Lets talk Okafor again....

[Andrew McCeltic]

Other possibility is to offer Jaylen straight up for Porzingis. Rozier, Smart and Tatum have minutes at the 2, Hayward is the 3, with Ojeleye and Nader backing him up, Morris a little, too, Horford at the 4 with Yabu behind him, Porzingis and Baynes at the 5. Could still go after Jamychal Green. But the distribution of talent across the roster would be better, and the sense of clearer roles.

http://deadspin.com/kristaps-porzingis-had-a-pleasant-weekend-playing-baske-1800495816

[OBisHalJordan]

There’s a lot of homerism, too, forgetting how hospitable our organization is to its young players, and what a horrible situation Philly has been for Okafor.

Smart in Philly, we’d point out his historically bad shooting, call him a bust, say his defense is great but you can get that from a lot of players.

This needs to be repeated. I'd love to see how people would pile on Smart if he didn't play here. We over value Boston players and undervalue the rest of the league. Okafor is a proven scorer. He'd probably rival Horford as Boston's third best scorer (note: not offensive player just scorer) if he was added to the roster. Oakfor has shown more than Rozier, Larkin, and, obviously, all the rookies. I there's a case to be made that he's a better player than Smart but I don't think this board can take off the green googles long enough to entertain such a proposition.

[Andrew McCeltic]

It’s not just that he’s a proven scorer - he has hall of fame scoring ability and he’s had it since he was a 19 year old rookie.

He doesn’t stretch the floor, but he can drive even when defenders are backed off him - he wheels to the basket like a 6’10 Paul Pierce, with longer arms and larger hands. Scores over double and triple teams.

He could easily average 25 points on 55 percent shooting, given the opportunity. He’s a scoring savant.

That kind of ISO ability is less valuable in a league about versatility and playmaking, where it’s better to play chess with a defense than checkers. But it’s real.

The question is what he does to your offense when the ball’s not in his hands. He could have some drive and dish “point center” potential if he got enough reps.

As much as the league has changed, if I were the GM of the Hawks, Bulls, Pacers, Lakers, Grizzlies, or Wizards I’d be buying low, building his confidence, coaching him up and trying to make him into a star.

He was originally hyped for a little while as a Tim Duncan type - and instead, he’s the opposite - no fundamentals whatsoever. But if you can wrap your mind around the fact he was hyped wrong, the raw potential is still special.

[Andrew McCeltic]

Anyway I want to talk about Porzingis again - he looks back on track, two years away from being a superstar. Get him.

[SmartWentCrazy]

There’s a lot of homerism, too, forgetting how hospitable our organization is to its young players, and what a horrible situation Philly has been for Okafor.

Smart in Philly, we’d point out his historically bad shooting, call him a bust, say his defense is great but you can get that from a lot of players.

This needs to be repeated. I'd love to see how people would pile on Smart if he didn't play here. We over value Boston players and undervalue the rest of the league. Okafor is a proven scorer. He'd probably rival Horford as Boston's third best scorer (note: not offensive player just scorer) if he was added to the roster. Oakfor has shown more than Rozier, Larkin, and, obviously, all the rookies. I there's a case to be made that he's a better player than Smart but I don't think this board can take off the green googles long enough to entertain such a proposition.

And yet, most advanced metrics that measure impact have Smart as a top 100-150 player in the league. Most advanced metrics that measure impact do not have Okafor as a top 450 player in the league.

[Smog]

I also can’t think of one major gamble this team has made on a young player in the last 20 years that really hurt us in any way.

If anything, we’ve devalued young talent or given up on it too soon - Billups, Joe Johnson are the major examples.

Ainge has shown a willingness to gamble on young players coming from bad situations - Chris Mihm, Ricky Davis, Jiri Welsch, Jae Crowder, Evan Turner.

And the ones who don’t work out - Patrick O’Bryant, James Young, etc. - fail at very little cost to us.

The only way Yabu for Okafor fails is if Okafor busts, and Yabu becomes a star. So far no one has weighed in on Yabusele’s upside - is he Glen Davis, Clarence Weatherspoon, Barkley?

Isn't this the big question? They built this roster to fit the Stevens vision. The bigs all shoot from deep, handle, and switch. Yabusele is almost their prototype big. In theory he runs the floor, shoots, drives closeouts, handles, and bangs when he has to. Yabusele represents how they want to play. It's hard to imagine him being shipped out before his first game for a guy who represents the opposite, even one with Okafor's talent.

[Curmudgeon]

Theiss is a much better player.

[Jakeopp]

How about no

[Captain_Caveman]

There’s a lot of homerism, too, forgetting how hospitable our organization is to its young players, and what a horrible situation Philly has been for Okafor.

Smart in Philly, we’d point out his historically bad shooting, call him a bust, say his defense is great but you can get that from a lot of players.

This needs to be repeated. I'd love to see how people would pile on Smart if he didn't play here. We over value Boston players and undervalue the rest of the league. Okafor is a proven scorer. He'd probably rival Horford as Boston's third best scorer (note: not offensive player just scorer) if he was added to the roster. Oakfor has shown more than Rozier, Larkin, and, obviously, all the rookies. I there's a case to be made that he's a better player than Smart but I don't think this board can take off the green googles long enough to entertain such a proposition.

Smart = wins, Okafor = stats.

Always know where I am on that question.

