2014 NBA Draft News: Cleveland Cavaliers to Host Embiid in Predraft Workout
The Cleveland Cavaliers have finally decided to schedule a workout with top prospect Joel Embiid. This after reports that they are holding off invites until they name a head coach for the 2014-2015 NBA season.
Jeff Goodman of ESPN reported the development also mentioning the crucial medical evaluation on Embiid, who has had a history of a back injury.
Joel Embiid has arrived in Cleveland, will work out & undergo medical eval for Cavs. Could decide whether he's No. 1 pick, source told ESPN.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) June 10, 2014
Embiid, who played for Kansas in the NCAA, missed the Big 12 conference and NCAA tournaments in 2014. A 7-footer center out of Yaounde, Cameroon, the 20-year-old has only played three years of organized basketball. His back injury is a major concern for NBA scouts. “Embiid’s condition is called spondylolysis. Essentially, a spondylolysis is a defect in the pars interarticularis, an area of the vertebrae that connects the vertebral facets, or joints that adjoin vertebrae together. A spondylolysis occurs most commonly in the lumbar spine, and presents on an X-Ray as a gap between the facet joints, with a possible forward shifting of the vertebral body,” stated in a report from Right Down Euclid.
Embiid arrived in Cleveland on Tuesday and announced his stay on Twitter:
Having fun in Cleveland #WeAllFromAfrica #NBA #Success http://t.co/Tpo7Dz8vGf — Joel-Hans Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 11, 2014
Cleveland owns the top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft set on June 26. The Cavs are also scheduled to workout Embiid’s Kansas teammate, Andrew Wiggins and Duke’s Jabari Parker as draft day nears. All three players are projected to go 1-2-3 in the top-heavy draft which is being compared to the rich class of 2003 featuring LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers will be picking 2nd and 3rd overall, respectively.
The Cavs have beaten the odds in winning the lottery for the second consecutive time and third top pick in the last four drafts. In 2011, they selected Kyrie Irving as No. 1 overall in 2011 but in 2013, got Andrew Bennett, who appears to be a bust.