears to be a Lakers fan.
The Cameroonian college basketball who attended high school in Florida (with a hat tip to @DrewUnga (https://twitter.com/DrewUnga) ) tweeted out ‘his’ Lakers were rolling (https://twitter.com/jojo_embiid/status/298985545189703681) last year during the final few weeks of the NBA’s regular season.

"My Lakers are rollin"



Of course, this doesn’t mean much in the long run considering Embiid can’t play where he wants and the Lakers have no control over their draft order, but sounds like we know where Embiid would like to go if the choice was his.

LINK (http://fansided.com/2014/01/20/kansas-jayhawks-center-joel-embiid-los-angeles-lakers-fan/)

Do it Fred:lol

:toast

[TDMVPDPOY]

lol if 3-4 of top guys in the draft stays 1 more year in college,

lol tankers...does that mean they will tank again the following season?

[spurraider21]

college is just teams passing the ball around the perimeter with no rhyme or reason then putting up a 3. either that or transition layups

[Rogue]

The 1998 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998%E2%80%9399_NBA_season) NBA draft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_draft) took place on June 24, 1998 at General Motors Place (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_Place) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around three struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Mavericks), the Sacramento Kings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Kings), and theToronto Raptors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Raptors).
The Mavericks, despite having a talented nucleus of Jason Kidd (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Kidd), Jamal Mashburn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamal_Mashburn) and Jimmy Jackson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jackson_(basketball)) in the mid-1990s, had not had a winning season since 1989–1990. By the end of the 1997 season, all three players were traded and it was time to rebuild. With the sixth selection in 1998, they drafted Robert Traylor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Traylor) and quickly traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Bucks) for Dirk Nowitzki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk_Nowitzki) andPat Garrity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Garrity). They then traded Garrity in a package to the Phoenix Suns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Suns) forSteve Nash (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Nash). With Nash and Nowitzki, the Mavericks quickly went from a lottery team in the late 1990s to a perennial playoff contender throughout the 2000s. Nowitzki went on to win the 2011 NBA Finals (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_NBA_Finals) with Dallas without Nash, but with Kidd.

Wish we replicate the 98' draft this year or next :cry

[djohn2oo8]

5Irvvb7Y4-w