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NBA Mock Draft 2014: Scouts say Joel Embiid might still be No. 1 pick

By Josh Hill

Mar 5, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid (center) celebrates after the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 82-57. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports1
Mar 5, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid (center) celebrates after the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 82-57. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports1 /
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Mar 5, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid (center) celebrates after the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 82-57. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports1
Mar 5, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid (center) celebrates after the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 82-57. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports1 /

The NBA Draft is right around the corner and teams are starting to look at what they should do to make their team better so that they don’t end up at the top of the lottery again. One of the ways to get better is to take either a top prospect overall or a top prospect at a position of need and it’s hard to get a good read on where Joel Embiid lands.

NBA scouts believe that Embiid has the chance to be the No. 1 overall pick and that’s a conversation that won’t be going away anytime soon.

Per Jeff Goodman:

"Multiple NBA executives believe Embiid still has a chance to go first overall, but it’s dependent on the medical testing that comes back at the Chicago predraft camp and also when he visits teams."

While he’s a freak of nature in terms of his physical talents, the league has shifted away from the days when you draft height solely for the sake of height and that might complicate Embiid’s draft status.

He may also have some problems thanks to the bad back he’s had recently, as teams have seen in the past how quickly a banged up center can become a busted up retired center. It’s looking like that won’t be the case with Embiid but teams will always be much too careful given the woes and failures of the likes of Yao Ming, Greg Oden and others.

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