Would you want Embiid if he lands to us @ 6?

[cfoo]

not s ure I would take a guy who isn't going to play for a year though. taking a guy who isn't even going to play is a bit ridiculous.

[derrenattheoffice]

Not if you are looking long term investment.

But again, the only way I would draft Embiid at 6 is if our medical staff is confident his bones are not fragile, and that his back and foot injuries are not going to be chronic.

[cfoo]

I kind of disagree though. Some players like that never get off on the right foot. no pun intended. I think going one way or the other makes some sense in that regard. if we cant get love. take a gamble on embiid. but in the same regard sometimes young players they come into the league are injured and stay injured never get going for whatever reason. I like embiid and all but it's not like he is shaq here either.

I'd take him personally. I think we have to make something happen . But doesn't mean I have to be excited about it either. Still am and I'd understand it longterm and everything and the cletics saying be patient. but it's still a bit ridiculous.

[cfoo]

I think a center is worth the risk. i think embiid is better than smart and Gordon. but even still. it's ridiculous.

[DERRENMATTS]

Fear not Greeniacs. The Celtics medical staff is a competent bunch.

Back in '07, they advised not to draft Oden (not that we had a chance to draft him, just pointing out that the medical staff knew Oden's knee wasn't going to hold up). They also advised to beware of Brandon Roy too.

They gave the green light for Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger.

Our medical staff know their stuff, so if they check out Embiid's knee and give a thumbs up, that's enough for my conscience.

[cfoo]

I don't think it has anything to do with fear. He's quite a gamble. The Celtics are saying that themselves

www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/06/21/celtics-may-faced-with-gamble-joel-embiid/04rc0rGfUvig1MlDJaiR0K/story.html

“I don’t know [if Embiid’s injury] does anything [for our draft plans],” Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Globe after the team’s draft workouts on Saturday. “We have a lot of information on it and the navicular bone is something that happened recently.

“It’s a serious basketball injury for big guys, but we don’t know to what extent yet and we’re trying to get information and more information than anybody has right now — but it’s Joel’s information to give. So we’ll see.”

"“There’s two we’ve taken the chance on, there’s been many, many others that we’ve not decided to chance on,” Austin Ainge said, citing Greg Oden in 2007 and Brandon Roy a year earlier. "

When asked about the decision to take Embiid if he were available, Austin Ainge said, “Quite a gamble. I don’t know. We’ll see.”

He added, “Foot and back, those are not good body parts to injure.”

“We try to focus on the long-term health rather than the short term when you’re dealing with draft picks,” Austin Ainge said. “Free agency, it might be a little different. But when you’re drafting kids that are [age] 19, 20, 21, it’s usually best to think, ‘Two years or five years down the road, will it be a concern?’ Those are the ones that we usually try to avoid.”

And in situations such as this one with Embiid, the team’s medical staff becomes even more valuable.

After noting that the team would have passed on Oden in 2007, Austin Ainge was asked if that meant the Celtics would have selected Kevin Durant if they had been in position to do so?

“Yes, oh yes,” he said. “I personally was not working here at that time, but I was in college and I came and I was in the draft room and they would have taken Durant. I did have some inside information there.”

[cfoo]

I agree though if they draft him they are going to have their bases covered though. I highly doubt we bank everything on him though. mass has the best healthcare and doctors around but even still. Even if the doctors give the go ahead it's still a gamble in ways. Like Austin ainge said back and foot those aren't good injuries to have. there's a big difference between drafting sully and Bradley as well vs drafting embiid as your centerpiece player and trading away your best player in the process. the Celtics are not stupid. If they do something like this they are going to be smart that's the whole point.

We don't have to take Embiid. And we don't have to dump Rondo just because we do.

[cfoo]

being concerned, doing your homework and caring is good and covering your bases. They are basically saying the same things I am. Embiid could be yao ming or oden or a good player right now for all we know. They don't know if they will take him either. If he gets medical clearance it's possible. I probably would but even that depends. He's still a gamble. Taking a risk on a center early in the process is definitely something to consider for sure. But doesn't mean we will either.

They are looking into it. He is their concern now. Concern is good.

Concern-to relate to; be connected with; be of interest or importance. a matter of interest or importance to someone.

The celtics are good that way. No surprises there.

Doesn't mean they are wishy washy either. It means they are undecided. Better to be concerned now then later too.

[cfoo]

this is the best article i could find by chris mannix no doubt about his long term prognisis. He's just giving examples. Embiid's camp is saying he will be fine long term. But that's part of the issue the celtics are dealing with is sifting through the various agendas and examining themselves. They weren't able to get him in for a work out or do that so they are relying on that information being supplied to them and their own doctor will examine x-rays etc i'm sure.

sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20140619/joel-embiid-stress-fracture-2014-nba-draft/

Ainge hasn't shied away from taking gambles in the past but it's different when you are talking about a #6 pick that is that valuable I would imagine as well. The celtics took gambles on bradley and sullinger but they were lower picks. BRandon Roy and Oden they decided against. I would guess them being higher picks had something to do with it. There were other players on the board they liked better.

[cfoo]

Just because a western conference exec says he wouldn't take Embiid in the top 10 doesn't mean a whole lot either. Could just be GM speak and a GM hoping he'll slide for all we know. Ainge hasn't shied away from this stuff before either. It is possible we could take someone else and trade up to get him too. He may slide farther than we think for all we know right now where taking a gamble on him later might be better. Those are all things the celtics will have to weigh.

