(Marcus Smart, #16, & 2016 Brooklyn 1st Rounder) for 2015's #1 or #2 pick?

[BigAlTheFuture]

A lot of Embiid fans here

[Eja117]

You guys are crazy.  You absolutely make that trade, don't give it a second thought, and laugh all the way to the bank. 

Of course neither Minnesota or LA makes either of those trades.

yup

I'd also do that trade for embiid instead... Even given his "setback".

I like smart, but think he is more likely to develop into a tony Allen defensive player than a Russell Westbrook allstar.

I agree with you about this year's picks, but Embiid also? A 7 footer with foot issues who's never played a single second in the NBA. In that scenario, Hinkie would be the one laughing his way to the bank.

Nah. If that were the case he wouldn't have drafted him 3rd after his injury.  He's closer to playing now than he was then.  I might be wrong, but Im pretty convinced that most people here are misunderstanding embiid's situation right now.  We will find out if I am an idiot in a couple weeks.  Right now, I'd gladly trade smart and picks for embiid.  Healthy embiid is better than anyone in this draft and for all we know he might be a couple weeks away from being green lit.   Obviously you'd consult with doctors first.  If he's missing another season, that's a problem.  But the only thing suggesting that he'll miss an entire season is wild media speculation.

Wild media speculation? He's like 20 years old, hasn't played ball in about a year and a half and STILL isn't fully healed. Slowest....healer....ever.

It is media speculation. Hinkie or Brown never said that he was going to miss another whole season, let alone Embiid himself saying that.

It's far more responsible than speculating that he will play the average number of games that a rotation player plays per year at his position.  The average player probably misses like...what?...maybe 9 games a year?  It's not responsible to speculate that he will play this season and play that many games.

[colincb]

Towns - Yes
Okafor - Not without qualms, but yes.
Embiid - No. Too much risk. There is a pattern here with the injuries and the healing. It will happen again.

2014's draft was clearly stronger going in than this year's. The top two tiers aren't as deep, and though the middle is as good, the back end is much weaker.

[LarBrd33]

You guys are crazy.  You absolutely make that trade, don't give it a second thought, and laugh all the way to the bank. 

Of course neither Minnesota or LA makes either of those trades.

yup

I'd also do that trade for embiid instead... Even given his "setback".

I like smart, but think he is more likely to develop into a tony Allen defensive player than a Russell Westbrook allstar.

I agree with you about this year's picks, but Embiid also? A 7 footer with foot issues who's never played a single second in the NBA. In that scenario, Hinkie would be the one laughing his way to the bank.

Nah. If that were the case he wouldn't have drafted him 3rd after his injury.  He's closer to playing now than he was then.  I might be wrong, but Im pretty convinced that most people here are misunderstanding embiid's situation right now.  We will find out if I am an idiot in a couple weeks.  Right now, I'd gladly trade smart and picks for embiid.  Healthy embiid is better than anyone in this draft and for all we know he might be a couple weeks away from being green lit.   Obviously you'd consult with doctors first.  If he's missing another season, that's a problem.  But the only thing suggesting that he'll miss an entire season is wild media speculation.

Wild media speculation? He's like 20 years old, hasn't played ball in about a year and a half and STILL isn't fully healed. Slowest....healer....ever.

Eja... calm down.  You're taking an overly pessimistic stance for effect.   You know what you are saying isn't true.  His injury was about a year ago.  His surgery was on June 20th, 2014, right?  Here's what was said about the injury literally 1 year ago:

"The majority of these injuries will heal completely," Hunt said. "Getting to it early is a good prognostic sign. In his case, it appears it was treated early and appropriately. In the cases I have seen, the athletes that have recurrent fractures have high arches and stiff feet. They can develop large spurs in the adjacent bones. But again, to the majority of athletes this will heal and not be an issue in the future."


As for recovery time, Hunt said that players generally resume basketball activities in 4-6 months and are ready to play in nine months, though in some cases it can be closer to a year

All reports suggest he was looking amazing over the past couple months as he was aggressively training.  He was referred to as "explosive" and "dominant" and "felt no pain".   The team has been saying for months that he'd be ready to go during Summer league (which is a couple weeks from now).   It's been a year since his injury.  If you read about the injury, they say that usually they can play in 9 months... which is right about when Embiid started ramping up his activity.   And that it can take close to a year for others.    For them to say that he feels no pain and was ready to go, but saw less healing in the CT scan than they hoped (which hasn't been clarified, but most doctors are suggesting it's the tissue around the bone not fully filling in yet) doesn't mean he's not going to be ready 4 months from now. 

