Jahlil Okafor rumors are buzzing again

[robbie84]

How do you know whoever you draft at 3 won't be an "elite asset"?

We don't know, but right now Okafor's value is pretty low relative to his draft position in a very stacked draft.
My comment is more to highlight Danny's potential thinking with trading for Okafor. He's not years away like Bender and he's already proven he can score in the NBA against NBA size/length. If Danny/Brad see the potential there under the guidance of our staff, then they view him as an even more elite asset than Bender/Hield/Murray/Dunn etc..

My guess is that if Okafor was in this draft, he'd probably be going #2 or #3 in most peoples mocks right?

Okafors value will be lower when he's in a timeshare with Noel, Embiid, Saric and Simmons. If you think he would go 2 or 3 in this draft doesn't he have the same value as Bender? I don't expect Bender to come in and put up huge numbers for a playoff team much less good numbers on a very bad team, next year is Okafor going to be better than Bender? More than likely. In 3-4 years will he still be better? That's the million dollar question here.

I think Okafor would bump Bender down to the general #4 pick in this draft. So yes, I think Okafor is valued higher than Bender out of college. The only reason we'd have a chance to trade for him is because of the big man situation in Phila.

[robbie84]

How do you know whoever you draft at 3 won't be an "elite asset"?

We don't know, but right now Okafor's value is pretty low relative to his draft position in a very stacked draft.
My comment is more to highlight Danny's potential thinking with trading for Okafor. He's not years away like Bender and he's already proven he can score in the NBA against NBA size/length. If Danny/Brad see the potential there under the guidance of our staff, then they view him as an even more elite asset than Bender/Hield/Murray/Dunn etc..

My guess is that if Okafor was in this draft, he'd probably be going #2 or #3 in most peoples mocks right?

That depends, does this mean we also don't know what he's done in the NBA and shown he's a horrible defender, horrible rebounder, has no jump shot, is a poor passer, is a morality risk, and has a bad motor?

Or is this him as a prospect hidden in college?

Hidden college prospect Okafor, yeah he is a 1-5 pick guy

Exposed Okafor is probably around a 5-10 pick guy.

I disagree with all of these things. He was a 19 year old in a crappy situation. He'd worked hard and obviously didn't want to be in Phila. Dropped the jersey, frowned all press conference. Still proved he can score on NBA big men.
I don't know where you're getting the bad passing/bad motor thing from because we've seen in college and the NBA that he's neither of those. You're talking like someone who doesn't see any potential in him at all, or you prefer Bender or something.

He can rebound, he can pass, he can score and we've seen his jumpshot is pretty reliable too.
Not going to change your mind and vice versa so we'll agree to disagree.

[robbie84]

Okafor CAN pass the basketball, the ability is there. You can find video on it to know he actually HAS the ABILITY to pass the ball. However, the big issue is how coachable he is. That factor alone will open up the doors on whether or not he'll be more willing, fit well in a movement-emphasized offense, and continue to hone the skill with max effort.

Okafor's overall ability is not even a question for me.... His coachability is the highest-ranking question mark, in my opinion, and it'd be the same if Cousins were on the map for the 3rd pick.

If the team is fully sure he can be coached and willing to work with the team, then make the trade.

The coachability is there because coach K (after the draft) said Okafor was one of his best 'kids' he's ever coached. Heart of gold and just wanted to win and get better.
Danny knows enough about Okafor to take this calculated risk.

In my opinion, this will be another one of those 'Danny hosed the ____ by pulling off that trade' and we'll look back and smile.

[tlee324]

It's an embarrassing waste of time to argue his talent/ability, honestly. I can't remember the last time the C's had a player over 6-10 that needed consistent double teams. If there are problems with ego, work ethic, leadership--basically the "intangibles", those would be the reasons to stay away. We won't go anywhere if he's a menace and a cancer and Stevens can't reach him. So those are the concerns worth discussing. If those factors aren't there, then I have a lot of confidence in the coaching staff to develop him into a worthy player we can have going forward.

