As we count down the hours until the 2015 NBA Draft begins, the most intriguing storyline of the night revolves around a former Kentucky Wildcat big man.
No, not Karl-Anthony Towns, who is expected to be taken with the No. 1 overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rather, much of the attention is focused on his former teammate, Willie Cauley-Stein.
Cauley-Stein was long thought to be a sure-fire top-five pick, with his tremendous size, basketball IQ, and athleticism for the position. After all, he is considered by many to be the best defender in the 2015 draft class.
But concerns over a foot injury have caused him to tumble in most Mock Drafts leading up to tonight, as some team doctors worry that he never healed correctly from the injury that took him out of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
Obviously, Cauley-Stein healed well enough to be a dominant force for Kentucky last season, and he was one of the top candidates for national Player of the Year awards.
However, NBA teams will always be wary of a big man who begins experiencing foot problems, even if they seem to have been rectified. Like the back, foot issues to do ever truly go away, and can hamper a player even after a successful surgery.
While his body type is no one that elicits tremendous concern over his foot’s ability to withstand weight, much of Cauley-Stein’s effectiveness on the court is determined by his ability to be lightning quick for his size, and to explode off the ground to be a rim protector.
Still, if his foot does indeed prove to be healthy, a number of teams will be highly disappointed that they let him slip by on draft night.