They don't want a repeat situation of Oden.   If Embiid pans out, he can singlehandedly increase the value of that company by over 200 million dollars...  They are being careful.   Unless Philly is hiding info, I'd gladly give up Smart, 16 and the Brooklyn pick for Embiid. 

[popcontest]

How do we get this kid next year?

Skal Labissiere

Going to be one-and-done at Kentucky this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK7iTFsE6aU

[max215]

How do we get this kid next year?

Skal Labissiere

Going to be one-and-done at Kentucky this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK7iTFsE6aU

We hope that Brooklyn collapses or that pick jumps in the lottery.

[Denis998]

How do we get this kid next year?

Skal Labissiere

Going to be one-and-done at Kentucky this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK7iTFsE6aU

I really like the kid. I have to admit, I know little to nothing about his game, but his name sounds too similar to Scalabrine. That gets an A in my book. I am also hoping to strike gold with the 2017 swap and land Thon Maker.

[max215]

You guys are crazy.  You absolutely make that trade, don't give it a second thought, and laugh all the way to the bank. 

Of course neither Minnesota or LA makes either of those trades.

yup

I'd also do that trade for embiid instead... Even given his "setback".

I like smart, but think he is more likely to develop into a tony Allen defensive player than a Russell Westbrook allstar.

I agree with you about this year's picks, but Embiid also? A 7 footer with foot issues who's never played a single second in the NBA. In that scenario, Hinkie would be the one laughing his way to the bank.

Nah. If that were the case he wouldn't have drafted him 3rd after his injury.  He's closer to playing now than he was then.  I might be wrong, but Im pretty convinced that most people here are misunderstanding embiid's situation right now.  We will find out if I am an idiot in a couple weeks.  Right now, I'd gladly trade smart and picks for embiid.  Healthy embiid is better than anyone in this draft and for all we know he might be a couple weeks away from being green lit.   Obviously you'd consult with doctors first.  If he's missing another season, that's a problem.  But the only thing suggesting that he'll miss an entire season is wild media speculation.

That same logic can be applied to Oden though. The Blazers thought highly enough of him to take him first over Kevin Durant, but constant injuries ended his career before it really ever got started. You can't deny the history/science behind young 7 footers with foot injuries, they lead to ugly and greatly abridged careers. While I agree with you that a healthy Embiid easily has more potential than anyone in this draft, we're NOT talking about a healthy Embiid. We're talking about an injured Embiid who has never played a single game in the NBA and lacks history/science to back him up. The idea of trading Smart AND picks for him right now is ludicrous. How would you have felt if we traded a 6th overall pick and then some for Oden? I get that they're not the same player, but you have to be somewhat worried by what could happen to Embiid, don't you? If you can honestly tell me that you feel there's no cause for concern with Embiid then I'll be shocked, completely and utterly bewildered.

[PhoSita]

Just gonna go ahead and say that if Embiid had been drafted by the Celts last year, there'd be dozens of posters with Embiid themed screennames and avatars, and he'd be talked about with "cautious optimism" as the next Bill Russell.

Sure, the kid's got some scary injury concerns.  He's also got franchise big man talent; the potential to turn into a two-way All-Star at the center position.  I'm jealous of the Sixers, and I assert that any reasonable Celts fan should be, too.  Embiid is a representation of everything this Celtics rebuild is lacking.

Maybe he's another Oden.  Or he could just be another Blake Griffin.  Even if he's Yao or Bill Walton 2.0, the Rockets got plenty of fantastic years out of Yao, and Walton won a couple of championships as both a franchise player and key bench reserve before his injuries cut his career off.

[max215]

Just gonna go ahead and say that if Embiid had been drafted by the Celts last year, there'd be dozens of posters with Embiid themed screennames and avatars, and he'd be talked about with "cautious optimism" as the next Bill Russell.

