OT: Jahlil Okafor

[PhilaPhans]

Is Towns that much better defensively to be the unanimous #1? Hell, I've seen Russell above Okafor as well in some projections.

What are your thoughts with the NBA draft down the road?

 

[TDIrish1]

OKafor is very limited defensively-------Duke played more zone this year than ever to cover for him.

Great offensive skills------excellent passer-----not a real well conditioned player at this point but he's young.

He'll have to work on his body as the Paint area in the NBA is no place for the weak.

 

[biazza38]

Not great defensively... But you have to remember he is 7 foot and only 19. I highly doubt he had to play a lick of defense in high school because of his size. I think it's a toss up between he and towns. But there is no way I would take Russell over him. You can't teach that type of height, but you can teach him how to play defense

 

[LotusAggressor]

He has tremendous low post skills and will score a ton. NBA frontcourt players will chew him up and spit him out at the defensive end if that part of his game doesn't improve markedly.

 

[Good-Knight]

I'd take Towns before Okafor, but Okafor will be just fine. He's got good foot speed and a better motor than Towns. In NBA defense, getting there is half the battle and those qualities will serve him well in getting there. He will not be able to stop the physically stronger big men in the league unless he packs on a bit of muscle. With his scoring ability, I see him as a future All Star.

 

[TDIrish1]

A better motor ?

Well then it needs a tuneup because he spends too much time on the bench because he's out of gas.

In the last 5 minutes of big games Towns wants the ball-------and he delivers-----Okafor gets pulled out of many close games because he can't hit a FT.

 

[NewJerseyHawk]

I'm not a GM, but I need a player that can add value without needing the ball.....Okafor requires the ball to be effective.

I'd take Cauley-Stein over Okafor each and every year because he's faster, quicker, can guard three positions and can get offensive rebounds, while scoring on putbacks. I'm not saying Cauley-Stein is Joakim Noah, but I think he's a Noah 2.0 type of player.

If you are going to draft a big, get someone that can play both ends of the court....if you are going to be a potential liability on defense AND shoot 60% from the line, can't I get that from someone that is faster, quicker and more likely to switch out and guard Draymon Green or Danny Green or Rudy Gay, while also being able to pester a Marc Gasol or Lamarcus Aldridge on defense?? Does anyone see Okafor projecting to be able to guard anyone not named Andrew Bogut??

 

[Seton75]

Okofor is very advanced offensively with footwork etc, surprisingly so for such a young kid. I wonder if he can improve as much as Towns can. I take Towns w/o thinking, but seeing as I am a Laker fan, I hope the Wolves want the Dukie.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

...and he's an awful free throw shooter. His percentage was 51 percent (99-for-194).