nixluva wrote:Towns is still a bit raw and clumsy at times. He's not very smooth in the post but he can be effective. Really on the other end he's just what we need. That's why I think he's the better prospect for the Knicks. I don't dislike OK4. I just think KAT solves more of the teams problems in one move.

Completely agree here. But I also saw a lot of Hakeem Olajuwon in Towns' post footwork and touch (i.e., in Saturday night's game and other times this year). Towns may be raw, but he has shown enough to justify the notion that he's a can't miss prospect with upside potential to be a Ewing-esque draft pick for the NYK.

On the defensive end of the court, there's just no comparison. Towns is the better all-around player.

Knicks will take KAT with the first pick if they get it. If not, hopefully whomever does get it will like OK4 better.

gunsnewing wrote:Ankle injuries heal enough to play in 2 days. It's been 2 months! It wasn't a high ankle sprain because he didn't miss any games

Winslow hurt his ankle yesterday ... maybe that is the only reason why he was so great.

mreinman wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

mreinman wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:"The only thing that set him back was the injury in the first North Carolina game (Feb. 18). That stopped some of his growth because he's had to compensate. Since then, he's pretty much played at less than 100 percent."

The nagging ankle problem limited Okafor's mobility and hindered his play, particularly on the defensive end.

---snippet from SI

He's playing hurt.

you can't blame injury on each failure of the players the you tout

Which failure is that? LOL

Lin
olynyk
Ok4 being limited by his nagging ankle

though the data that I have is recent and I have just began to follow it, it looks like this is a pattern.

Everyone has nagging injuries and as JVG says, if you are on the court then you are not injured and no excuses.

reinman---Jeremy Lin broke all expectations--he was an undrafted basketabll player from Harvard. I predicted hed be a pretty good NBA prospect when there was NOT one other person on this net who did the same. He is a pretty god NBA player and its really dumb to bring his name up--Im sure youve predicted a few non draftees like Anthony Morrow and Jeremy Lin et al in your posting history:)

Kelly O is a great prospect taken by a top 3 GM have you even looked at his stats--hes better than anyone not named Carmelo on the Knicks by a margin.

Ok has been the most consistent freshmen basketball player with stats not seen in 2 decades. Karl Towns--when he played tougher rougher frontlines the last two weeks(Cincy and WV) avg 4.5 points and 4 rebounds when Okafor avg 25 a game. Its kind of dumb to break them on a player who had 1-2 bad games all year?

mreinman wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

mreinman wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

mreinman wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:"The only thing that set him back was the injury in the first North Carolina game (Feb. 18). That stopped some of his growth because he's had to compensate. Since then, he's pretty much played at less than 100 percent."

The nagging ankle problem limited Okafor's mobility and hindered his play, particularly on the defensive end.

---snippet from SI

He's playing hurt.

you can't blame injury on each failure of the players the you tout

Which failure is that? LOL

Lin
olynyk
Ok4 being limited by his nagging ankle

though the data that I have is recent and I have just began to follow it, it looks like this is a pattern.

Everyone has nagging injuries and as JVG says, if you are on the court then you are not injured and no excuses.

reinman---Jeremy Lin broke all expectations--he was an undrafted basketabll player from Harvard. I predicted hed be a pretty good NBA prospect when there was NOT one other person on this net who did the same. He is a pretty god NBA player and its really dumb to bring his name up--Im sure youve predicted a few non draftees like Anthony Morrow and Jeremy Lin et al in your posting history:)

Kelly O is a great prospect taken by a top 3 GM have you even looked at his stats--hes better than anyone not named Carmelo on the Knicks by a margin.

Ok has been the most consistent freshmen basketball player with stats not seen in 2 decades. Karl Towns--when he played tougher rougher frontlines the last two weeks(Cincy and WV) avg 4.5 points and 4 rebounds when Okafor avg 25 a game. Its kind of dumb to break them on a player who had 1-2 bad games all year?

it was a good prediction (Lin) no doubt - but he has not lived up to the expectations, not even close. He has been mediocre for the most part.

It just shows that a player needs to be evaluated by more then a few games.

Is he just not that good because he just isn't or is it because (as you say) he has never been the same due to injury?

reinman --Jeremy Lin has passed ANY expectation by 1000 miles.

These are the things that stick out to me.....

Okafor --- when the ball is not in his hands he is very soft, lethargic & uninspired. Whether it is defending, picking for his own teammates, rebounding or running the floor he just doesn't seem overly interested in these other aspects of the game. Another major issue with Okafor is IMO he will need to play lighter at the NBA level. This means that it will always be a constant battle of maintaining weight and I'm not sure I trust his ability to keep the weight down and his conditioning up.

Towns --- the major concern is base/core strength and will he have enough of it. I think this will come from simple physical maturity and growing into those size +20 shoes.
Outside of his strength -- the kid has all the intangibles in high doses. There are no question marks around effort, intensity and passion for the game. He's an all around stud that will make teammates better on both ends of the floor.

Again -- both have much to offer but Okafor with his lack of passion without the ball and potential weight/conditioning issues concern me.

Also with Okafor -- you have to worry about fit with Melo and finding someone to cover for him. With Towns - those issues don't exist.

mreinman wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

mreinman wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

mreinman wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

mreinman wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:"The only thing that set him back was the injury in the first North Carolina game (Feb. 18). That stopped some of his growth because he's had to compensate. Since then, he's pretty much played at less than 100 percent."

The nagging ankle problem limited Okafor's mobility and hindered his play, particularly on the defensive end.

---snippet from SI

He's playing hurt.

you can't blame injury on each failure of the players the you tout

Which failure is that? LOL

Lin
olynyk
Ok4 being limited by his nagging ankle

though the data that I have is recent and I have just began to follow it, it looks like this is a pattern.

Everyone has nagging injuries and as JVG says, if you are on the court then you are not injured and no excuses.

reinman---Jeremy Lin broke all expectations--he was an undrafted basketabll player from Harvard. I predicted hed be a pretty good NBA prospect when there was NOT one other person on this net who did the same. He is a pretty god NBA player and its really dumb to bring his name up--Im sure youve predicted a few non draftees like Anthony Morrow and Jeremy Lin et al in your posting history:)

Kelly O is a great prospect taken by a top 3 GM have you even looked at his stats--hes better than anyone not named Carmelo on the Knicks by a margin.

Ok has been the most consistent freshmen basketball player with stats not seen in 2 decades. Karl Towns--when he played tougher rougher frontlines the last two weeks(Cincy and WV) avg 4.5 points and 4 rebounds when Okafor avg 25 a game. Its kind of dumb to break them on a player who had 1-2 bad games all year?

it was a good prediction (Lin) no doubt - but he has not lived up to the expectations, not even close. He has been mediocre for the most part.

It just shows that a player needs to be evaluated by more then a few games.

Is he just not that good because he just isn't or is it because (as you say) he has never been the same due to injury?

reinman --Jeremy Lin has passed ANY expectation by 1000 miles.

+1

And just wait until he finds himself in the right system and with the right teammates again

Im a Lin fan and was upset we lost him.

I also believe at this point that I terribly overrated him like many people did.

Maybe we can still get him back (Melo to Lakers!)