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NBA: Predicting Who The Top Five Rookies Will Be In 2016-17

By Zach Blochlinger

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) gestures to the crowd while standing with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number six overall pick to the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) gestures to the crowd while standing with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number six overall pick to the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The New York Knicks won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The New York Knicks won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

4) Joel Embiid (14/1 odds)

After missing his first two seasons due to injury, Joel Embiid will finally get to make his NBA debut in 2016. Embiid was argued to be the top prospect in the 2014 NBA Draft with college teammate Andrew Wiggins, but his injuries made him slip to the 76ers at the third pick.

Embiid has the perfect body and potential skill set for the NBA game in just about any era. That’s some pretty high praise, but it’s true. At 7-foot, he provides elite height to go with a very high defensive IQ and deceptive athleticism that should automatically make him one of the best rim-protectors in the league.

On the offensive end, he is a huge question mark. He had his moments at Kansas, but his back-to-basket game left a lot to be desired. But that was two years ago!

He showed flashes of really being a dominant college big man and also had games where he would disappear when he was the tallest man on the floor by four inches.

Who knows how well or how poorly he has developed while recovering from his injuries. On Instagram and Twitter he has posted constant pictures of him in the gym working and it seems to be paying off.

He has transformed from the long, slightly above average in size and girth 7-footer to one of the most imposing bodies in the NBA in just two years. This guy’s ceiling is exciting, but without any NBA court time on his resume, who knows what he will be able to do (especially offensively) in 2016.

Regardless, Joel Embiid should be one of the best rookies in the NBA next season and will likely at least make the first or second All-Rookie team if he can’t win the ROY award. With the 76ers drafting Ben Simmons with the #1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, I would say the likelihood for him to win the award have gone down drastically.

He’s a great sleeper/underdog pick for Rookie of the Year.

Next: No. 3

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