Sure, the kid's got some scary injury concerns.  He's also got franchise big man talent; the potential to turn into a two-way All-Star at the center position.  I'm jealous of the Sixers, and I assert that any reasonable Celts fan should be, too.  Embiid is a representation of everything this Celtics rebuild is lacking.

Maybe he's another Oden.  Or he could just be another Blake Griffin.  Even if he's Yao or Bill Walton 2.0, the Rockets got plenty of fantastic years out of Yao, and Walton won a couple of championships as both a franchise player and key bench reserve before his injuries cut his career off.

Fair enough. But I'd rather the Celtics not be the team to take a chance on him, unless DA pulls off a very lopsided trade.

[AngryAndIrritable]

Embiid could conceivably turn into one of the greats at the center position, luck and injuries willing.

Or his greatest legacy could be "Embiid's Law" - a variant on Godwin's Law that states that any thread on CB to do with drafting or trades inevitably descends into the usual bunfight about Joel Embiid.

To return to the original idea - I don't want the Brooklyn picks touched. I'd trade Smart for Towns in some shape or form, nothing less.

[PhoSita]

Just gonna go ahead and say that if Embiid had been drafted by the Celts last year, there'd be dozens of posters with Embiid themed screennames and avatars, and he'd be talked about with "cautious optimism" as the next Bill Russell.

Sure, the kid's got some scary injury concerns.  He's also got franchise big man talent; the potential to turn into a two-way All-Star at the center position.  I'm jealous of the Sixers, and I assert that any reasonable Celts fan should be, too.  Embiid is a representation of everything this Celtics rebuild is lacking.

Maybe he's another Oden.  Or he could just be another Blake Griffin.  Even if he's Yao or Bill Walton 2.0, the Rockets got plenty of fantastic years out of Yao, and Walton won a couple of championships as both a franchise player and key bench reserve before his injuries cut his career off.

Fair enough. But I'd rather the Celtics not be the team to take a chance on him, unless DA pulls off a very lopsided trade.

It's all academic, because the Sixers aren't trading him.

That said, yeah, I'd be terrified if the Celts gave up a boatload of assets to get Embiid.  But I'd also be excited.


Where I'm at right now with this team is I just have no idea how they are going to get a hold of the kind of top level talent that sets teams on a path toward contention.  I'd be thrilled for the team to make any kind of move that could get them such a talent, even if it's inherently very risky.

I'd prefer for the team to take risks and fail than to make lots of safe moves and hope for luck in the middle of the draft or for a great trade opportunity to come along.  The benefit of the way this league is structured is that teams that take risks and fail are rewarded with high draft choices.

[Eja117]

You guys are crazy.  You absolutely make that trade, don't give it a second thought, and laugh all the way to the bank. 

Of course neither Minnesota or LA makes either of those trades.

yup

I'd also do that trade for embiid instead... Even given his "setback".

I like smart, but think he is more likely to develop into a tony Allen defensive player than a Russell Westbrook allstar.

I agree with you about this year's picks, but Embiid also? A 7 footer with foot issues who's never played a single second in the NBA. In that scenario, Hinkie would be the one laughing his way to the bank.

Nah. If that were the case he wouldn't have drafted him 3rd after his injury.  He's closer to playing now than he was then.  I might be wrong, but Im pretty convinced that most people here are misunderstanding embiid's situation right now.  We will find out if I am an idiot in a couple weeks.  Right now, I'd gladly trade smart and picks for embiid.  Healthy embiid is better than anyone in this draft and for all we know he might be a couple weeks away from being green lit.   Obviously you'd consult with doctors first.  If he's missing another season, that's a problem.  But the only thing suggesting that he'll miss an entire season is wild media speculation.

Wild media speculation? He's like 20 years old, hasn't played ball in about a year and a half and STILL isn't fully healed. Slowest....healer....ever.

Eja... calm down.  You're taking an overly pessimistic stance for effect.   You know what you are saying isn't true.  His injury was about a year ago.  His surgery was on June 20th, 2014, right?  Here's what was said about the injury literally 1 year ago:

"The majority of these injuries will heal completely," Hunt said. "Getting to it early is a good prognostic sign. In his case, it appears it was treated early and appropriately. In the cases I have seen, the athletes that have recurrent fractures have high arches and stiff feet. They can develop large spurs in the adjacent bones. But again, to the majority of athletes this will heal and not be an issue in the future."


