How Good is Philly's Okafor

[Don Che]

i think if Embiid didnt exist and Okafor was in his place....he'd be dropping 20/7-8 on an efficient clip. maybe even higher...he dropped 20 with us on his team.

[spree#8]

I've seen Okafor in the NBA his rookie year and what i saw was a kid playing on the worse team ever and scoring efficiently and off the eye test hes bigger/stronger/more mobile than Willy and based off that i think he can fix his defensive woes with the right coach and watching us defend under Jeff ...i think we can do it.

Willy is better in a team concept but I can't really say Okafor has played in a team concept yet in the nba. I see talent you can't teach with a player that doesnt seem lazy like a Eddy Curry...he wants to be good and he wants to win...I'd give him a shot.

I think Okafor would get minutes on this team.

The 76ers exercised every rookie option for next year besides Okafor's. How many top three picks don't last their rookie contract? That should tell you all you need when it comes to how much you wanna offer. They rather gave the 6.3 mill for next season to Saric, Anderson and Luwawu-Cabarrot while killing Okafor's trade value. We have Willy - a better per 36min player so far - at 1.5 mill locked in for 2 more years and can use Okafor's future asking price minus those 1.5 mill to add to our team, while having a starting center in Kanter and lits of capable back-ups.

I know what I would do.

[spree#8]

i think if Embiid didnt exist and Okafor was in his place....he'd be dropping 20/7-8 on an efficient clip. maybe even higher...he dropped 20 with us on his team.

Embiid played a total of 31 games with an average of just 25 MPG in Okafor's first two years there. He didn't held him back.

[Don Che]

ok now i see how far your stretching this, at first i understood your view but if your implying that Embiid had nothing to do with Okafors placement on the team...I just flat out disagree whole heartedly on that.

I wouldnt put Okafor with Anthony Bennett ...Okafor can play hes just not a priority since Embiid is there. But I'll wait because Philly hasnt been a place to nurture talent until now.

I've seen guys with far less talent than Okafor do well in this league.

[spree#8]

ok now i see how far your stretching this, at first i understood your view but if your implying that Embiid had nothing to do with Okafors placement on the team...I just flat out disagree whole heartedly on that.

I wouldnt put Okafor with Anthony Bennett ...Okafor can play hes just not a priority since Embiid is there. But I'll wait because Philly hasnt been a place to nurture talent until now.

I've seen guys with far less talent than Okafor do well in this league.

Whut? I'm talking about the first two years having led to the current situation. Embiid wasn't a factor then yet, so where am I stretching this? I'm talking about promise, value for money and opportunity with us when I say I'm not interested. He might still recover in the right situation - as I said. It is just not here IMO. We have to have good rebounders to compliment KP.

BTW: another look at how Okafor has done so far is to look at his projection for the next few years based on his play so far -> https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/ca ... il-okafor/
in comparison to Willy's -> https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/ca ... rnangomez/

I'm not stretching anything here...

But I agree, that he has nothing to do with Anthony Bennett. Okafor just has to find a starter job for a different lottery team.

[Don Che]

its simple..you think Embiid has nothing to do with Okafors placement on the team...and I dont buy that.

I think he can still be a quality big for an nba team needing low post scoring....like the nets or celtics or cavs

if he goes there i hope your right and i pray he sucks also but idt so

[spree#8]

its simple..you think Embiid has nothing to do with Okafors placement on the team...and I dont buy that.

I think he can still be a quality big for an nba team needing low post scoring....like the nets or celtics or cavs

if he goes there i hope your right and i pray he sucks also but idt so

I didn't say any of that.

[taowave]

He has far more upside than Willy...what he may not have is the desire to be great,but the guy could be a monster on offense.He has the tools..

I'm with you on this one...

I've seen Okafor in the NBA his rookie year and what i saw was a kid playing on the worse team ever and scoring efficiently and off the eye test hes bigger/stronger/more mobile than Willy and based off that i think he can fix his defensive woes with the right coach and watching us defend under Jeff ...i think we can do it.

Willy is better in a team concept but I can't really say Okafor has played in a team concept yet in the nba. I see talent you can't teach with a player that doesnt seem lazy like a Eddy Curry...he wants to be good and he wants to win...I'd give him a shot.

I think Okafor would get minutes on this team.

[Don Che]

what did you mean when you said "he didnt held him back"?

i read it as Embiid didnt hold Okafor back which I dont agree.

[spree#8]

what did you mean when you said "he didnt held him back"?

i read it as Embiid didnt hold Okafor back which I dont agree.

In those last two years Embiid didn't have anything to do with Okafor not taking advantage of his opportunity. Embiid wasn't even active in Okafor's first year and did play just the mentioned 31 games last season (averaging 25 MPG in those). So Okafor had ample time to show the Sixers and the league that he can do more than score - but he didn't. He played bad on defense etc., that's why they have already given up on him after just two seasons.

Not playing him now (after that decision) and not picking up their TO has of course something to do with having Embiid. But you can bet that they wouldn't have given up on him as an elite project this soon and killed his trade value if he had played well. They drafted him after already having drafted Embiid after all.

Anyways: if he somehow ends up here (which I doubt), I would of course back him. I just think that his agent should try to find a better situation than a loaded Knicks frontcourt.

And a BTW: it is really unfortunate for Okafor how the 76ers are handling this situation IMO.

[Don Che]

He had time to play and he showed he has pros and cons but having a guy like Embiid there along with Philly's horrible managment skills there was no room for Okafor to actually prosper.

I understand his defense isnt good but how do most 20 year old bigs defend on bad teams?