I don't necessarily see Embiid slidng past the top 10 but anything is possible in that regard.

"The majority of these injuries will heal completely," Hunt said. "Getting to it early is a good prognostic sign. In his case, it appears it was treated early and appropriately. In the cases I have seen, the athletes that have recurrent fractures have high arches and stiff feet. They can develop large spurs in the adjacent bones. But again, to the majority of athletes this will heal and not be an issue in the future."

The celtics doctors might have their own take and input. Each doctor is different and might see it differently. But they will be the guys who determine how much of a gamble it actually is along with the celtics front office. you are right there.

[cfoo]

I hope we take him and everything checks out. That would be exciting. But if the don't that' sfine too. anything is possible. waiting on embiid and hoping he doesn't get injured again isn't going to be much fun either. but if he is healthy that's pretty exciting.

Embiid going down in a big heap is not something I want to see. Like Ainge said a lot of this stuff is make your best educated guess and hope for the best. We'll find out if they are willing to gamble a top 6 pick on that. I think it's somewhat worth it but we will see. It sounds like he is going to be there when we are drafting.

The injury he has is the same one that Yao Ming had but different person and totally different circumstance. Bill Walton also dealt with similar injuries in his career. Embiid could be completely fine for all we know right now.

"Yao Ming suffered a stress fracture in the bone in 2008 and again in 2009, and it was the primary cause for Yao's forced retirement in 2011. Bill Walton battled fractures of the navicular bone that robbed him of all but 14 games between 1978 and 1982 and ultimately forced him into retirement. Zydrunas Ilgauskas dealt with a navicular fracture early in his career but went on to finish with nine healthy seasons.

More recently, Grizzlies guard Quincy Pondexter underwent surgery to repair a tarsal navicular stress fracture in his right foot last December and missed the rest of the season. "

Are these all the guys who have had the injury in the nba? I don't even know. He says poindexter is more recent and that doctor said the people who usually don't receover have high arches and large feet. Most basketball players have feet like that? Who knows. He also has back issues. I agree with Austin Ainge with his initial gut reaction that it's a gamble and those injuries definitely aren't good. Longterm maybe better but still not good.

[cfoo]

msn.foxsports.com/ohio/story/nba-draft-how-far-will-embiid-fall-062114

Not sure who this western exec is. Could be the lakers for all i know hoping Embiid falls in their lap. But he didn't have good things to say.

Ainge might feel more secure with his medical staff and situation to take that gamble though.

"The back thing wouldn't have bothered me as much, to be quite honest," the exec said. "But big men and bad feet are a bad combination. And big men with two injury concerns (back and foot) are a worse combination. No way (the Cavs) take him. It costs people money and jobs."

"(Embiid) is a top-three overall talent," the coach said. "He's the best big in the draft. I wouldn't rule him out."

The coach said it's all about being patient -- that Embiid is the type of franchise-changing big man who could be worth the wait.
"Whichever NBA team drafts him will allow him to fully recover before he suits up," the coach said. "So what if it means him missing summer-league games and training camp? A dominant force is a dominant force."

"How do you draft Embiid and his bad foot when you have two guys like (Parker and Wiggins) sitting there?" said the exec. "If you take an injury-prone big man to pass on a healthy and talented wing ... you could really set the franchise back. The Cavs want to start winning. Draft the healthy guy."

The exec added he wouldn't take Embiid before the sixth pick. "There's too much talent in this draft to justify it," he said.

But the coach said he would still consider Embiid at No. 1. "If I think he's the next David Robinson or Hakeem (Olajuwon), I'd take that chance," he said.

So what do the Cavs do?

"The decision is easy," the exec insisted. "No one can tell me they'd feel confident picking Embiid, and no one will fault them when they don't."

Two sides to every coin and two drastically different viewpoints. The truth is probably somwhere in the middle and where he should go around the 6th pick and right where we are picking. Me personally i don't think anyone in this draft is david robinson or hakeem olajuwan out of the gate. Embiid has to develop even still. I also dont think you draft wiggins or parker and you are suddenly winning. Milwaulee has some pieces but were really bad last year. Wiggins nd Kyrie is a good young tandem.

Whoever the celtics draft we are going to have to be somewhat patient. These players are very young. Especially vonleh.

[Roadrunner]

If he was a true freshmen, yes. However he is a 21-year old freshmen. No.

[cfoo]

that's what i was saying though. We are going to have to be patient regardless. There is no guy who is going to come in and be those guys right away. waiting on embiid is not that big a deal. It's more his injuries and if he is going to be a walking injury.

i dont see him as olajuwan or david robinson either. He still has to get b etter. he isn't on duncans level when he came out of college as a player. he's a physical specimin with smooth moves and can block shots though. He's more developed than some of these other guys. Parker no. wiggins, vonleh yes. Exum not sure. havent seen enough of him.

[cfoo]

Embiid is pretty developed for a 1 year college player but he's nowhere near Duncan's level in certain facets. He's a different player. He's more a physical specimen who has good moves and can block shots. He's like Olajuwan in that way although his moves aren't on Olajuwans level.

If Embiid's physical parts aren't working that's an issue. He could be fine and will come back in a year and do really well and not miss a beat, but he is a guy who relies alot on his physical gifts. That fracture he had is because of overuse. HE is a player who relies on his physical ability.