Minnesota Sports Forum

longstrangetrip wrote:I haven't heard anything about Okafor staying another year, bleed, and I have to say it wouldn't make much sense. He is physically ready for the NBA, has had an outstanding freshman year, and doesn't come from a family with money. I can't think of one persuasive reason for him to delay making millions for one year when he is the consensus #1 pick.

I think he's for sure leaving after this year, BUT in a recent one-on-one interview with Jay Bilas (I believe it was him), he said that he only considers this college year a success if he wins a national championship.

Now, I do realize that's the politically correct answer and that's what he's suppose to say regardless of if it's true or not, but you have to keep in mind that I'm a Florida Gators fan. I've seen Joakim Noah (as well as Al Horford and Corey Brewer) turn down a for sure top-5 selection just to return to school for the chance to win a ring.

Different scenarios in that Okafor's a freshman and my Gators were not, also my Gators had already won one, but some athletes hold winning at a higher level than others. Perhaps it's one of the things he absolutely wants to do before he goes to the NBA and he's allotted two years to do so. I think I'd respect him more if that was the case even if it wasn't the smart money play.

Did anyone else watch the Duke-Virginia game?

TheFuture wrote:Did anyone else watch the Duke-Virginia game?

Yep. Tyus Jones was great, played with poise. Virginia blatantly took Okafor out of the game with consistent double teams. Seemed to both him quite a lot, but that's understandable.

Camden wrote:

Q12543 wrote:

Camden wrote:Karl Towns still makes the most sense in terms of fit. Been thinking about it more. I bet Flip feels the same.

And assuming we pick 3rd or 4th, that's probably the right pick. But if we pick top 2, man, it would be really, really hard to pass on Okafor or Russell (assuming they keep on doing what they've been doing).

Question: Flip had Wiggins rated No. 1 overall on his big board last year, ahead of the better offensively Jabari Parker. I'd assume that's because Wiggins was better defensively and a much better athlete. He's been extremely vocal about getting two-way players. One could argue that if Towns figures out how to play with his lower body more in the post more, he could be the best big in the draft. Who's to say Okafor's tops on Flip's radar? He also has to believe in what he's got at center with Dieng and Pek.

I also don't see Russell that high (top-two) on his radar. He has Harden syndrome. Loves to get buckets, doesn't give full effort in stopping them. Not to mention he'd practically have the exact same role as LaVine. Doubt Flip's willing to give up on Zach's long term potential by drafting a guy to do the same thing, even if he is better right now.

Russell's fourth on my list of guys that I'd want on this team.

Cam, I think my problem with this thinking is that Towns is in no way a 2-way player either. Heck, I am not so sure he is even a great defender yet. Based on what I have seen from him, he is a great help defender at this point.....not much else here. I just find it curious that you criticize Okafor for his defensive future, all while he is the most efficient and dominant offensive big man in the country. But then you seemingly give Towns a free pass on all of his "struggles" and basically assume that he will improve all facets of his game. Why...because he is an athlete? At least we can all agree that with Okafor, we get the best offensive big in the draft. And as you stated previously, given his size, he should be an ok post defender, even if he never is great overall defender. But Towns....he literally needs to improve every skill to become even serviceable in the NBA. He has no offensive game as of yet, and due to his lack of strength, would not be a plus defender in the NBA for some time. Personally, I am losing faith in these guys that always show up at the top of these draft lists based more for their physical makeup rather than their on-court performance. The fact is that with all of Towns physical gifts and suggested skillset, he should be showing a lot more than he is to date. I too love the idea of a seven footer that can jump out of the gym, defend and shoot....but Towns simply hasn't shown me yet that he is that guy.

All that being said, I think there are more talented guys in the draft than Okafor. But the fact is, dominant bigs almost always get the nod over wings when drafting.

Ehh, I'm not assuming he'll improve all facets of his game easily or that his struggles are overlooked. I just think he's a raw 19-year old that has great tools on both ends of the court, and is skilled and smart enough to be a very fine player in the future. Maybe even the best big in the class.

I'd also like to point out how awful the Harrison twins are at setting guys up to score. Towns isn't ready to be an Okafor-like scorer in the post. That's not his game right now. I do think he'd excel at pick-and-roll basketball, though, and that's the most popular offensive game in the NBA. Why? Because it's extremely tough to stop. It's even harder when the big is 7'0 tall with a 7'3+ wingspan and mobility. Add to that he has the makings of a very nice jumper and I like his prospects. I think I've mentioned already that he needs to play with his lower body more. Once he does, he'll be able to get better position in the post both on offense and defense. Defensively, he's going to be more than fine.

