Quote:
Originally Posted by LoneWolf
Do you think he's going to declare for the NBA draft? I had heard that he made some comments that sounded like he might stay one more year.
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The only reason Embiid comes back is because he's not culturally comfortable enough in America. Embiid doesn't have a large American support base he can trust to advise him. He can't even drive a car and is nervous about trying to. The prospect of basically having to be responsible for himself to get to practice, go on the road, not be able to go some places the rest of his team does because he's not old enough or because they have family obligations is a bit of an isolating thought to him right now. He likes the college environment and the safety net if provides.
That said, it still might not be enough for him to stick around. He's a consensus Top 3 pick. I would be very surprised if he stays, but if he does, that's the reason why.
I think he does come back and play this year if we advance past the first weekend. His dad seems optimistic about it as does Embiid. He loves playing for this team. Lots of players play through this injury not even knowing they have it. He can't make it worse, its just a matter of relieving the pain. I don't think he shuts it down just to protect his draft status. If it doesn't heal, that's another thing, but if the doctors give him the OK, he's going to play if we're still alive.