Despite limited formal basketball training, a two plus year hiatus from the game, and an ocean of anticipation, Joel Embiid may prove to be better than the brochure.
Joel Embiid was touted as the purest basketball talent in the 2014 NBA Draft. But he was arriving injured, both to his back and to his foot. While not career ending, the outlook was risky enough to divert the first and second teams selecting in that draft.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers selected wingman Andrew Wiggins with the first pick of that draft. The Milwaukee Bucks selected forward Jabari Parker with the second pick of that same draft. To date, Wiggins has scored 3,062 points for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Parker has netted 1,378 points for the Bucks.
To date, Joel Embiid has netted no points in the regular season of the NBA. But that may change very soon, and very rapidly.
To be fair, the Cavaliers selected Wiggins and dealt him to the Timberwolves for Kevin Love. Wiggins has played, and started, 163 of the possible 164 games for the Wolves. Meanwhile Parker has followed a more traditional rookie track, playing in 101 and starting in just 97 of the possible 164 games.