Kansas freshman Joel Embiid figures to be in the mix for the Orlando Magic when they pick fourth in the 2014 NBA Draft on June 26th. The seven-footer rates as the best center prospect available and has arguably one of the highest ceilings of any Draft entrant. Though the Magic already have, in Nik Vučević, one strong prospect at center, the team's slow progress in rebuilding means it can't rule out taking any player due to the presence of another at the same position already on their roster.
Among the biggest questions facing Embiid, apart from his health--he missed the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments because of a back injury--is how he'll fare against NBA-caliber competition. To address that question, DraftExpress scribe Mike Schmitz cut together this video of Embiid playing against a trio of other NBA center prospects: Isaiah Austin of Baylor, Patric Young of Florida, and Cameron Ridley of Texas. The video clocks in at just over 11 minutes and is embedded in this story.
Among Schmitz's conclusions: Embiid's length served him well defensively against all three prospects, but he struggled to score against them, failing to make a single hook shot in any of his five matchups against Austin, Young, and Ridley. For a more complete analysis, I refer you to Schmitz's video.
On the season, Embiid posted per-game averages of 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 3.5 combined steals and blocks. He shot 63.9 percent from the floor.