All this stems from Philly being stupid...the idea of "drafting BPA" doesnt work out. They had Embiid coming in..no reason to have Okafor taken in that spot. Even tho Embiid is injury prone and at that time you didnt know when he was coming back but as a organization you knew he was gonna play some day.

prospects outside of Lebron/Duncan/KD need room to prosper.

[spree#8]

BPA is totally fine and the way to go. Thing is: Okafor didn't prove to be the BPA. If he had, he would've had wonderful trade value. No matter what: if BPA leads you to two players that don't fit together you have to have the guts to make a trade when the value of your pick or your player is high.

[n8 the gr8]

He hasn't. Watch games and look at the numbers. The only thing Okafor got on Willy is more playing time, because he was the third pick, while Willy was a second-round pick, because he was still under contract in Europe. People thought Okafor would be WAY better, but he hasn't proven it yet.

Do we really need to imply that other people aren't watching games because they come to a different conclusion? As a rookie Okafor was 28th in USG%, Brook Lopez, Kyrie, Anthony Davis, Isiah Thomas. Beasley, Derozan, Giannis, PG, Durant, Lillard, Lebron, Westbrook, Harden, Curry and Cousins were the only guys with an equivalent or higher USG% and TS% that year.

[youtube]ZihwmQ3PaC8[/youtube]

He just scores effortlessly in the post and is so patient. I don't see the physical ability or polish with WHG, he makes some nice quick post moves but he's a mess when he's generally a mess when he takes more than a couple dribbles. He might have a better career and a more well-rounded game. But he hasn't really proven to me that he can be particularly good at anything when opposing teams have their eye on him.

[taowave]

If you watch the games,it's very clear that Okafor is a far superior talent...doesn't mean he will make the most of it,but i Would swap Willie for Okafor on a heartbeat.Talking purely basketball

[spree#8]

I was saying that you have to watch whole games to see why people are not high on him anymore when it comes to trade value. Everyone looks good in highlight videos. For Okafor his post prowess hasn't been enough to vow people with the eye test and in terms of stats because of the rest of his game. Not sure why that is so hard to understand. No one says that he can't still be a good project in a different situation. No one is saying that he wasn't regarded way higher than Willy.

Point is: when you look at what both have brought to the table and at their contract situation we have right now the more valuable piece. More efficient and more rounded production on less money for more guaranteed years. Easy call for the GMs around the league. Especially when they can just sit out Okafor becoming a free agent at the end of the season or being bought out before then.

So there is simply no need for us to offer Willy for Okafor. If you were in charge and wanted Okafor over Willy so bad, please think this through. In that case, you trade Willy for a comparable prospect at another position (preferably wing) who is in the same price and contract length range, while snatching Okafor up on his currently low price.

[taowave]

Well,at least one vote against my CLE idea

King James Gospel
Should the Cleveland Cavaliers even consider trading for Jahlil Okafor?

Conclusion
Jahlil Okafor would be a risky trade to make. Much of his production relies on how hard he is willing to try.

However, it is possible that Okafor would show much more effort playing for a championship contending team. Perhaps Okafor showed such poor effort simply because the team he was playing on at the time was one of the worst in the league. Either way, it is still a risk to attempt this trade.


Furthermore, there are better options out there right now at the center position. Both Marc Gasol and DeAndre Jordan are becoming available on the market and would be much more helpful to Cleveland.

In the end, trading for Okafor may not be a worthwhile investment for the Cavs. At this point, the only trade Cleveland should make if one that improves their odds against Golden State, and as displayed, acquiring Okafor would not do that.

[gradyandrew]

King James Gospel- yeah we're just going to throw out Gasol and Jordan's names as options along with Okafor. We're not saying it will happen, just that it COULD. Hacks.

I think Cleveland missed their big chance when DMC was available. He's the only guy I see pushing the Cavs past the Warriors.

[taowave]

Cousins may be the Melo of NY.

Fantastic talent,but can't put up W's..

The Brow,Cousins and Holiday should be a pretty tough core, but they are essentially no better than us.

[lxn_]

those first years of Okafor was extremely tough because of the Philly org in my opinion. Embiid didnt hold him back but the organization did. Im not sure but there was a time when Gerald Henderson was probably the oldest guy on the roster who was 27 or 28 at the time. Thats the part that made it even tougher on their young guys, there was no veterans to help and guide them through. The guy wasnt used to losing and suddenly hes put in a situation where they lose almost everyday. Feel for him cuz its kind of a double whammy with him having to deal with Embiid and the stupid philly org.

[n8 the gr8]

I was saying that you have to watch whole games to see why people are not high on him anymore when it comes to trade value. Everyone looks good in highlight videos. For Okafor his post prowess hasn't been enough to vow people with the eye test and in terms of stats because of the rest of his game. Not sure why that is so hard to understand. No one says that he can't still be a good project in a different situation. No one is saying that he wasn't regarded way higher than Willy.

Point is: when you look at what both have brought to the table and at their contract situation we have right now the more valuable piece. More efficient and more rounded production on less money for more guaranteed years. Easy call for the GMs around the league. Especially when they can just sit out Okafor becoming a free agent at the end of the season or being bought out before then.

So there is simply no need for us to offer Willy for Okafor. If you were in charge and wanted Okafor over Willy so bad, please think this through. In that case, you trade Willy for a comparable prospect at another position (preferably wing) who is in the same price and contract length range, while snatching Okafor up on his currently low price.

You're the one who is not watching full games because I disagree with you: you see how this blatantly non-value added? Or are posting highlights and watching full games mutually exclusive? I watch a fair number of 76ers games because some of my good friends are fans.

I wasn't even arguing that we should trade Willy for Okafor so your statements about his contract aren't relevant. You disputed that Okafor has proved more than Willy has which is what I was addressing.