Andrew Wiggins

Andrew Wiggins is an interesting prospect but please don't compare him to Kevin Durant.

(AP)



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A stress fracture and foot surgery for Joel Embiid should answer one question for the Cavs.



You don't draft a 7-foot center with balky back -- especially when he may also need to miss months with a foot injury.



That's the news about Embiid, who really did impress the Cavs in his workout last week. Had the draft been a few days ago, my guess is Embiid would have been the Cavs selection.



That better not be the case today.

Back injuries can be scary because they are so unpredictable. You don't just operate on a back, put on a cast and wait a few months for it to heal.



Big men with broken bones in their feet are reasons for teams to run away. Yes, they can recover, as Zydrunas Ilgauskas eventually did with the Cavs. But it can take years. Or they may never come back, as was the case Yao Ming.



Phoenix took 7-footer Alex Len in the first round last season. He had surgery on one ankle in May, another in July. He played in only 42 games, averaging 2.0 points and 2.4 rebounds. That often happens to big men with foot problems.



If it's not one foot, it's the other. Ilgauskas had a total of five surgeries on both feet.



So the answer is...No.



No to Embiid with the No. 1 pick in the draft.



No for the Cavs even thinking of trading down a few spots and then taking Embiid.



Cavs General Manager David Griffin should be thankful that the news of Embiid's foot injury came out a week before the draft -- not a week after when the Cavs could have made an enormous blunder.



I confess to having been intrigued by Embiid. Not because he's supposed to be the next Hakeem Olajuwon, but because his size and athleticism fits the uptempo modern NBA game.



Now, Griffin must look elsewhere.



Wiggins and Durant



Before Embiid's latest injury, I was hearing from fans about how Portland had a chance to take Kevin Durant. Instead, the Blazers drafted Greg Oden, who was coming off a broken wrist.



Oden's knees became a huge problem, and he rarely played.



Durant was the MVP this season, a true star.



And the same can be true of Andrew Wiggins, if the Cavs pass on him for Embiid.



Take a deep breath, do a little research.



Understand, I've jumped off the Embiid bus and I'm running far away from the Kansas center.



Just as the Embiid/Olajuwon comparison is ridiculous, the same is true with Wiggins/Durant.



Here is what Durant did in his one year at Texas: Averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, shooting .473 from the field and .404 on 3-pointers.



Wiggins at Kansas: Averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, shot .448 from the field, .341 on 3-pointers.



Wiggins is an excellent prospect, but he's not even close to the same player that Durant was coming out of college.



Figuring it out



Of the three players at the top of most draft boards, Duke's Jabari Parker is considered the most polished. He averaged 19.1 points and 8.7 rebounds, shooting .472 from the field, .358 on 3-pointers.



The biggest concern is Parker's defense. He's 6-foot-8, 241 pounds and has to be careful not to add weight. Is he quick enough to play small forward? Or would he be better off as a power forward?



The Cavs have the same questions about Anthony Bennett. Last year's top pick in the draft is listed at 6-foot-8, 259 pounds. Parker has far more skills on offense than Bennett, but the position question may hang over both players.



Parker often struggled on defense at Duke, and that's not likely to suddenly disappear in the NBA.



But it's also worth remembering that Griffin wants players who can score, and that's Parker. His 8.7 rebounding average also is impressive.



Wiggins is a better fit for the Cavs in terms of position, because he can play small forward or shooting guard. The Cavs need help at both spots.



Now, the Cavs should concentrate on the Parker/Wiggins debate, letting the other teams ponder Embiid's medical reports.