As for recovery time, Hunt said that players generally resume basketball activities in 4-6 months and are ready to play in nine months, though in some cases it can be closer to a year

All reports suggest he was looking amazing over the past couple months as he was aggressively training.  He was referred to as "explosive" and "dominant" and "felt no pain".   The team has been saying for months that he'd be ready to go during Summer league (which is a couple weeks from now).   It's been a year since his injury.  If you read about the injury, they say that usually they can play in 9 months... which is right about when Embiid started ramping up his activity.   And that it can take close to a year for others.    For them to say that he feels no pain and was ready to go, but saw less healing in the CT scan than they hoped (which hasn't been clarified, but most doctors are suggesting it's the tissue around the bone not fully filling in yet) doesn't mean he's not going to be ready 4 months from now. 

They don't want a repeat situation of Oden.   If Embiid pans out, he can singlehandedly increase the value of that company by over 200 million dollars...  They are being careful.   Unless Philly is hiding info, I'd gladly give up Smart, 16 and the Brooklyn pick for Embiid.

Yes yes. You are right. This 21 year old is fighting a foot injury. Pervious to that he had a back stress fracture.  Just the spitting image of health this one. Hey it's been a year and he's pain free. Whoop de doo. Let's trade Marcus Smart for him.

[GC003332]

You guys are crazy.  You absolutely make that trade, don't give it a second thought, and laugh all the way to the bank. 

Of course neither Minnesota or LA makes either of those trades.

yup

I'd also do that trade for embiid instead... Even given his "setback".

I like smart, but think he is more likely to develop into a tony Allen defensive player than a Russell Westbrook allstar.

I agree with you about this year's picks, but Embiid also? A 7 footer with foot issues who's never played a single second in the NBA. In that scenario, Hinkie would be the one laughing his way to the bank.

Nah. If that were the case he wouldn't have drafted him 3rd after his injury.  He's closer to playing now than he was then.  I might be wrong, but Im pretty convinced that most people here are misunderstanding embiid's situation right now.  We will find out if I am an idiot in a couple weeks.  Right now, I'd gladly trade smart and picks for embiid.  Healthy embiid is better than anyone in this draft and for all we know he might be a couple weeks away from being green lit.   Obviously you'd consult with doctors first.  If he's missing another season, that's a problem.  But the only thing suggesting that he'll miss an entire season is wild media speculation.

That same logic can be applied to Oden though. The Blazers thought highly enough of him to take him first over Kevin Durant, but constant injuries ended his career before it really ever got started. You can't deny the history/science behind young 7 footers with foot injuries, they lead to ugly and greatly abridged careers. While I agree with you that a healthy Embiid easily has more potential than anyone in this draft, we're NOT talking about a healthy Embiid. We're talking about an injured Embiid who has never played a single game in the NBA and lacks history/science to back him up. The idea of trading Smart AND picks for him right now is ludicrous. How would you have felt if we traded a 6th overall pick and then some for Oden? I get that they're not the same player, but you have to be somewhat worried by what could happen to Embiid, don't you? If you can honestly tell me that you feel there's no cause for concern with Embiid then I'll be shocked, completely and utterly bewildered.

Not so fast
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25220665/report-greg-oden-worked-out-for-the-hornets-will-visit-mavericks

[Rondo9]

Just gonna go ahead and say that if Embiid had been drafted by the Celts last year, there'd be dozens of posters with Embiid themed screennames and avatars, and he'd be talked about with "cautious optimism" as the next Bill Russell.

Sure, the kid's got some scary injury concerns.  He's also got franchise big man talent; the potential to turn into a two-way All-Star at the center position.  I'm jealous of the Sixers, and I assert that any reasonable Celts fan should be, too.  Embiid is a representation of everything this Celtics rebuild is lacking.

Maybe he's another Oden.  Or he could just be another Blake Griffin.  Even if he's Yao or Bill Walton 2.0, the Rockets got plenty of fantastic years out of Yao, and Walton won a couple of championships as both a franchise player and key bench reserve before his injuries cut his career off.

Why? He's barely in his 20's and he already has a myraid of injuries to his feet and back big red flags. Why would you be jealous of them? He hasn't even stepped onto the floor.