Originally Posted by RealSNR:
If you're wondering how crazy the NBA salaries are this year, Cole Aldrich just got 3 years $22 million from the Timberwolves.
He's definitely gotten better since he entered the league, but that's still freakin messed up
Good for Cole. Always liked him. He was everything for KU. Only real knock is they had to slow the pace for him because he logged so many minutes. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
Enormous, substantial, gigantic. His impact that season was all of the above.
I'm a huge Chalmers backer, but Embiid is the best and most talented player Self has ever recruited here and it isn't even close.
Dude would roll out something new EVERY GAME that he couldn't do the night before until he got broken. It's truely unfortunate he went to Philly. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Buehler445:
Dude would roll out something new EVERY GAME that he couldn't do the night before until he got broken. It's truely unfortunate he went to Philly.
I'm not sure I've ever been so excited to watch basketball as I was when I watched Embiid that season. He was a generational talent and he was improving literally every time he took the floor. For a guy just learning to play the game, his basketball IQ was also exceptional.
I hope he eventually gets the chance to show what he can do in the NBA for an extended period of time, but it's possible that all these injuries may have sapped him like they did with Oden. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Prison Bitch:
He was drafted higher than Embiid. The experts disagree with you, as they always do.
Yeah, that had NOTHING to do with Embiid suffering a major injury (that he still hasn't recovered from 2+ years later) that caused him to drop. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
I'm not sure I've ever been so excited to watch basketball as I was when I watched Embiid that season. He was a generational talent and he was improving literally every time he took the floor. For a guy just learning to play the game, his basketball IQ was also exceptional.
I hope he eventually gets the chance to show what he can do in the NBA for an extended period of time, but it's possible that all these injuries may have sapped him like they did with Oden.
Me too. I was telling co-workers (in CA) that if Embiid stayed healthy (never a given for big guys) and stayed hungry (more confident on that one, but you never know), I thought he had a great chance of being a franchise/HOF.
And yes, although it is no longer the norm, I use literally to mean literally. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
I'm not sure I've ever been so excited to watch basketball as I was when I watched Embiid that season. He was a generational talent and he was improving literally every time he took the floor. For a guy just learning to play the game, his basketball IQ was also exceptional.
I hope he eventually gets the chance to show what he can do in the NBA for an extended period of time, but it's possible that all these injuries may have sapped him like they did with Oden.
Originally Posted by KC_Connection:
Yeah, that had NOTHING to do with Embiid suffering a major injury (that he still hasn't recovered from 2+ years later) that caused him to drop. :-)
Wiggins was the unanimous #1 player in their class.
Wiggins was the #1 pick
Wiggins was ROY
Wiggins scored 20/game his 2nd season
There isn't a single player in the sport he's "not even close" to. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chief Pagan:
Me too. I was telling co-workers (in CA) that if Embiid stayed healthy (never a given for big guys) and stayed hungry (more confident on that one, but you never know), I thought he had a great chance of being a franchise/HOF.
It certainly looked like that. Talents of his caliber don't come around too often. [Reply]
I guess I was thinking in terms of best basketball prospects, not success of class. Rush and charmers take the cake on that one.
Oh and Embiid is so fucking talented that he was taken third overall despite multiple injuries. If both players are healthy every single franchise would take Embiid over Wiggins. Seven footers who love like that don't come along... Ever. [Reply]
Its all speculation, of course, until Embiid proves he can come back and actually shows what he can do at the NBA level.
That said, Embiid, if he had been injury free, would have led us to the NCAA Title. That team, despite Wiggins, despite Black actually playing really well as his replacement, just did not have the chemistry and intimidation they had with Embiid.
Wiggins needs to develop into a deadly outside shooter for me to say I would take him over Embiid. Doesn't necessarily need to be from three (though that would help), but enough that it really keeps the defense on tilt as to what he's going to do. That's not to say he doesn't have a good outside shot. It just isn't what opponents fear about his game. They are much more willing to back off to protect the drive than they are to challenge his outside jumper. When I think of a player dominating at his position, like Jordan or Kobe, you couldn't lay off on their jumper.
Embiid, OTH, up until his injury, was flashing all the signs of being a truly dominant force in the paint. When I think of him in comparison to Wilt, Shaq or Olajawan, I don't pause as much to say, "Well, he really doesn't have this part in his game". He had it all, and you could tell. I realize he gets a huge benefit of the doubt from the injury and therefore we haven't put anything to a real test. But think about this for a second: The 76ers are willing to part with either of their fairly productive big men as a trade, but Embiid is "off the table". Its not just rabid KU fans that see it. Word is his outside shot is more than serviceable as well.
So, even though we don't have a real "apples to apples" comparison, if I were a GM wanting to build a franchise, I would take Embiid over Wiggins. But, I'm perfectly willing to say that gap closes considerably if Wiggins hones that outside jumper to make his drive and athleticism even more deadly. [Reply]
