Minnesota Sports Forum

To get Okafor you have to give up a guard. They have a to. Of bigs and some of those guys probably play some at SG so I am not sure Bazz is a lot of value to them. They don't HAVE to trade any of those guys right now but if they do they have to get a legit SG or PG back or what is the point?

Right now I don't see a scenario where so want to give up a guard to get Okafor. Down the road maybe but not right now this team needs their guards and to find out what we have in them.

As for Okafor the guy has talent and is fairly cheap for what he brings for the next couple years before you have to pay him like Kanter got paid. Even if Okafor doesn't play a lot if that franchise looks like not a dumpster fire and people start hearing he is a good guy or whatever his value will trend up. it will take time but Philly and another team could find a good fit for a Sixet big which could be Okafor. They have a good problem on their hands too many good talented bigs. If Embiid can stay healthy and play that really changes things.

No thanks Okafor, don't need another one-trick pony. Having KAT play center gives us a smaller, quicker lineup.

I don't really have any interest in trading Gorgui for Okafor. Okafor is a worse defender and free throw shooter. I'd love to resign Gorgui and maybe add Ibaka next year. We'd have a great big rotation if we could accomplish that.

BizarroJerry wrote:No thanks Okafor, don't need another one-trick pony. Having KAT play center gives us a smaller, quicker lineup.

hmm...there've been some pretty good one-trick ponies. Mariano Rivera comes to mind.

That said, monster nailed it above. We're not a good trading partner for Philly because we're both long in bigs (although the jury is still way out on several of them) and short on guards. Fun discussion with lots of differing opinions, but this one isn't going to happen.

longstrangetrip wrote:

BizarroJerry wrote:No thanks Okafor, don't need another one-trick pony. Having KAT play center gives us a smaller, quicker lineup.

hmm...there've been some pretty good one-trick ponies. Mariano Rivera comes to mind.

That said, monster nailed it above. We're not a good trading partner for Philly because we're both long in bigs (although the jury is still way out on several of them) and short on guards. Fun discussion with lots of differing opinions, but this one isn't going to happen.

I'll add that sometimes everyone wants all stars and studs at every position. Sometimes a good complementary player is really effective as well. Last year playing a lot at PF I though Dieng showed enough to make me curious if he can be that guy especially since Bjelica is on the roster. Dieng is gonna cost a lot in a couple years so will Okafor so you are just putting off the big spending for what 2 years? I kind want to see what we have with the guys we have and go from there.

As it's been mentioned in a previous post the Wolves have FA next year if they need to add a big. They will also have a first round pick as well to pick up a big if needed.

What will be interesting is if Thibs and Layden are as patient and have a line in the sand next summer as they did this year. What money will they be willing to give Dieng? Or Bazz? We have a whole season to have those guys show what their value is to this te and others. I have doubts Dieng will get an extension this year because it's new people running things I wouldn't think he would have the comfort level there and what's a fair price for either side? RFA has locked some teams I to big contracts and maybe helped other teams get solid deals done with their own guys. It will be a point of conversation for months especially with Dieng. Hopefully Bazz plays well enough to be something more intriguing all around.

There are some defensive stats that hold Okafor in a very high regard like difference percentage and defensive rating and others that don't like DBPM or DRPM which ranks him near the bottom of centers. Okafor is truly a polarizing defensive player. I wouldn't say he is good or great at defense and I wouldn't say he is bad or horrible. I think it's safe to say he's average on defense. He is strong in some parts of defense like post defense and rim protection due to his strong build and 7'6? wingspan/9'3? standing reach. No one can push him around and his long arms allow him to block shots without even jumping at times.

His arms also help him to cover ground that his legs will not. He is weak in other parts of defense like defending the pick and roll. Most chalk up his weak pick and roll defense to bad lateral quickness but I don't think that's the case. I think he is bad at pick and roll defense more because this was his first year playing at the highest level of basketball. With all of the spin moves and jukes Okafor displays on offense I don't see how anyone can think he is the slowest guy ever.

I just think he needs to watch more film and get more experience defending the pick and roll along with improving his reaction time. I think it has more to do with those things than his athletic ability. I don't know if Okafor will ever be a great defender, but I think he will most certainly be a plus defender and two-way player once he reaches his prime. He has great physical tools and has too high of a basketball IQ to not become a good two-way athlete. He just turned 20 a couple months ago, so he has plenty of time to improve his defense.

I think some of you are looking at Okafor or Okafor/Towns in a vacuum, without looking at the rest of the roster. The last time I checked, this team was going to be built around KAT and Wiggins first and foremost, followed by LaVine. Dunn, Rubio, and Dieng as nice complementary pieces, with Dunn potentially being much more than that eventually.

Now when you look at those players - especially KAT, Wiggins, and LaVine - does that look like the type of group you want deferring to a traditional low-post big man that is only effective when he gets lots of touches? What about Dunn and Rubio? Do they seem like the type of PGs that thrive in a system where they are mostly feeding the low post and spotting up for open 3's? How about LaVine, who now becomes the 4th option and primarily a spot up shooter? Is that the best use of these guys or are they better served playing more of a pace, space, and slashing type of game with strong potential to be elite defensively as well? I know my answer.....

Q - I get what you are saying,but I think you take the most talented player and if you are coach you come up with a way to make it work. I think Oakfor is a great talent. I don't see how we can get him, but if you could without giving up our top 5 players I do it.

KiwiMatt wrote:I'm not sold on adding Okafor. I think he will be a good player and a borderline all star, but I just don't like the idea of adding a black hole low post player to this group of guys. Personally I think Dieng is a better fit next to KAT as a guy who can rebound, block shots and score when required.

We don't need 20ppg players, we potentially have three of those already in Wiggins, KAT and LaVine. We need players that do the other stuff - hussle, rebound, pass well and defend.

Okafors character issues are also a major red flag for me.

I agree. A one-way 20 PPG low post player would not be a good fit for us.

While I think we all agree this is only a hypothetical discussion because we are not a viable trading partner for Philly, I side with bleedspeed on this one...you can't have too many front-line players. Q states that the only way Jahlil can be effective is if he has lots of touches, but I don't think we know that. We know that at every level...even in his rookie year in the NBA...he has been far and away the most effective offensive option on his team, so certainly he has had a lot of options. But playing with KAT, Wig and Zach, he would only be one of many options, and clearly his usage rate would go down. But I think we could expect him to show the same unstoppable low post moves while making over 50% of his shots...albeit on lower volume. And since he demands a lot of defensive attention, he opens things up for our other scorers who are no longer going to see as many double teams. Defensively he is only average, but as hoops said above, he's an athletic lengthy 20-year-old kid, so it's way too early to declare him a 1-way player.

Philly needs to move one of their bigs to balance their roster, and if we had available guards that they coveted, I would be all over this deal...unfortunately, we don't, so this deal isn't a possibility.