Should the Boston Celtics sign ex-Baylor big man Isaiah Austin?
Isaiah Austin, former Baylor star center who unfortunately rose to national prominence not only on the basketball court, but after he was “drafted” by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being diagnosed with Marfan’s Syndrome (a disease which affects vascular and other tissues that can put some people at serious risk when engaging in intense activities like basketball), has been cleared to resume basketball activities after several years of monitoring by doctors.
Austin was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome at the 2014 NBA draft combine.— ESPN (@espn) December 1, 2016
Now, he says, he can come back: https://t.co/9iIzRLI86g
The disease that led to the concern for his health, detected during the routine investigations players undergo as part of the draft process - does not affect all people the same, and in some cases the risk is considered acceptable if the body responds well to exertion, and in Austin’s case, it did, as he related to Through the Lens’s Cassie Athena:
"Ever since the draft, I’ve been getting checked by my doctor, David Liang at Stanford, for about 2 1/2 years now ... and through those checkups, we’ve been monitoring my heart, making sure that nothing has changed, and he said that I’m stable. So, I’ve been able to work out a little bit here and there, and the first year and a half, he didn’t really want me doing too much because he still wanted to monitor my heart and everything ... but I would say about four months ago, I was in Minnesota, he cleared me, and labeled me stable. So I’m able to make the choice if I want to go back and pursue my dream again. I am cleared. I am about to be out here pursuing my dream."
Austin, a 7-foot, 1-inch center who is an excellent shot blocker, solid rebounder, and a respectable three-point shooter (8.3 RPG and .333 on 90 attempts in his freshman season at Baylor, 3.1 BPG his sophomore and final season with the team) is a promising prospect for the contemporary game, and might fit well into Boston's system, addressing some especially glaring weaknesses on the second unit. Even more interesting, he is technically an unrestricted free agent, given he never pulled out of the 2014 draft.
Even though Isaiah Austin was ruled medically unable to play, he still could have been drafted in '14. Since he wasn't, he's a free agent.— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) December 1, 2016
Should the Celtics take a risk and make space for the former Baylor big man? Let us know in the comments section below.
For more stories about Isaiah Austin on Celticslife, click here. For more by Justin, click here.
Photo via the Sporting News/Associated Press
Data via http://www.sports-reference.com/
Follow Justin at @justinquinnn