I don't think anyone in the world has made the argument that Okafor will be/or is a better defender than Towns. I'm hoping you're not and perhaps I took your post incorrectly. I'm hoping you're just expressing you're disappointment that Towns hasn't been a complete homerun of a prospect. I'm there with you. I just think a lot of it has to do with where he plays, the guards he has to work with and him not using his body to its full advantages (yet). Calipari has recently challenged him on this, though.

Hypothetical question: What would Towns look like as a starter (with big minutes) on Duke with a Tyus Jones? I think he'd have the offensive numbers plus his already impressive shot-blocking skills, actually those might be higher depending on foul trouble and whatnot.

Camden0916 wrote:

TheFuture wrote:Did anyone else watch the Duke-Virginia game?

Yep. Tyus Jones was great, played with poise. Virginia blatantly took Okafor out of the game with consistent double teams. Seemed to both him quite a lot, but that's understandable.

13/6 against good competition again. I watched the whole game, and I just don't see how he is 'so dominant'. He bullies smaller, less athletic teams but struggles against the bigger, more athletic ones. That doesn't get easier at the next level. Right now, the homegrown Tyus Jones seems like the best player on Duke. We'll see how Okafor does in the NCAA tournament but for now I would go a different route.

Towns really scares me with his risk reward factor. I'd be really careful about taking a chance on him when there seems like more "sure things" available. Not saying he can't be great, just worried he could also bust.

First off, I am certainly not suggesting Okafor is a better defender than Towns.

On your last hypothetical....there are simply a lot of holes in that theory. While Towns may score a few more ppg, I certainly would also expect a fairly large drop in efficiency as well. We all know it is one thing to be the 4, 5 or 6th option on a team offensively, and an entirely different ballgame to be a focal point player. And even as a non-primary scorer, Towns efficiency is rather unimpressive. You swap him with Okafor and I am not so sure we are seeing a positive outcome to the statistics other than ppg. That's part of why Okafor is so impressive statistically. Every team works to stop him via double teams, and centering their defensive efforts to impact his ability to control the paint. No one is treating Towns in this manner....yet Okafor is shooting 66% to Towns 50%. And as bad as the Harrison brothers are, I am not sure Tyus is much better as a distribution type PG that gets easy baskets for others. He is a scorer, first and foremost, and a distributor second.

My comments make it seem like I think Towns is a horrible prospect. I don't. I think all the things you talk about with this guy could POTENTIALLY become reality. But to date, I simply feel like he is way more hypothetical than he is substance. IF he could make the leap and gain even a decent offensive game, his other attributes like size, mobility, ability to defend the rim, would all be extremely well received on this current Wolves roster. I just would love to see him assert himself a bit more and start showing at least a couple of these other traits.

Towns to me is a somewhat similar to LaVine. We would take him with the plan of only playing him in spot situations off the bench, but otherwise put in a long-term development plan for him. Of course, given our history, we'll get hit by injuries and suddenly he'll be forced to be our starting Center. Disaster ensues.

Rookies - even the top ones - require a ton of patience, especially those with only one year of college under their belt. A guy like Towns requires even more patience because he hasn't been the focal point of his team (again, similar to LaVine).

It's a painful, painful process to try to develop all these young guys, and odds are a few won't work out. Things are already looking kind of bleak for AB. That's why Carlos' idea is somewhat appealing to me.

Q12543 wrote:Towns to me is a somewhat similar to LaVine. We would take him with the plan of only playing him in spot situations off the bench, but otherwise put in a long-term development plan for him. Of course, given our history, we'll get hit by injuries and suddenly he'll be forced to be our starting Center. Disaster ensues.

Rookies - even the top ones - require a ton of patience, especially those with only one year of college under their belt. A guy like Towns requires even more patience because he hasn't been the focal point of his team (again, similar to LaVine).

It's a painful, painful process to try to develop all these young guys, and odds are a few won't work out. Things are already looking kind of bleak for AB. That's why Carlos' idea is somewhat appealing to me.

I understand the impetus to take a chance on a proven player. But I personally don't want to opt to win now just because it has been so long since we have been competitive. We are very close to building young, top tier talent at multiple positions, that is the way you are supposed to do it. I don't want to lose that opportunity. I would opt for Okafor, Towns and their potential over a 2nd tier 4 in Favors.