blkexec wrote:

Nalod wrote:Lets not forget that him, like Towns will improve on their weaknesses.

So if he was not playing great defense due to injury, lets not assume it will last his whole career. Dude is 19.

He was not playing defense due to his defensive IQ, not injury. He doesn't have the IQ, defensive instincts or athleticism to play defense without getting into foul trouble. So he has the same philosophy as Melo. Both players (Melo and OK4) understand their true value is scoring, so instead of getting in foul trouble, they relax on defense and go hard on offense.

High defensive IQ players know how to be effective on defense without getting into foul trouble, especially as a weak side shot blocker like Towns. Some have pure defensive instincts and athleticism (Towns), and others use their IQ and play positional defense (Kaminsky).

What OK4 lacks is Towns gain. What Towns lack is OK4's gain.

It's up to Phil on how he wants to build this team. You can win with both players if you build the right skill sets around Melo and our 1st round pick. But if you listen to Phil, he's not trying to build around a draft pick. He's building around Melo with free agents, and the draft pick has to get in where he fits in.

BigDaddyG wrote:

blkexec wrote:

Nalod wrote:Lets not forget that him, like Towns will improve on their weaknesses.

So if he was not playing great defense due to injury, lets not assume it will last his whole career. Dude is 19.

He was not playing defense due to his defensive IQ, not injury. He doesn't have the IQ, defensive instincts or athleticism to play defense without getting into foul trouble. So he has the same philosophy as Melo. Both players (Melo and OK4) understand their true value is scoring, so instead of getting in foul trouble, they relax on defense and go hard on offense.

High defensive IQ players know how to be effective on defense without getting into foul trouble, especially as a weak side shot blocker like Towns. Some have pure defensive instincts and athleticism (Towns), and others use their IQ and play positional defense (Kaminsky).

What OK4 lacks is Towns gain. What Towns lack is OK4's gain.

It's up to Phil on how he wants to build this team. You can win with both players if you build the right skill sets around Melo and our 1st round pick. But if you listen to Phil, he's not trying to build around a draft pick. He's building around Melo with free agents, and the draft pick has to get in where he fits in.

A lot of OK4's problems were due to positioning. That can be fixed. I look at someone like Andrew Bogus whose blocks and rebounding numbers were similar to OK4s, as someone Jahlil can follow.Bogut, who isn't the best athlete, transformed into a solid defender with hardwork. Gasol is another example of bad defender who improved. It's not put pf the question that OK4, who's noted as being a hard worker, will improve.

There's a lot of hard workers in the draft. Everybody in the draft has potential to do great things. But everybody starts from a different platform. Ok4 is an offensive player. Thats his starting point. I believe we agree. Not clear on the point you're trying to say, thats different from my point of view.

nixluva wrote:I had a feeling OK4 wasn't 100%. It'll be very interesting to see him healthier.

Injury is certainly the best excuse/justification for his deficiencies down the stretch. I call it the Curry excuse. Eddy used it perfectly - there was always an injury to explain his fitness. Doesn't really explain 50% FT shooting -- but that could improve. Not sure this team can afford to have 1 let alone 2 players relaxing on D. Particularly from the pivot. I hope OK4 is as amazing as he looked in the early season, but I see him as the most skilled player in the draft, not the player with the most upside. Not going to hate if we end up with him. Russell is still my #2 though after Towns.

BRIGGS wrote:Greg Monroe was not nearly as good a Cb player as okafor and Monroe is avg 15-10-2 in the nba. Why can't ok4 avg 22/25-10 in his prime? Okafor is bigger longer and more skilled

Who's saying he can't?? If he puts the work in then he could easily average those numbers. He's got the skills to do it and whoever says he can't is fooling themselves but he has to want to put the work in.

nixluva wrote:

newyorker4ever wrote:

Nalod wrote:Lets not forget that him, like Towns will improve on their weaknesses.

So if he was not playing great defense due to injury, lets not assume it will last his whole career. Dude is 19.

Exactly. People that think what they saw in college from these kids is what they'll see in the NBA which is absolutely ridiculous. These kids will all grow and get better as they practice and play the game. Now how much better they get will depend on how much they truly want to get better. The ones that want it bad enough will put everything they got into it and with the talents some of these kids that are projected for the lottery have they could becomes all star players......if they put the work in.

I think people tend to forget we're talking about 19 year olds. It's incredible how much maturing these young players have ahead. They've already shown so much at this early stage. I feel good about all of the top 10 players in this draft and even beyond there's some good value. I hope we can get another pick.

I want Towns, then Russell but I wouldn't be upset if they are gone and Okafor is there on the board. Having a 6-10 guy with elite post moves is still something that can have value in the NBA.