[return2glory]

I want us to keep the 3rd pick. But Okafor is a gifted offensive player, better than Cousins IMO. His rebounding isn't as bad as people are making it out to be.

[NBA Moses]

nt

[NBA Moses]

I think Okafor would bump Bender down to the general #4 pick in this draft.

Okafor would also push Ingram to #3 and Ben Simmons to #2.

Many Celt fans appear to underrate Okafor. Not a question if Okafor stayed another year at Duke he would go #1 overall. He's much better than Simmons and Ingram.

If the Celts land Okafor for "just" the #3 pick then Colangelo should get run out of Philadelphia on a rail

[NBA Moses]

Would be banking on Okafor showing more of what he did when they added a semi-competent PG at the end of the season.

Okafor's offensive talent jumps at you, like his offensive post game is as good as anyone Ive seen in the past 20 years. Enormus spongelike hands,impressive wingspan, nimble feet. Deadly from 15 feet in

Last year he went from winning an NCAA Championship to losing 38 of 40 games at one point.Roster in shambles. The whole season was a mulligan and then he missed the last 2 months with a knee issue.

I expect to see an entirely different Okafor this season.

[watsonthedragon]

I think Okafor would bump Bender down to the general #4 pick in this draft.

Okafor would also push Ingram to #3 and Ben Simmons to #2.

Many Celt fans appear to underrate Okafor. Not a question if Okafor stayed another year at Duke he would go #1 overall. He's much better than Simmons and Ingram.

If the Celts land Okafor for "just" the #3 pick then Colangelo should get run out of Philadelphia on a rail

We overrate a lot of our players on here too.

[SmartWentCrazy]

I think Okafor would bump Bender down to the general #4 pick in this draft.

Okafor would also push Ingram to #3 and Ben Simmons to #2.

Many Celt fans appear to underrate Okafor. Not a question if Okafor stayed another year at Duke he would go #1 overall. He's much better than Simmons and Ingram.

If the Celts land Okafor for "just" the #3 pick then Colangelo should get run out of Philadelphia on a rail

But he didn't stay an extra year. He came to the NBA, and by all advanced metrics, he had a very underwhelming season. Many experts (Zach Lowe and Kevin Pelton, to name two off the top of my head) noticed how one of the worst teams in NBA history was even worse with Okafor on the court and hit him hard for this. His value unquestionably has dropped since last year.

I'm sorry if you don't want to hear it, but it's true nonetheless. Your hypothetical is far different from reality; you don't value a player based on an absurd hypothetical but rather from what actually occurred.

You should want the moon for your player, but he has significant warts. Don't pretend these don't exist. As a Celtics fan, I'm hoping these warts could be corrected in a better environment, but I'm not naive enough to value him as if they're not there.

[Curmudgeon]

The problem is, his warts are virtually uncorrectible given how the NBA game has evolved. He's just plain slow. No lateral agility whatsoever.

If his warts were, in fact, correctable, Philly would just keep him. But until the NBA outlaws the high pick and roll, Okafor is going to be toast defensively for the foreseeable future, and that''s a major reason why he's being shopped.

I'm not sure why Celtics fans think that Brad Stevens could do wonders with this guy, when Brett Brown could not. Brown is a quality NBA coach too.

[Banks2Pierce]

The problem is, his warts are virtually uncorrectible given how the NBA game has evolved. He's just plain slow. No lateral agility whatsoever.

I guess the counterpoint would be Boogie as far as team D goes, but DeMarcus was a very good rebounder out of the gates. He also could pass. Man, just seems the baseline he established this season was so bad that it's tough to see him climbing out of it to stardom.

[ryaningf]

The problem is, his warts are virtually uncorrectible given how the NBA game has evolved. He's just plain slow. No lateral agility whatsoever.

If his warts were, in fact, correctable, Philly would just keep him. But until the NBA outlaws the high pick and roll, Okafor is going to be toast defensively for the foreseeable future, and that''s a major reason why he's being shopped.

