Countdown to NBA Draft: Prospect Talk

BeagleBoss · Post #241 » by **BeagleBoss** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 2:40 am

I'm more excited for this Duke and Wisconsin game then any Knicks game this season lol

2010 · Post #242 » by **2010** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 2:50 am

ibraheim718 wrote:
DaGawd wrote:Tonight at 9:30 on ESPN y'all should be tuned in. Jahlil takes on his first real test when he faces Wisconsin

Can't wait. I'll be watching the whole game which nowadays it's rare for me to sit through a whole college basketball game.

Okafor looks kinda small against a legitimate big.

DaGawd · Post #243 » by **DaGawd** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 2:56 am

Jahlil has some lapses on defense.. But offensively he's as good as they come

ibraheim718 · Post #244 » by **ibraheim718** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 3:16 am

2010 wrote:
ibraheim718 wrote:
DaGawd wrote:Tonight at 9:30 on ESPN y'all should be tuned in. Jahlil takes on his first real test when he faces Wisconsin

Can't wait. I'll be watching the whole game which nowadays it's rare for me to sit through a whole college basketball game.

Okafor looks kinda small against a legitimate big.

Height-wise sure.. he's not 7 feet. But his wingspan, hand size, and girth make up for it.

I think for me what I see that concerns me the most is he doesn't really have a nose for rebounds.

ibraheim718 · Post #245 » by **ibraheim718** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 3:23 am

I also saw the PnR defense.. kid just doesn't know what to do. He kind of freezes. That needs to be fixed for sure.

2010 · Post #246 » by **2010** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 3:42 am

ibraheim718 wrote:
2010 wrote:
ibraheim718 wrote:Can't wait. I'll be watching the whole game which nowadays it's rare for me to sit through a whole college basketball game.

Okafor looks kinda small against a legitimate big.

Height-wise sure.. he's not 7 feet. But his wingspan, hand size, and girth make up for it.

I think for me what I see that concerns me the most is he doesn't really have a nose for rebounds.

Yeah man. Which is why in that other thread I was saying he really reminds me of Eddy Curry. Not as overweight but same skillset, same strengths, same weaknesses. Very similar.

2010 · Post #247 » by **2010** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 3:43 am

ibraheim718 wrote:I also saw the PnR defense.. kid just doesn't know what to do. He kind of freezes. That needs to be fixed for sure.

Yup. He's like Amar'e on pick and roll defense. Not sure it's ever gonna get any better tho. His defensive awareness just lacks the basic instincts. He's low IQ on defense but high IQ on offense.

2010 · Post #248 » by **2010** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 3:44 am

I wish we could land a mid first-rounder for Kaminsky. He'd really work well in the triangle and he would stretch the floor keeping the paint open for Melo to operate.

ibraheim718 · Post #249 » by **ibraheim718** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 3:49 am

2010 wrote:
ibraheim718 wrote:I also saw the PnR defense.. kid just doesn't know what to do. He kind of freezes. That needs to be fixed for sure.

Yup. He's like Amar'e on pick and roll defense. Not sure it's ever gonna get any better tho. His defensive awareness just lacks the basic instincts. He's low IQ on defense but high IQ on offense.

Like I said before I think he just needs to be coached up a little.

Other things I noticed.. he's such a wide kid that when he sets screens for ball handlers it's almost impossible for defenders to stay close with the ball handler if they are chasing over the screen and you can't switch because then he's got a huge size advantage down low. And every time he's gotten the ball in the post Kaminsky can't keep him out of the paint. And if he's just around the rim his width just makes things uncomfortable for the opposition.

damedash09 · Post #250 » by **damedash09** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 3:50 am

Towns is my number 1 pick for this team.

ibraheim718 · Post #251 » by **ibraheim718** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 3:53 am

Okafor screens are mountains man. He creates a ton of space for the ball handler. His guards have been getting nice looks at the bucket off of them.

ibraheim718 · Post #252 » by **ibraheim718** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 3:57 am

Duke uncharacteristically just doesn't have good enough passers to get him the ball down low.

ibraheim718 · Post #253 » by **ibraheim718** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 4:07 am

This kid is just an automatic 2 points if he has the ball on the low block.

Besart19 · Post #254 » by **Besart19** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 4:21 am

ibraheim718 wrote:This kid is just an automatic 2 points if he has the ball on the low block.

We can get him Rondo here to play with... or Conley in 2016 with Gasol around, too!! 8-)

ibraheim718 · Post #255 » by **ibraheim718** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 4:22 am

Duke is good and this Duke team is very un-Duke like. They are gritty and grimy and don't really play pretty basketball but more ugly hustle basketball. These aren't your parents Duke Blue Devils.

2010 · Post #256 » by **2010** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 4:23 am

I like Okafor. I just think if we get him we have to pair him with Gasol to mask his weaknesses. The caveat is that if we are in position to draft him, the draft is before free agency so if we got him we won't be able to guarantee Gasol is in tow.

I think if we won the lottery I'd take Mudiay over Okafor and Towns. Mostly because we need someone who can create and I know Mudiay will be able to step right in and play on both sides of the ball in the NBA.

Post #257 » by **Manhattan Project** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 4:27 am

Nice little preview of a potential elite eight/final four match. Looking forward to see Dekkar healthy next time they play, the progress that the Duke freshmen will make.

DaGawd · Post #258 » by **DaGawd** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 4:33 am

An impressive game for Duke overall and impressive performance for Okafor

ibraheim718 · Post #259 » by **ibraheim718** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 4:39 am

2010 wrote:I like Okafor. I just think if we get him we have to pair him with Gasol to mask his weaknesses. The caveat is that if we are in position to draft him, the draft is before free agency so if we got him we won't be able to guarantee Gasol is in tow.

I think if we won the lottery I'd take Mudiay over Okafor and Towns. Mostly because we need someone who can create and I know Mudiay will be able to step right in and play on both sides of the ball in the NBA.

I need to be able to watch Mudiay play. I used to watch more college basketball than NBA when I was playing ball in my late teens-early twenties. I watched this game from beginning to end so I can now give a better analysis of Okafor and I'll make it a point to watch Texas Kentucky to give Towns a fair assessment also.

As far as pairing Okafor with Gasol.. I like it a lot because I think Okafor has the ability to run the floor good enough to pair them together and still run opportunistically and it'll keep him in good shape not that I think that's going to be a big problem.

But anything I've said about any of the players was based on high school highlight reels and exhibition games.. so this was my first real chance to get a good read on him and I liked what I saw but what I'm guessing will be the case for the other players he has flaws.. nose for the glass, free throw shooting for sure, and defensive fundamentals that I think can be coached up a bit. But his face up man to man on ball defense was decent. A lot of his bad is made up by his sheer size and width though also.

Post #260 » by **Manhattan Project** » Thu Dec 4, 2014 5:10 am

ibraheim718 wrote:I watched this game from beginning to end so I can now give a better analysis of Okafor and I'll make it a point to watch Texas Kentucky to give Towns a fair assessment also.

Keep an eye on Turner on the Texas side, he was the number two player in the ESPN 100 and for some reason is an overlooked player here. He's had some impressive games already and coming off of back back five block games.