An Embiid + Favors combo could be somewhat intriguing. I think offensively Embiid can do what Monroe and Cousins do. Get the ball on the elbow, create off the dribble, develop a mid range jumper to be a mismatch for immobile Centers, play the pick and roll, while having the option to get the ball dished in mid range. Would free up the paint for guards and wings.
BUT!!! You need the spacing from your small guys. You really need 3 guys who can hit the 3, at least 1 wing defender that's better than Gordon. So if we can be somewhat like: Hey Boston, wanna have Hayward, Burks and our unprotected 2015 pick for your 2014 pick and a bad contract? Then I'd take that. At the deadline with 50 games under the belt and Celtics at a top3 record(Doubt the C's would do it, even if that's close). If you have a core of Burke, Embiid, Parker, Favors and another good wing defender and at the same time deadly spot up guy(Maybe Dinwiddie) then you have a team that plays fast, unselfish, athletic. Whole package, a lot of national TV.
But if you keep Hayward, draft Embiid. Who is going to be your guy on the wing? I mean Burke and Hayward I don't expect them to ever break down a defender. They can free themselves up in the pick and roll, curl around screens, cut backdoor, whatever. But they can't str8 go 1v1 if your shooters all have a bad day and the paint is clogged. That would be Embiid's responsibility. And I'm not sure I wanna put that weight on his shoulders.
Embiid and Favors would be somewhat the healthy, athletic rich mans Lee+Bogut combo. Or the rich man's Monroe+Drummond.
BUT!!! You need the spacing from your small guys. You really need 3 guys who can hit the 3, at least 1 wing defender that's better than Gordon. So if we can be somewhat like: Hey Boston, wanna have Hayward, Burks and our unprotected 2015 pick for your 2014 pick and a bad contract? Then I'd take that. At the deadline with 50 games under the belt and Celtics at a top3 record(Doubt the C's would do it, even if that's close). If you have a core of Burke, Embiid, Parker, Favors and another good wing defender and at the same time deadly spot up guy(Maybe Dinwiddie) then you have a team that plays fast, unselfish, athletic. Whole package, a lot of national TV.
But if you keep Hayward, draft Embiid. Who is going to be your guy on the wing? I mean Burke and Hayward I don't expect them to ever break down a defender. They can free themselves up in the pick and roll, curl around screens, cut backdoor, whatever. But they can't str8 go 1v1 if your shooters all have a bad day and the paint is clogged. That would be Embiid's responsibility. And I'm not sure I wanna put that weight on his shoulders.
Embiid and Favors would be somewhat the healthy, athletic rich mans Lee+Bogut combo. Or the rich man's Monroe+Drummond.
