NBA Draft

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Somebody in this thread needs another adjustment on their meds.

[Tugg Speedman]

Possibly trade fodder? They might do a lineup with Noel at 4 and Okafor at the 5, I think Embiid could be out for a longer period of time.

So I'm guessing some sort of trade. I was expecting them to trade down if Okafor fell to them.

He has been out for more than a year and now needs more surgery.  I think it's fair to ask if he will ever play an NBA game.  And if he does, is he a shadow of his former self?

Maybe Hinkie knew Embiid was a wasted pick which is why he took Okafor.


Sixers GM Sam Hinkie doesn't rule out another surgery for Joel Embiid
updated June 26, 2015 at 3:13 PM
http://www.nj.com/sixers/index.ssf/2015/06/sixers_gm_sam_hinkie_doesnt_rule_out_surgery_for_j.html

Fans holding out hope that Sixers forward Joel Embiid would be healthy enough to compete in summer league this year were dealt a harsh does of reality Friday morning by Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie.

"I don't see that happening," Hinkie said Friday when asked if the team had made any official decisions on the possibility of Embiid suiting up this summer. "That's not the kind of stuff we're having conversations about.

"I had a conversation about Joel at 9 a.m. this morning and one of those meetings was to talk to Carolina's medical team about what was the best day to get him there."

Perhaps even more worrisome about the prognosis of Embiid actually stepping on an NBA floor is the fact that a second surgery remains part of the conversation of what's next for the 7-foot center.

"No." Hinkie said when asked if surgery had been ruled out. "All options remain on the table."

Hinkie said that it was fair to say that Embiid had suffered a setback after the initial timetable for a full recovery was 5-8 months and a recent CT scan revealed that his navicular bone hadn't shown sufficiant healing.

"We watched Joel's rehab like a hawk every day for a year," Hinkie explained. "The nature of navicular bone healing is that you see slow improvements and then you slow it down. so you load it and then unload it in terms of a workload depending on the feedback you get.

"As part of that we had set a schedule of regular, proactive MRIs. As part of that we would look at each of those and send them out to a variety of doctors at each checkpoint and see what they would think. If we'd find enough of a consensus we would move onto the next phase.

"We did that at each step and we got to March ... In March, Joel got a CT scan that looked right on schedule. At that point he was nine-months post injury and all looked good. So we took the next step. He played wonderfully, was able to do more and more each day, including playing in our gym, shoot and run and all of those things.

"We had one more scan and that was the pre-summer league scan, and that one was different. It just looked different. He doesn't have any pain. It hasn't been bothering him. It's been many weeks without any symptoms but it looks different and that causes a surgeon to look at it and say 'that looks different, let's get to the bottom of this.'"

Embiid missed all of last season while recovering from a stress fracture in his foot and now over 12 months into the process, it appears the next step is to get the University of Kansas product in front of a medical team in Charlotte after already consulting a team of doctors in New York.

"It's a tricky bone," Hinkie explained. "It was healing on a steady upwards slope and curve. And then it doesn't seem to be healing as well, anymore."

Hinkie said Friday that a decision on what is next for Embiid will be made by the team sometime over the next couple of weeks about what will come next for the player chosen third overall in last year's draft.

"I think we're closing in on a decision there," Hinkie said. "We've been talking to a team of experts from around the country and quite frankly around the globe about what the best course of action is. We're not sure what that is."

Hinkie's assessment of Embiid certainly leaves a significant shadow of doubt over the possibility that he will see the court this season and raises concern about what the future holds for a player many view as a cornerstone for the franchise.

[ChicosBailBonds]

lol.  you went from "lol'ing" at gm's who "thought he was a lottery pick" to changing your opinion to "he dropped 3 spots!  way too high!" once it was proven he WAS worth a lottery pick.

so what you're saying is gm's damn well better not take a middle of the lottery pick player just 3 spots too high.  guess every gm better nail his pick in the exact order that the players produce on the court!  but it's alright if a guy like coach crean can take 2 of the top 10 players in college basketball and produce a s16 as the best he's done at iiii!

hilarious man.

