Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
One of the more intriguing stories to follow in the coming years out of this draft class is "". It really could go in any direction.
If his learning curve really is as steep as some NBA teams think, we’re talking about an absolute force in the middle that runs the floor incredibly hard, blocks shots and rebounds with the best of them, and best of all, shows a terrific attitude to do all the little things. But if he ends up the way too many African prospects over the past few years have, the results will not be pretty for the team that drafts him. Olumide Oyedeji, Malick Badiane, Mamadou N’Diaye, Soumalia Samake, the list of uber-athletic freaks with incredible wingspans and little to no basketball experience goes and on and on.
"" essentially represents everything the NBA draft stands for. Hit a home run and you might get a Samuel Dalembert . Strike out and you might suffer through four listless years of DeSagana Diop like the Cleveland Cavaliers did after drafting him 8th overall.
(The) more likely scenario is that he develops into a more athletic version of what Diop has become today, a big body in the post who intimidates with his length, runs the floor, sets good screens, rebounds with purpose and scores when the opportunity arises. As ordinary as that might sound, there is a plenty of value in getting a 7-footer in that mold. Anything more than that is absolute gravy for the team that drafts him, which is where his upside kicks in.
Hmmm...this guy sounds absolutely AMAZING.
BTW, this was Saer Sene's pre-draft profile.
Not that I'm comparing Embiid to Sene. I just wanted to illustrate that draft profiles are often WAY more optimistic than what reality becomes, especially when it comes to prospects who are big and very raw.
If his learning curve really is as steep as some NBA teams think, we’re talking about an absolute force in the middle that runs the floor incredibly hard, blocks shots and rebounds with the best of them, and best of all, shows a terrific attitude to do all the little things. But if he ends up the way too many African prospects over the past few years have, the results will not be pretty for the team that drafts him. Olumide Oyedeji, Malick Badiane, Mamadou N’Diaye, Soumalia Samake, the list of uber-athletic freaks with incredible wingspans and little to no basketball experience goes and on and on.
"" essentially represents everything the NBA draft stands for. Hit a home run and you might get a Samuel Dalembert . Strike out and you might suffer through four listless years of DeSagana Diop like the Cleveland Cavaliers did after drafting him 8th overall.
(The) more likely scenario is that he develops into a more athletic version of what Diop has become today, a big body in the post who intimidates with his length, runs the floor, sets good screens, rebounds with purpose and scores when the opportunity arises. As ordinary as that might sound, there is a plenty of value in getting a 7-footer in that mold. Anything more than that is absolute gravy for the team that drafts him, which is where his upside kicks in.
Hmmm...this guy sounds absolutely AMAZING.
BTW, this was Saer Sene's pre-draft profile.
Not that I'm comparing Embiid to Sene. I just wanted to illustrate that draft profiles are often WAY more optimistic than what reality becomes, especially when it comes to prospects who are big and very raw.
