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I ran this idea by BobcatsPlanet too, and I just wanted to see what you thought on RGM. I know there is an unwritten rule about trading within your own Division. But sometimes, things work out.

Atlanta and Josh Smith seems to be in the same boat we are with Okafor. Are we going to resign him? Can we resign him? Smith is a heck of a young PF, and only 22. He plays solid offense and defense. He kicks our butt when we play them. Charlotte needs a PF, and he is a good one. I'd much rather have him on our side than against us.

Would you want him on Charlotte? If so, what could we do to make Atlanta agree without giving up the house? I mean, May and #9 will get us laughed at by the Hawks. Who would you package? Would you do a S&T with Smith and Okafor? They have to give us more since a Center is move valuable than a PF. Would you feel better if you know that we could grab Brook Lopez with #9 if we traded off Smith and Okafor? Atlanta has Horford, but both Horford and Okafor are capable of playing the PF or Center, so Atlanta could have them both on the Court at the same time and feel confident.

Just an idea and thought it might be one worth discussing. I have no clue if anyone here thinks as much about Smith as I do, but I think he'd be great in a Bobcat's uniform.

No way I would trade Okafor to Atlanta.

Josh Smith is an interesting player, however I would like more Bosh type PF at four.

Josh Smith would be awesome next to Okafor. A lineup of Felton/JRich/Crash/JSmoove/Okafor would be awesome. However, I just can't see us giving up what we would need to give up for him.

It comes down to giving up either Okafor or Crash/Carroll to make up the money that JSmoove would command in a S&T. And I just can't see us doing either one.

Okafor for Smoove and then draft Jordan with the #9?

Felts - Swish - Crash - Smoove - Jordan

Does that make us better or worse though?

That is real interesting Slam. I was thinking of Lopez just because he is more ready to step in at the Center position as a Rookie than Jordan will be. But Jordan with #9? We would likely have to start Nazr at Center this yr and let Jordan play himself into the position. But no doubt, if Jordan does start to reach his potential, we'd have a dangerous starting 5 the next few yrs.

I figure Jordan because we would seriously miss the shot blocking and rebounding of EO50 - two things that Lopez isn't really known for. His post offense sure would be nice though.

Maybe we could just sign POB to "try" and make up for the shot blocking/rebounding we would lose and then do something else with that #9 pick - like draft DJ/Westbrook?

doc.end wrote:No way I would trade Okafor to Atlanta.

Josh Smith is an interesting player, however I would like more Bosh type PF at four.

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I just dont think Toronto is going to let Bosh go nor Portland let LMA get away. But Atlanta may have to let Smith go, which is why I brought this up. There has been discussion on Boards about trading with Utah to get Boozer, but I like Josh Smith better. He's only 22 and he is going to get even better. Personally, we have seen the shortcomings of Okafor and know what he can and cannot do. I think that gives us an edge on knowing how to handle him. How many times this season did he disappear during games, and we were all ranting and raving about him taking only 6-8 shots in the entire game, or pulling in 4-5 rebounds during the entire game. I think the trade would benefit us more than hurt us.

ohara wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
How many times this season did he disappear during games, and we were all ranting and raving about him taking only 6-8 shots in the entire game, I think the trade would benefit us more than hurt us.

cue W_Hamilton

ohara wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
How many times this season did he disappear during games, and we were all ranting and raving about him taking only 6-8 shots in the entire game, or pulling in 4-5 rebounds during the entire game.

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic. ... &start=468

(Call it a pre-emptive strike)

OK, having only been here a month, I'm not quite sure about the inside joke regarding Hamilton or the Felton Thread. Someone is going to have to fill in the new guy with the info please. Thanks.

BigSlam wrote:Okafor for Smoove and then draft Jordan with the #9?

Felts - Swish - Crash - Smoove - Jordan

Does that make us better or worse though?

That makes Atlanta lethal with Horford - Okafor under the basket. Best big man duo in division (at least) for years to come.

ohara wrote:OK, having only been here a month, I'm not quite sure about the inside joke regarding Hamilton or the Felton Thread. Someone is going to have to fill in the new guy with the info please. Thanks.

Please don't ask for it ......This will become a bashing of Felton (or our pg play as he calls it) for freezing out Mek thread...you might as well move it to the Felton graveyard....

Having watched the great majority of games this season, I cannot blame Ray for the fiasco which was Okafor this season. Ray isn't the best PG, but by no means can I blame him for Okafor's flat out disappointing season. Maybe a little on offense, but it has nothing to do with his failure to hit the Boards hard on so many nights. He was just uninspired and uninspiring.

ohara wrote:Having watched the great majority of games this season, I cannot blame Ray for the fiasco which was Okafor this season. Ray isn't the best PG, but by no means can I blame him for Okafor's flat out disappointing season. Maybe a little on offense, but it has nothing to do with his failure to hit the Boards hard on so many nights. He was just uninspired and uninspiring.

Oh, I can.

When you just turned down a huge contract, thinking you would continue to improve your play, and the team would take a huge step forward after adding a player the caliber of Jason Richardson......then watch the incompetence around you, and watch yourself regularly get left out of the offense, while the team sucks and takes a step back for the first time in franchise history, and realize it's probably cost you millions, and there is little you can do about it........

..........I'd be pretty damn depressed as well.

As for the Okafor for Smith trade, no.

If we could get Smith by trading anything outside of Okafor/Wallace/Richardson, I'd gladly do it.

That's like trying to blame Felton for the depression of the US $ and for the rise in the cost of oil. You cannot throw the blame for everything at his feet. I too had doubts about Felton at the start of this last season. IHis shooting % is not great, I agree. But when he was finally given the chance to run the team 2/3 of the way through the season, he handled it well.

Okafor should never have turned down $13 mil/yr. Everyone knew it was a great offer and that no other team would pay that $. But when you are playing for several million $ the current yr, and know you are auditioning for your and other teams for the next yr hoping to hit the big pay day, you have no reason to let yourself get depressed over the play of your teammates. I wont give him that as an excuse. If he had played with fire and passion, no one would be talking about how he personally tanked and disappeared in so many games.

No, you cannot in good faith put the blame for that on Ray.

there goes the neighborhood......

Yes, I can in good faith blame that on our poor coaching and PGs. And if the final 1/3 of the season cancels out the prior 2/3, or even just the 1/3 at the start of the season where he was our starting PG and we got off to a hugely disappointing start and were one of the worst teams in the league offensively, sure, I guess in that world he handled things great this year.

You can't score if you don't get the ball from your PGs. You can't rebound as well or block as many shots if you are forced to try and guard perimeter PFs because your coach plays you alongside another center that is incapable of guarding those quicker players.

Having said that, Okafor ended up shooting better from the field than he ever has...yet got fewer shots than he ever has. And Okafor's rebounds per minute rate was only 0.002 rebounds/minute less than his career high, so apparently that wasn't so awful either.

Seeing as how all of our players went through poor times as individuals this year, I would say that an intelligent, cerebral player like Okafor certainly would be affected as well, knowing that his upcoming contract negotiations depend on his play, and realizing that there are several outside factors bringing his play down that he simply can't control.

Well, we will just have to agree to disagree since we dont see eye to eye on that issue. So be it. We just move on and try to improve in the upcoming Draft or via any trades which might be coming down the pipes.

How about that Josh Smith? I hear he might be a UFA after next season.



http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic. ... 94&start=0

(thanks Walt)