How many people make the lottery designation these days?  15 or whatever it is?  My fault on saying he wasn't lottery, because he was and always has been.  Guilty as charged.  My apologies. My beef with this is he didn't belong in the top 5.  Not then, not now.  Way overreach by a horrible GM, which makes it not surprising. 

The kid has talent and should get better when the only thing you do in life is play basketball.  That's how it is supposed to work.  Is he top 5 talent.  No way. 

[rmi210]

How many people make the lottery designation these days?  15 or whatever it is?  My fault on saying he wasn't lottery, because he was and always has been.  Guilty as charged.  My apologies. My beef with this is he didn't belong in the top 5.  Not then, not now.  Way overreach by a horrible GM, which makes it not surprising. 

The kid has talent and should get better when the only thing you do in life is play basketball.  That's how it is supposed to work.  Is he top 5 talent.  No way. 

So at the time of the draft you are saying these 5 are the only worthy of top five talent since these are the top 5 in Win Shares?  Just looking for clarification?

Rudy Gobert      
Mason Plumlee   
Giannis Antetokounmpo   
Gorgui Dieng
Steven Adams

[rmi210]

Or are you just saying it was a bad draft, thus he was picked higher than he should have been historically at #4.?

[GGGG]

Or are you just saying it was a bad draft, thus he was picked higher than he should have been historically at #4.?

He's saying whatever he needs to in order that he doesn't admit he was wrong.

[oldwarrior81]

I'm not sure "win shares" is the greatest metric for judging a players worth.

Klay Thompson's career win share number is lower than Isaiah Thomas.   Not Isiah Thomas, but Isaiah Thomas the backup point guard for the Celtics that was the 60th pick in 2011 vs. Klay Thompson's 11th spot.  Not thinking the Warriors are asking for a do-over.

Marcus Smart was the top rookie in win shares last season.   Was Smart at 7.8 ppg on 36% shooting a better player than Andrew Wiggins at 17ppg?   Wiggins also was below Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood.

[ChicosBailBonds]

So at the time of the draft you are saying these 5 are the only worthy of top five talent since these are the top 5 in Win Shares?  Just looking for clarification?

Rudy Gobert      
Mason Plumlee   
Giannis Antetokounmpo   
Gorgui Dieng
Steven Adams

Nope....I'm saying in that draft, no one had Zeller in the top 5 except one idiot GM.  All it takes is one idiot GM and suddenly you are taken higher than what everyone else had you pegged at.  One idiot, all it takes.  Just like one idiot GM (supposedly) told Vander he had a chance to go in the draft.   Just takes one idiot (well in that case it took folks to believe him, too).

[OnWisconsin]

Some gems from JSComments:

Looney had chance to develop and give his skills under Bo Ryan but went to Hollywood and fell down draft boards. Lazy and unwilling to work

Doesn't sound like the Bucks will move up and go after Frank. Pretty disappointing

The Bucks are a disgrace. Hometown hero Sam Dekker and they select some jabroni. Enjoy Seattle

the bucks can go to hell. Could of had Decker and picked this loser. Screw the new arena let them move will not support this crap

Today is the day the Milwaukee Bucks franchise made it clear they do not want to stay in Milwaukee

bucks wont even draft decker the best player available in the draft.Screw them no new arena let them move.

If these people can't spell Dekker right after 5+ years of noteriety in the state, and 3 years in a Badger jersey, they probably aren't real fans. Why would the bucks draft a SF/PF type when their two best players play that position?  Not to mention, Sam's jump shot is still a question mark. Sam not playing in Milwaukee was a positive for both parties. 

[brewcity77]

If these people can't spell Dekker right after 5+ years of noteriety in the state, and 3 years in a Badger jersey, they probably aren't real fans. Why would the bucks draft a SF/PF type when their two best players play that position?  Not to mention, Sam's jump shot is still a question mark. Sam not playing in Milwaukee was a positive for both parties. 

I'm not sure I've ever agreed with you more 

[ChicosBailBonds]

He's saying whatever he needs to in order that he doesn't admit he was wrong.

I admit I am wrong all the time, including in this very thread.

Irony