I'm not sure why Celtics fans think that Brad Stevens could do wonders with this guy, when Brett Brown could not. Brown is a quality NBA coach too.

True.

Would be banking on Okafor showing more of what he did when they added a semi-competent PG at the end of the season.

Okafor's offensive talent jumps at you, like his offensive post game is as good as anyone Ive seen in the past 20 years. Enormus spongelike hands,impressive wingspan, nimble feet. Deadly from 15 feet in

True.

I believe in both sides of this argument, which I guess makes me insane?

I don't want any part of Okafor if it means giving up the #3 pick but I also think he's a once-in-20 years type low post talent. That's because low-post basketball is boring and slowly being squeezed out of the game. I find it quite puzzling that PHI is trying to unload this guy half way into his rookie season if he's that good, so there must be some sort of red flag behind the scenes pushing this decision, something that makes me even less likely to give up a #3 pick for him.

I'm sure Brad can game plan around Okafor's lack of a 3 point shot and his defensive limitations, I'd just rather we give him guys he could innovate with (like Bender) instead of sticking him with guys he needs to innovate around.

Now, if we're were talking about #16, #23, and the lesser of our 2017 pick after we swap with BKN, then I might bite. I could see Okafor being a Kantor-type destoyer of 2nd teams and that's great when you have it on a rookie deal. And, actually, a Bender/Okafor front line would work very very well in time. But no way in hell do I part with Bender to get Okafor, sorry, Bender is better.

[bbd24]

I think Okafor would bump Bender down to the general #4 pick in this draft.

Okafor would also push Ingram to #3 and Ben Simmons to #2.

Many Celt fans appear to underrate Okafor. Not a question if Okafor stayed another year at Duke he would go #1 overall. He's much better than Simmons and Ingram.

If the Celts land Okafor for "just" the #3 pick then Colangelo should get run out of Philadelphia on a rail

I agree on Okafor being at #1 in this draft if he stayed. I don't underestimate him. He's 20. Most on this board are viewing him as a finished product, and I'm not sure why. They were around when a young AL Jefferson was drafted by this franchise. They saw that development first hand. Okafor has far more talent IMO then Big Al had 1 year into this league. He's got a chance to be special, especially in a first rate organization like Ainge is running here with the Celtics.

I don't agree on the value for him though. #3 straight up for him is even, on both sides. That's a fair trade. If anything, Ainge could include a late 2nd round pick like at #58, #51, or #45. That's about all he'd have to add, if anything at all. Maybe he'd give ya back #31 if Colangelo is working him, but anything more, no way.

[chrisab123]

I think Okafor would bump Bender down to the general #4 pick in this draft.

Okafor would also push Ingram to #3 and Ben Simmons to #2.

Many Celt fans appear to underrate Okafor. Not a question if Okafor stayed another year at Duke he would go #1 overall. He's much better than Simmons and Ingram.

If the Celts land Okafor for "just" the #3 pick then Colangelo should get run out of Philadelphia on a rail

I agree on Okafor being at #1 in this draft if he stayed. I don't underestimate him. He's 20. Most on this board are viewing him as a finished product, and I'm not sure why. They were around when a young AL Jefferson was drafted by this franchise. They saw that development first hand. Okafor has far more talent IMO then Big Al had 1 year into this league. He's got a chance to be special, especially in a first rate organization like Ainge is running here with the Celtics.

I don't agree on the value for him though. #3 straight up for him is even, on both sides. That's a fair trade. If anything, Ainge could include a late 2nd round pick like at #58, #51, or #45. That's about all he'd have to add, if anything at all. Maybe he'd give ya back #31 if Colangelo is working him, but anything more, no way.

Blasphemy! There is no way that Okafor is more talented than Big Al! Big Al is a Celtics legend around these parts. As is the legendary 06-07 tank squad. At least with the pro tanking crowd it is. But I agree that Okafor would certainly be the #1 in this draft. It actually now is looking like a 3 person draft to a lot of scouts with Bender now getting a lot of love.