[Andrew McCeltic]

I’d rather have Porzingis, and would trade Jaylen Brown or Rozier/LAL pick to get him.

[DakoBarr]

#nokafor

I'm much happier with Yabu right now.

[FlatearthZorro]

#nokafor

I'm much happier with Yabu right now.

This. I'd like to give Yabu a shot. Dude looked like Karl Malone in China which isn't a big thing, but he's pretty talented and exactly a guy who fits today's game, while Okafor definitely doesn't have the tools to be a star right now. Plus all the **** he did(speeding, drinking, fighting) not exactly what I wanna see from a young lad, even if you do it keep it on down low.

[SmartWentCrazy]

I’d rather have Porzingis, and would trade Jaylen Brown or Rozier/LAL pick to get him.

Would take more. Way more.

[FlatearthZorro]

I’d rather have Porzingis, and would trade Jaylen Brown or Rozier/LAL pick to get him.

Would take more. Way more.

Porzingis is ridiculously overrated. Yes, he's talented but he hasn't done **** to prove he's a winner and he's been shooting a fairly low % from the field. Him being ranked over Hayward/Horfie and Kyrie in some top 100 rankings made me . It's like the rankings are a popularity contest.

[CavemanDoctor]

I’d rather have Porzingis, and would trade Jaylen Brown or Rozier/LAL pick to get him.

Would take more. Way more.

Porzingis is ridiculously overrated. Yes, he's talented but he hasn't done **** to prove he's a winner and he's been shooting a fairly low % from the field. Him being ranked over Hayward/Horfie and Kyrie in some top 100 rankings made me . It's like the rankings are a popularity contest.

Context matters. He plays for the Knicks. Given that, the "prove he's a winner" line of thinking borders on folly.

[Andrew McCeltic]

I’d rather have Porzingis, and would trade Jaylen Brown or Rozier/LAL pick to get him.

Would take more. Way more.

Eh. If they think the bridges they burned can’t be repaired, Jaylen is good value. Or they’d do something stupid with Phoenix.

If Golden State were really gutsy, they’d try to get ahead of the Klay extension problem by trading him for KP and Courtney Lee. Curry/Lee/Durant/Dray/Kristaps would be even better.

[Edug27]

Would take more. Way more.

Porzingis is ridiculously overrated. Yes, he's talented but he hasn't done **** to prove he's a winner and he's been shooting a fairly low % from the field. Him being ranked over Hayward/Horfie and Kyrie in some top 100 rankings made me . It's like the rankings are a popularity contest.

Context matters. He plays for the Knicks. Given that, the "prove he's a winner" line of thinking borders on folly.

Nothing grinds my gears more than that. IT wasn't a winner before Boston.. mainly because he was stuck on some pretty pathetic teams with some pretty pathetic coaches running some pretty pathetic systems. "Oh but Kyrie wasn't a winner before Lebron" ... oh shut up. That team was awful. Steph Curry wasn't a winner his first few seasons.

[Andrew McCeltic]

#nokafor

I'm much happier with Yabu right now.

This. I'd like to give Yabu a shot. Dude looked like Karl Malone in China which isn't a big thing, but he's pretty talented and exactly a guy who fits today's game, while Okafor definitely doesn't have the tools to be a star right now. Plus all the **** he did(speeding, drinking, fighting) not exactly what I wanna see from a young lad, even if you do it keep it on down low.

Yabu shoots threes. With Okafor it’s the upside/cost ratio that makes him a solid get. But we don’t have obvious pieces to trade for him right now.

[Big Baby]

Other possibility is to offer Jaylen straight up for Porzingis. Rozier, Smart and Tatum have minutes at the 2, Hayward is the 3, with Ojeleye and Nader backing him up, Morris a little, too, Horford at the 4 with Yabu behind him, Porzingis and Baynes at the 5. Could still go after Jamychal Green. But the distribution of talent across the roster would be better, and the sense of clearer roles.

http://deadspin.com/kristaps-porzingis-had-a-pleasant-weekend-playing-baske-1800495816

I was very high on Porzingis last year but after seeing how he deals with his team's coaches and front office, I don't want that prima donna here. And Jeff Hornacek is right. KP does play like a p***y. I'd rather keep developing Jaylen.

As for Okafor, I'll ask again to anyone who's opposed: Who on the Cavs can slow him down? Who on the Warriors can slow him down?

[CavemanDoctor]

Porzingis is ridiculously overrated. Yes, he's talented but he hasn't done **** to prove he's a winner and he's been shooting a fairly low % from the field. Him being ranked over Hayward/Horfie and Kyrie in some top 100 rankings made me . It's like the rankings are a popularity contest.

Context matters. He plays for the Knicks. Given that, the "prove he's a winner" line of thinking borders on folly.

Nothing grinds my gears more than that. IT wasn't a winner before Boston.. mainly because he was stuck on some pretty pathetic teams with some pretty pathetic coaches running some pretty pathetic systems. "Oh but Kyrie wasn't a winner before Lebron" ... oh shut up. That team was awful. Steph Curry wasn't a winner his first few seasons.

^ Yep. Not just that, seems people forget how a lot of the fanbase (and wider NBA community) viewed Pierce before KG and Ray showed up. "Malcontent," "loser," etc. And now look at how we view him (rightfully so): a winner, a gamer.

Porzingis would thrive on this team and he would make deep playoff runs for the foreseeable future. Same guy he is now really, but would be viewed as a "winner."