imagine if this is true, too bad we still dont have assets to trade for him or will the number 4 pick work?
http://fansided.com/2015/05/20/nba-rumors-jahlil-okafor-ask-timberwolves-not-draft-him/
This may cause NY a problem. If Minnesota goes Towns, I think LA will pick a guard. Then Philly the other guard. Leaving NY with Okafor. I am not sure that is the right pick. I would then consider trading down. PJax needs to get 2 picks out of this draft.
If he can get Stein and another pick in the top 15, then do it. Even if the pick is for next year, he should go for it.
If NY stays at 4, I hope one of the guards are left. Guards control the game today and NY needs to have a guard again in the mold of Clyde.
Mudiay is my pick if he is available. Russell is fine too.
In the absence of quality big men, guards rule.
Timmy Duncan at 38 still kills the league. Why? Who is as good.
Dwight is in the Semi's. He is a shell of his former self. DeAndre almost got there.
These are the best of the NBA? They are sad by historical standards.
One of Towns or Oka4 will be an all-star in 3 years. Oh wait, Did I say 3 years? Can we wait?
Guards also break down. Curry has been running around like a mad man but fatigue and the intensity of playoff ball might have caught up with him. Logic says he'll bounce back but that little voice in his head might be fear. Nate Archibald broke down. Pistol Broke.....Many dominant guards in history broke if they had to carry the team.
Draft big. Trends come and go but physics remain. Im not saying ignore the long ball.
Draft Oka4 if he is there. Go hard after Butler with some front loaded shyt, resign Bargs and with melo you have a good core to work with.
Unless its magical, trade Melo in 2016.
This is gonna take a while. Its not just a 2 year thing.
He just has to love the money.
GoNyGoNyGo wrote:Leaving NY with Okafor. I am not sure that is the right pick.
not the right pick? why on earth would that not be the right pick?
SupremeCommander wrote:Nalod wrote:One of Towns or Oka4 will be an all-star in 3 years. Oh wait, Did I say 3 years? Can we wait?
absolutely not!
Mundiay and Russell are also 19. If we rush them, they'll need ACL and sit year.
Even Kobe needed a few years to mature physically and mentally.
Media might say "Phil needs to nail this draft", but we won't know for 5 years how it will turn out in hindsight. Phil will be retired and his successor in place. Melo will be long gone. For all we know Lebron will be retired as well.
Nalod wrote:SupremeCommander wrote:Nalod wrote:One of Towns or Oka4 will be an all-star in 3 years. Oh wait, Did I say 3 years? Can we wait?
absolutely not!
Mundiay and Russell are also 19. If we rush them, they'll need ACL and sit year.
Even Kobe needed a few years to mature physically and mentally.
Media might say "Phil needs to nail this draft", but we won't know for 5 years how it will turn out in hindsight. Phil will be retired and his successor in place. Melo will be long gone. For all we know Lebron will be retired as well.
And by successor you mean Isiah!
Nalod wrote:SupremeCommander wrote:Nalod wrote:One of Towns or Oka4 will be an all-star in 3 years. Oh wait, Did I say 3 years? Can we wait?
absolutely not!
Mundiay and Russell are also 19. If we rush them, they'll need ACL and sit year.
Even Kobe needed a few years to mature physically and mentally.
Media might say "Phil needs to nail this draft", but we won't know for 5 years how it will turn out in hindsight. Phil will be retired and his successor in place. Melo will be long gone. For all we know Lebron will be retired as well.
Jordan is to Ewing
as
Lebron is to Melo
As long as Lebron is in the league, it will be tough to build a championship team. You need a good mix of defense at the center position and Lebrons position. You need an offense that can score in transition and half court.
I've seen teams with good defense, but they can't score after playing defense. Because the good teams have a solid mix of both offense and defense. Good luck Phil....Nailing this draft is more important than I thought, based on the mediocre free agent options. There is 1 shining light.
I read an article where free agents would like to sign shorter deals, so they have the option for 2016, when the cap should increase even more. That tells me this year might be our best chance to pull a Boston type championship. Big free agents would love to advertise their skills on the big stage, in order to score a large contract in 2016. Agents are money hungry and will sell this financial strategy to their players. So if Phil plays his cards right, we might be able to score big in the draft and in free agency (Aldridge, Gasol, etc....). Otherwise, we will continue to be at best, 2nd or 3rd best team in the east, as long as Lebron is still playing. Similar to how we were back in the 90's....during Jordans era.
