FanDuel NBA Daily Picks: Fantasy Basketball Lineup For November 5
Numerous injuries have delayed the debut of Joel Embiid for the Philadelphia 76ers for two full seasons, but he has proven to be worth the wait, especially for FanDuel NBA players.
A minutes limitation hasn’t placed a cap on productivity for Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid early into the season.
The Sixers selected Embiid with the third overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, but he never made his professional debut until Oct. 26. The delay resulted from a pair of operations on the navicular bone in his right foot.
Even though the 22-year-old is fully healthy, the team isn’t taking any chances on another setback.
For the early portion of the season, the 76ers are planning on restricting his minutes to about 20 per game and the team refuses to play him on consecutive days.
The policy was enforced Wednesday night, as the 7-foot-2 center sat out the contest in Charlotte, despite posting averages of 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in his first three contests.
It didn’t take long for Embiid to make a tremendous first impression, as he connected from three-point range just 10 seconds into his second career game.
Joel Embiid's first shot....for three. Splash. https://t.co/SrHdTh6o4G
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 29, 2016
Philadelphia has been shuffling Embiid and another prized young center, Jahlil Okafor, in the lineup, staggering their minutes to always have a potent piece in the middle.
While the team may face a problem of having too much talent at the center position, Embiid has drawn praise from opposing coaches.
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Hall of Fame center and Hornets assistant coach Patrick Ewing believes Embiid could be the most talented player at the position in the entire league.
Embiid is coming off his first career double-double, after he posted 18 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three assists in 24 minutes against the Magic.
Tonight Embiid faces his toughest test yet, as Philadelphia hosts the defending champion Cavaliers.
In five games, Cleveland has limited opposing centers to 8.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.8 blocks per game, but the team has yet to play a big man with the talent of Embiid this season.
FanDuel NBA players can benefit from playing Embiid at a relatively low cost for daily leagues.
Selecting a player on a minutes restriction carries an inherent risk, but Embiid is proving that he can tally huge numbers in a small period of time.