2014 NBA Draft Rumors: Boston Celtics high on Joel Embiid
The Boston Celtics clearly were hoping to move up into the top three and take one of the draft’s elite prospects. Instead, with the sixth-overall pick, they’ll have their pick of the leftovers – players like former Arizona Wildcats’ power forward Aaron Gordon and former Indiana Hoosiers’ big man Noah Vonleh (who are really hardly leftovers).
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That is, unless someone takes an unexpected tumble. Due to concerns over his back injury, that could be former Kansas Jayhawks’ center Joel Embiid.
The Celtics are high on Embiid and clearly hope injury concerns cause Embiid to tumble to six.
"The Celtics are absolutely in consolation prize mode in this draft at number six. If they stay there they will end up with a solid NBA prospect, but this draft isn’t shaping up how Boston hoped when the season ended.The Celtics are absolutely one of the teams to watch if Embiid takes a tumble, mainly because they have some experience drafting injured players and seem to be OK with the risk-reward scenario associated, especially with the sixth pick."
The Celtics have had good luck with another college star to fell because of injury concerns – former Ohio State Buckeyes’ big man Jared Sullinger, who put 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 per game while missing just eight games for the Celtics last season.
Embiid averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.4 assists per game in his freshman season with the Jayhawks.