Getting Okafor at 4 would be great. Im more confident in him turning into an all star than Mudiay. Still would prefer that we drafted Russell, but Okafor would be a hell of a consolation prize.
GoNyGoNyGo wrote:This may cause NY a problem. If Minnesota goes Towns, I think LA will pick a guard. Then Philly the other guard. Leaving NY with Okafor. I am not sure that is the right pick. I would then consider trading down. PJax needs to get 2 picks out of this draft. If he can get Stein and another pick in the top 15, then do it. Even if the pick is for next year, he should go for it.
If NY stays at 4, I hope one of the guards are left. Guards control the game today and NY needs to have a guard again in the mold of Clyde.
Mudiay is my pick if he is available. Russell is fine too.
If Phil has a chance to draft Okafor, I think he'll jump out of the building in excitement. He will absolutely take Okafor in a heartbeat. But I think Okafor goes top two.
we should be so lucky to have this problem
GustavBahler wrote:Getting Okafor at 4 would be great. Im more confident in him turning into an all star than Mudiay. Still would prefer that we drafted Russell, but Okafor would be a hell of a consolation prize.
As long as we don't draft this Mudiay dude, we will be fine.
My first choice is Russell; then Towns; then Okafor; then Winslow/Stein
Players can protest all they want- it doesn't affect team decisions regarding the draft anymore (last time it did was Kobe) when their talent is high
So maybe OK4 "tanks" in his workout.
How ironic would it be if OK4 is actually better than Towns, but goes 75% in his Minny workout. Minny takes Towns, OK4 then wows LA and becomes a perennial all star for them.
smackeddog wrote:Players can protest all they want- it doesn't affect team decisions regarding the draft anymore (last time it did was Kobe) when their talent is high
Yes, but Minnesota has a history of unhappy stars who don't want to be there - Love, Garnett, Marbury - might make them think twice.
WaltLongmire wrote:So maybe OK4 "tanks" in his workout.How ironic would it be if OK4 is actually better than Towns, but goes 75% in his Minny workout. Minny takes Towns, OK4 then wows LA and becomes a perennial all star for them.
That would be basically the history of the Lakers in a nut shell.
crzymdups wrote:smackeddog wrote:Players can protest all they want- it doesn't affect team decisions regarding the draft anymore (last time it did was Kobe) when their talent is high
Yes, but Minnesota has a history of unhappy stars who don't want to be there - Love, Garnett, Marbury - might make them think twice.
KG did not want to leave. Marbury wanted his own team. Love wanted to win. Its cold, but These guys are on the road half the time. Chicago, Cleve, and Milwaukee suck too.
Oka4 has no say, but likley towns goes 1st.
I don't see LA passing on Oka4 unless they think they can get Gasol, monroe or Love.
Nalod wrote:KG did not want to leave. Marbury wanted his own team. Love wanted to win. Its cold, but These guys are on the road half the time. Chicago, Cleve, and Milwaukee suck too.
Oka4 has no say, but likley towns goes 1st.I don't see LA passing on Oka4 unless they think they can get Gasol, monroe or Love.
smackeddog wrote:
If I'm the Lakers, I'm pretending we're taking Russell, in the hope of squeezing something out of the 76ers
The whispers that the Lakers like Mudiay are intriguing to me, I admit.
crzymdups wrote:Nalod wrote:KG did not want to leave. Marbury wanted his own team. Love wanted to win. Its cold, but These guys are on the road half the time. Chicago, Cleve, and Milwaukee suck too.
Oka4 has no say, but likley towns goes 1st.I don't see LA passing on Oka4 unless they think they can get Gasol, monroe or Love.
smackeddog wrote:If I'm the Lakers, I'm pretending we're taking Russell, in the hope of squeezing something out of the 76ers
The whispers that the Lakers like Mudiay are intriguing to me, I admit.
It would be huge for us- it would mean we could get either Russell or OK4. If the Lakers play it right they could threaten the 76ers into parting with an asset by pretending to take the player the 76ers want- they could end up with their preferred player (Mudiay) and a bonus extra.