[Celtic Esquire]

From Chad Fraud:

As for whether Ford would do the deal for the Boston Celtics' third-overall pick in this year's draft, as has been hinted at by numerous reporters, he says, "Absolutely."

If I was Philadelphia, it would be done tomorrow. I don't know if Boston would do it, but for Philadelphia, 100 percent. That would allow them to actually I think bring in another guard, an elite guard, whether that's Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray, and suddenly now you've got a very, very bright future. I think that's an easy call for the Sixers if Boston would do it.

http://www.csnphilly.com/the700level/chad-ford-high-likelihood-sixers-trade-jahlil-okafor-or-nerlens-noel

[Andrew McCeltic]

If it's such an easy call for the Sixers, maybe we can extract another asset- 3 for Okafor/Saric? 3 for Okafor and a future 1st? Maybe the Lakers' pick?

The gamble is that unlike Kanter, or Greg Monroe, whose pick and roll defense is just as bad, Okafor can get better with time and effort. I don't think he'll be making the same mistakes in two or three years. And Cousins actually became decent at defending the pick and roll by working at it. That guy works his ass off, whatever his other faults are.

So my concern with Okafor is really about motivation, personality. He was talked about coming out of Duke like he was a great kid, but the fistfight in Boston didn't help his reputation.

The jersey drop was hype, you can watch the full clip and it's nothing- from an angle, edited, it looks like a jerk move. That's the rep he's getting as a 20 year old, after one season in a dysfunctional organization.

[FlatearthZorro]

I think Okafor would bump Bender down to the general #4 pick in this draft.

Okafor would also push Ingram to #3 and Ben Simmons to #2.

Many Celt fans appear to underrate Okafor. Not a question if Okafor stayed another year at Duke he would go #1 overall. He's much better than Simmons and Ingram.

If the Celts land Okafor for "just" the #3 pick then Colangelo should get run out of Philadelphia on a rail

Here's to hoping, you keep him and Colangelo keeps his job(and we keep our pick)! He'd be the #1 pick in the early-mid 90's. Don't need any of him, as he solves non of our problems, which are real shot blocking pressence/interior defense and rebounding and quickness/athleticism + shooting 3's. The game has passed him by, he just has no place/use in today's NBA.

[165bows]

If it's such an easy call for the Sixers, maybe we can extract another asset- 3 for Okafor/Saric? 3 for Okafor and a future 1st? Maybe the Lakers' pick?

The gamble is that unlike Kanter, or Greg Monroe, whose pick and roll defense is just as bad, Okafor can get better with time and effort. I don't think he'll be making the same mistakes in two or three years. And Cousins actually became decent at defending the pick and roll by working at it. That guy works his ass off, whatever his other faults are.

So my concern with Okafor is really about motivation, personality. He was talked about coming out of Duke like he was a great kid, but the fistfight in Boston didn't help his reputation.

The jersey drop was hype, you can watch the full clip and it's nothing- from an angle, edited, it looks like a jerk move. That's the rep he's getting as a 20 year old, after one season in a dysfunctional organization.

#3/Olynyk for Okafor/Saric maybe?

Anyways since it is slow I wonder what the rest of the roster would look like in a hypothetical Okafor deal. They'd have made their big trade and there aren't a ton of good forwards on the FA market, which IMO would be the next highest priority.

I think Okafor does fill a scoring need, so he would in some ways fill ET's role of bail-out bucket guy. So he'd probably go out in favor of more 3 and D plus rebounding guys, if those exist. Not sure who that would be though.

[canman1971]

For some reason, and I have nothing to back this up with, but I have a feeling Ainge wants no part of Okafor. And that is not an indictment on Okafor, just the type of team Ainge is looking to build. I mean, Sully has solid low post skills and as soon as he got to the Cs, he started working on his outside game. I think Ainge wants versatility and Okafor, who I like as a player, doesn't project to be that type of player. And I am not saying that is what I prefer but what I think and see. Also, this is the classic plant the rumor to the reporters to get people thinking. Danny is much more calculating than that.