Medical Flags Take Center Stage In 2016 NBA Draft

May 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; General view during the NBA draft lottery at New York Hilton Midtown. The Philadelphia 76ers received the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; General view during the NBA draft lottery at New York Hilton Midtown. The Philadelphia 76ers received the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; General view during the NBA draft lottery at New York Hilton Midtown. The Philadelphia 76ers received the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; General view during the NBA draft lottery at New York Hilton Midtown. The Philadelphia 76ers received the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

With numerous reports surfacing before the June 23rd event, it feels as though medical flags are taking center stage in the 2016 NBA Draft.

"“Slip sliding away, slip sliding away. It seems the nearer to your destination the more you are slip sliding away – Paul Simon."

They are the talented hopefuls converging on the NBA in 2016. They are gathering en masse to present themselves to the powers that be in the NBA. Of the world’s hopefuls, only 60 players will have their names called on June 23, 2016 during the 2016 NBA draft. The odds are not in any one player’s favor.

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But there is more to the haberdashery in the NBA draft than young men and their dreams of becoming an NBA basketball player.  There is the wear and tear of a young man playing his heart out on the basketball court.  That effort sometimes places a strain on the prospect in the form of a medical issue.

And so, the NBA Draft arrives, but the timing for some is horrific.    The list of top NBA draft talent is a bevy of impressive young men, but with medical concerns:

Such is the case with Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine:

And Kentuck guard Tyler Ullis is another

But it’s more than two this year.  There are a number of names on this list who have been projected as NBA impact prospects.  Let’s look at the list of names on the “medical watch” list:

Next: Valentine