Draft prospects - Who do we want?

[Papalrep]

He's 26, wants 5 mil+

http://www.canishoopus.com/2014/12/15/7395477/will-nemanja-bjelica-join-the-timberwolves

[Papalrep]

Okafor looked like a man among boys today

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Okafor looked like a man among boys today

Okafor reminds me of a throwback power running back. You know, a guy you can hand the ball off to 25 times a game who will get you ~ 85-100 yards every game. He won't rip off any 75 yard TD runs or catch the ball out of the backfield, but if you are trying to soften up the defensive line and keep the clock ticking, he's your man.

Okafor is similar. He is going to be an efficient, low-post scorer - a guy you can throw the ball into; someone who must be strategized for by a defense. But there isn't much else he can do at a high level. He isn't an elite rebounder, defender, passer, or shooter.

That being said, he'll be damn near a 20-10 guy the second he steps onto the court next year. That makes him hard to pass up.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I like Okafor No. 2. Towns offers so much more then he does, in my opinion, while still being able to score... and do so in more than one way. Been saying it for almost the whole year.

[zigzag22 [enjin:6591633]]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, and maybe it was just today's game, but is Okafor basically Big Al 2.0? I can't get Jefferson out of my mind when I watch Okafor working in the post (on both ends).

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

I think Towns is going to struggle in the pros initially. He won't have the luxury of being a 7 foot PF against 6'8 guys every night so his post game is mostly gone because it pretty much consists of him shooting over defenders right now. He's also built from the top down so I see him getting pushed around easier than Okafor. If you look at Okafor's build, he's got thick legs whereas Towns looks like he has chicken legs for a guy with his upper body size. Okafor has a much more solid base than Towns which makes him much more difficult to move and makes him a much more viable screen setter. I also think after watching the two of them that Okafor is a much smoother athlete and Towns to me runs weird and doesn't get much lift off the ground especially on second jumps. I think Towns has been a little overrated as an athlete. I see a guy who is 7 ft and long, but if he were 6'8 with the same athleticism I couldn't see him making it in the league. He really won't be tested that much until the final four against Wisconsin or Arizona so I'm not going to take any stock in these games. Finally, until I see Towns scores in more ways than just at the rim and free throws, I'm not giving him credit for a jumper he barely uses. The one jumper I saw him take yesterday from the free throw line in the middle of the 2-3 zone was not pretty. It's too close to call for me right now. Hopefully they play each other and Kentucky doesn't double Okafor so we can see some real competition between the two.

[Mstermisty [enjin:6864008]]

There's some SERIOUS talent at the top of this draft: Towns, Oak, Russell, and the still somewhat unknown, yet highly regarded Mudiay. The more I see of these players the more I think this draft could produce several elite players.

Wherever we finish at the end of the season, I'm just praying the basketball gods take mercy on this long suffering fan base and let us move into the top 3, preferably #1.

That said, as I told my buddy the other night, get to know Porzingis. Get to know Stanley Johnson. If we win too many games, a distinct possibility, and then don't get lucky, as usual, we will end up picking 5th. And who knows, maybe the 5th pick will turn out to be the best player in the draft. But, it's the Wolves.

I can't take much more pain at this point. We have to add a serious baller to compliment Wiggins. This draft could be the best chance we may have to do that in a long time. Just crossing my fingers we can get lucky enough to find a way to pick the right guy.

[TRKO [enjin:12664595]]

I think if we miss out on the big 3, I would trade down and target Stien. A great defensive big would help us so much. I think he would really anchor or defense. If we still had the Miami pick I would have hoped to pick Russell early, then use the Miami pick and Martin to move up for Stien. It is what it is however. The guy really impresses me every time I watch him play.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I think Towns is going to struggle in the pros initially. He won't have the luxury of being a 7 foot PF against 6'8 guys every night so his post game is mostly gone because it pretty much consists of him shooting over defenders right now. He's also built from the top down so I see him getting pushed around easier than Okafor. If you look at Okafor's build, he's got thick legs whereas Towns looks like he has chicken legs for a guy with his upper body size. Okafor has a much more solid base than Towns which makes him much more difficult to move and makes him a much more viable screen setter. I also think after watching the two of them that Okafor is a much smoother athlete and Towns to me runs weird and doesn't get much lift off the ground especially on second jumps. I think Towns has been a little overrated as an athlete. I see a guy who is 7 ft and long, but if he were 6'8 with the same athleticism I couldn't see him making it in the league. He really won't be tested that much until the final four against Wisconsin or Arizona so I'm not going to take any stock in these games. Finally, until I see Towns scores in more ways than just at the rim and free throws, I'm not giving him credit for a jumper he barely uses. The one jumper I saw him take yesterday from the free throw line in the middle of the 2-3 zone was not pretty. It's too close to call for me right now. Hopefully they play each other and Kentucky doesn't double Okafor so we can see some real competition between the two.

Agreed, for all of his shotblocking, I worry about Towns ability to hold ground in the post against NBA bigs. He looks very top-heavy, whereas Okafor is built like an oak tree. So for people who simplify Towns vs. Okafor as defense vs. offense, I think they aren't taking that into consideration. Both of these guys have question marks defensively in my opinion.

In terms of Towns shooting, I think his FT% is a good sign of things to come. He should eventually be able to knock down the mid-range jumper, but how important is that really? Okafor sticks to his knitting, and as a result, I think he will be the more efficient scorer.

I'd be happy with either guy, with Towns having the wider range of outcomes (i.e. more upside and downside).

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, and maybe it was just today's game, but is Okafor basically Big Al 2.0? I can't get Jefferson out of my mind when I watch Okafor working in the post (on both ends).

In a lot of ways, yes. However, keep in mind that Okafor is an inch taller and 10 lbs. heavier than Jefferson was at the same age, so he's basically a bigger version of him. Also, Al has increasingly moved his game out to the mid-post area and takes a lot more 15 to 18 footers than he did his first couple of years in the league. Lastly, Okafor may be the one guy that actually has better footwork than Big Al.

Okafor is shooting over 67% from the field this season as Duke's #1 scoring option. That is simply unheard of in modern college basketball. Not even Shaquille O'Neal scored with that level of efficiency at LSU (although he scored in much higher volume as a sophomore and junior).