mreinman wrote:

nixluva wrote:I think people are wrong about Okafor. His base is so strong that he's not going to have as much trouble scoring inside as some think. He's also quick footed and agile and knows how to use his length at a high level already. He's only going to get stronger and has really gotten stronger since his high school to 1st year in college. I like guys with a strong base and low center of gravity like Okafor has. He's going to be able to move and bang with no problems cuz he's going to be lower and stronger than a lot of taller and thinner guys. Tyson Chandler will get moved quite easily by a strong kid like Okafor. If he can mix in a mid range game he will be unstoppable.

Okafor seems to have already figured out how to score against bigger guys. He keeps the defender at length and his moves are so quick and cover so much ground. Then he has those big hands and total ball control and uses those long arms to finish outside the reach of his defender. Teams will end up fouling him more than stopping his moves. I think this is the perfect offense for Okafor. He can post and pass out of it and if Phil can surround him with shooters he should be quite effective. I admit that his weight and lack of hops does concern me a bit, but Duncan almost never jumps and he's great. It's not all about being able to jump thru the roof.

You don't even predict anymore. You just prophesize.

So you don't use any kind of scouting on a players attributes to predict what he should do on the next level? We don't know if we will end up with this kid but his game is self evident already. He's built like an offensive lineman. But with long arms and big hands. He's skilled, quick and agile but takes up tons of space. So it's not that hard to predict what he should be able to do.

Lots of players have learned how to play below the rim and be successful. Skill and brains over dump raw athletic ability.

KEEPCAMBYNY wrote:

knickscity wrote:He wont be scoring like that against NBA competition. And I doubt Phil does the wait game anyway. If he drafts Okafor he's gonna trade him for some help to win now.

Why do you think Phil is going to trade whoever we draft? I'm not saying that you're wrong, but I get the impression that Phil likes younger players that don't have well established bad habits and will be easier to mold. Plus Okafor (Kart Anthony Towns as well)passing ability and post game seem like the exact type of big man that would thrive in the triangle.

Not to mention that we have cap space!!! There's no need to trade anyone in order to help the team "win now." Phil doesn't have to get it all done in one summer. He's not under any specific pressure to build a contender in one shot. I think he's got to know that it's going to be a process and not a quick fix. If the Knicks can land a stud in this draft that would go a long way towards changing the fortunes of the team going forward.

holfresh wrote:

nixluva wrote:I think people are wrong about Okafor. His base is so strong that he's not going to have as much trouble scoring inside as some think. He's also quick footed and agile and knows how to use his length at a high level already. He's only going to get stronger and has really gotten stronger since his high school to 1st year in college. I like guys with a strong base and low center of gravity like Okafor has. He's going to be able to move and bang with no problems cuz he's going to be lower and stronger than a lot of taller and thinner guys. Tyson Chandler will get moved quite easily by a strong kid like Okafor. If he can mix in a mid range game he will be unstoppable.

Okafor seems to have already figured out how to score against bigger guys. He keeps the defender at length and his moves are so quick and cover so much ground. Then he has those big hands and total ball control and uses those long arms to finish outside the reach of his defender. Teams will end up fouling him more than stopping his moves. I think this is the perfect offense for Okafor. He can post and pass out of it and if Phil can surround him with shooters he should be quite effective. I admit that his weight and lack of hops does concern me a bit, but Duncan almost never jumps and he's great. It's not all about being able to jump thru the roof.

Duncan never jumps???..Check out Tim in college..

Ho-ly-Shit. I never saw Tim in college. His game was beautiful. I need to look up more gametape of him.

gunsnewing wrote:You mean Demarcus Cousins not Greg Monroe right? Monroe is not that good

KEEPCAMBYNY wrote:

knickscity wrote:He wont be scoring like that against NBA competition. And I doubt Phil does the wait game anyway. If he drafts Okafor he's gonna trade him for some help to win now.

Why do you think Phil is going to trade whoever we draft? I'm not saying that you're wrong, but I get the impression that Phil likes younger players that don't have well established bad habits and will be easier to mold. Plus Okafor (Kart Anthony Towns as well)passing ability and post game seem like the exact type of big man that would thrive in the triangle.

It would make no sense. You would be trading a player who may be able to produce while on a rookie scale contract. For example Damion Lillard is earning only 3.3mil this season. Trading the pick for a proven player would eat up cap space that you would be able to use on another player unless he is also on a rookie scale contract.

Trading the pick would put him in the line of fire. Nobody will question him for keeping the draft pick. Also Phil has no history of doing such things. He has always played and developed young players throughout his coaching career.

If we were to trade Okafor though it better at least be to dump Calderon &/or Smiths contract, add one proven player, and a couple future assets. Like a deal with the Suns for the bank.

Bonn1997 wrote:I don't have the super high expectations others do but I'd still love to get this guy. I wish we would trade Melo and do some serious rebuilding but I might change my mind about one thing: even if we're keeping Melo I still want to keep the pick. We'd just have to make it through those 4 remaining years of his contract and then there would be better possibilities.

Yup it really isn't that bad unless we give Melo another 5yr max contract which would not surprise me

nixluva wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:I don't have the super high expectations others do but I'd still love to get this guy. I wish we would trade Melo and do some serious rebuilding but I might change my mind about one thing: even if we're keeping Melo I still want to keep the pick. We'd just have to make it through those 4 remaining years of his contract and then there would be better possibilities.

Yup it really isn't that bad unless we give Melo another 5yr max contract which would not surprise me

IMO it just takes the pressure off Okafor in his early years. He won't be all alone on the team and trying to carry a team. Not to mention but Phil should be able to get even more front line help with the cap space he has. Imagine If he could add another pick as well and you basically are doing a rebuild but just with a good player already on board. We could be looking at a lot of younger players next year. It depends on who Phil targets.

Free Agents - Reggie Jackson, Brandon Knight, Tobias Harris, Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Khris Middleton, Thomas Robinson?
Draft pick - Okafor, Towns, Mudiay?
Shumpert?
Hardaway
Early
Thanasis
Larkin
Wear
Acy
Galloway
Aldrich