The extent of Joel Embiid’s slide was greatly exaggerated.
He fell all right — all the way to third pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
The raw, yet gifted, 7-foot center out of Kansas, who suffered a stress fracture in his right foot just a week ago, was taken by the 76ers after former college teammate Andrew Wiggins went No. 1 overall to the Cavaliers and Duke star Jabari Parker was taken second by the Bucks.
A Cameroon native, Embiid just started playing basketball at the age of 16.
“I wish I could be there, but I am excited the Sixers took me,” he told ESPN from Los Angeles. “I still can’t believe it. I started playing basketball so late. It just means that anything is possible.”
The comparisons have ranged from Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan, but also to Yao Ming and Žydrunas Ilgauskas because of his injury history.
“I’m going to keep pushing,” Embiid said.
When he was healthy, Embiid enjoyed a sensational freshman season for Kansas, averaging 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds while blocking 72 shots to earn Big 12 defensive player of the year honors. But injuries hit Embiid hard late in his fourth year of organized basketball. A balky back cost him the final six games of his freshman season and a sprained knee forced him out of another game.
“He’s very raw, but he’s got great footwork, as good as anyone I’ve seen in a long time,” one NBA evaluator said. “He has a great up and under move. [If healthy], he would be a top NBA center.”
This is the second straight year the Sixers will need to show patience with an injured big man. Last year, Philadelphia landed Kentucky forward Nerlens Noel in a draft-day trade. Noel tore his ACL during his freshman year at Kentucky and missed his rookie year while rehabbing.