NBA Draft Rumors 2014: Joel Embiid too big of a risk for Cleveland Cavaliers?

There has been a lot of speculation about what the Cleveland Cavaliers should do with the number one overall pick.

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One of three prospects, former Kansas Jayhawks’ teammates, center Joel Embiid and forward Andrew Wiggins and former Duke Blue Devils’ Jabari Parker will almost certainly be the choice (and Australian point guard Dante Exum could also be a dark horse candidate to go #1).

Although there are many that expect the Cavaliers to select Embiid, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders believes the Cavaliers, who have obvious playoff aspirations, could view Embiid as too much of a risk (even though Embiid has recently described himself as 100% healthy)

"However, with great promise comes great risk. Embiid missed the final portion of his freshman season at Kansas due to back and knee trouble. According to all reports, he is now 100 percent healthy. He certainly looked the part at Wasserman’s pro day workout, where he wowed over 100 NBA scouts and executives with his fluidity, explosiveness and raw potential. Embiid has only been playing the game for three years, but has made rapid improvements over the last 10 months and has all of the necessary tools to be a dominant big man for more than a decade. As long as he stays healthy, of course, and that’s a caveat that could scare the Cavaliers away, especially if any type of red flags surface during medical examinations.With a clear mandate to get into the playoffs next year, investing in Embiid is a move that could derail that plan if his injury issues carry over into the NBA. The Cavaliers dared to be great by signing Bynum and it blew up in their face."

Embiid averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.4 assists per game last season.

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