NBA Draft Rumors: Cavaliers could pass on Joel Embiid with No. 1 pick
By Bryan Rose
The Cleveland Cavaliers currently own the top overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and many believe they’ll use the selection to draft Joel Embiid.
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Currently in Ohio working out for the organization, Embiid is likely looking to impress the Cavaliers and to show he’s completely healthy after he suffered a stress fracture in his back, ending his season at Kansas prematurely.
It’s the second stress fracture Embiid has suffered as he also dealt with the issue while in high school, though ESPN’s Chad Ford (via Hoopsrumors) suggests that it’s going to take far more than just medical clearance for Embiid to be selected first overall.
Joel Embiid is in Cleveland to undergo a physical with Cavs doctors in the hopes of alleviating concerns about his back, but Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider only) says that it will take more than medical clearance for Embiid to land at No. 1 in the draft. Ford writes that owner Dan Gilbert’s anxiousness to win immediately has influenced Cleveland’s draft choices in recent years. While scouts tell Ford that Embiid has the most potential of any 2014 prospect, they don’t expect him to be a steady contributor in his rookie season.
The Cavaliers have shown themselves to be a bit of a wild card in recent years, selecting Anthony Bennett with the top overall pick last year (a big shock) and Dion Waiters with the fourth overall selection before that.
Could Gilbert’s desire to win push the Cavaliers to do something else? It’s certainly something to think about, especially given the amount of phone calls they’ve reportedly received in regards to the No. 1 pick.