The #2 Pick

[crazyeights]

To be fair, bad defense from the guard position is relatively not as significant as bad defense from the last line, which is the center position. Your center almost always has to be a plus defender for a good team defense.

Tell that to the Lakers who have had the worst PG defense for the past couple years.

[Slava]

To be fair, bad defense from the guard position is relatively not as significant as bad defense from the last line, which is the center position. Your center almost always has to be a plus defender for a good team defense.

Tell that to the Lakers who have had the worst PG defense for the past couple years.

Lakers almost always had bad PG defense even when they were winning titles. Kobe had to end up guarding the opposing PGs like Billups, Westbrook, Rondo etc on a regular basis. Fish was diligent if anything but not a plus defender by any means.

[M2K]

Julius Randle is not a post up player.

J Randle has a post up game and is an isolation threat...no doubt.

[Mirjalovic]

Julius Randle is not a post up player.

he can do that.

for his age, he has so many weapons.

[dockingsched]

To be fair, bad defense from the guard position is relatively not as significant as bad defense from the last line, which is the center position. Your center almost always has to be a plus defender for a good team defense.

Yeah, this is the biggest concern for me. Team defense can cover a limited guard to an extent and really defense from perimeter players is more about effort. On the other hand. if you have a big that gets eaten alive in the pick n roll, you simply won't be able to play good defense while he's in. You just can't get away with a bad big defender.

I've leaned towards Okafor but kept the door open for Russell, but I think as the day gets closer in leaning towards Russell. People talk about cliches like always go big over small but that doesn't really make sense to me, it's not something I would use to determine the choice. TBH I feel like bigs are more likely to bust and would probably prefer going for a proven big via free agency. I don't feel like highly rated guards bust that often.

[M2K]

NBA teams will never stop attacking the paint against the Lakers as long as Okafor's poor defense, poor shotblocking, lack of quickness, etc is on the floor. The last thing we need is such a glaring defensive weakness in the paint.

[Slava]

To be fair, bad defense from the guard position is relatively not as significant as bad defense from the last line, which is the center position. Your center almost always has to be a plus defender for a good team defense.

Yeah, this is the biggest concern for me. Team defense can cover a limited guard to an extent and really defense from perimeter players is more about effort. On the other hand. if you have a big that gets eaten alive in the pick n roll, you simply won't be able to play good defense while he's in. You just can't get away with a bad big defender.

I've leaned towards Okafor but kept the door open for Russell, but I think as the day gets closer in leaning towards Russell. People talk about cliches like always go big over small but that doesn't really make sense to me, it's not something I would use to determine the choice. TBH I feel like bigs are more likely to bust and would probably prefer going for a proven big via free agency. I don't feel like highly rated guards bust that often.

Only good defensive team with a bad center I've seen recently is probably Charlotte of last couple seasons and that only happened because they had hyperactive wing defenders like Kidd Gilchrist. I do agree that is best to pay premium to sign a recognized rim protector in free agency. You cannot teach timing and 3 second rules to college players until a couple of years or more in the league.

[M2K]

To be fair, bad defense from the guard position is relatively not as significant as bad defense from the last line, which is the center position. Your center almost always has to be a plus defender for a good team defense.

Yeah, this is the biggest concern for me. Team defense can cover a limited guard to an extent and really defense from perimeter players is more about effort. On the other hand. if you have a big that gets eaten alive in the pick n roll, you simply won't be able to play good defense while he's in. You just can't get away with a bad big defender.

I've leaned towards Okafor but kept the door open for Russell, but I think as the day gets closer in leaning towards Russell. People talk about cliches like always go big over small but that doesn't really make sense to me, it's not something I would use to determine the choice. TBH I feel like bigs are more likely to bust and would probably prefer going for a proven big via free agency. I don't feel like highly rated guards bust that often.

Russell has the size, reach, awareness and IQ to be a good defender. He has also shown flashes of good defense during the season... but was very inconsistent. That may be in part because D'Angelo was running the entire show at Ohio St.

Ohio St had no talent outside of Russell and therefore D'Angelo spent a lot of energy facilitating the offense on top of being the #1 scorer on the team. This is why D'Angelo Russell was the only player in college basketball to average 19 ppg, 5 rpg and 5 apg. The only player.

If Russell didn't have to be the entire offense at Ohio State, I believe he may have been more consistent on the defensive end.

[dockingsched]

To be fair, bad defense from the guard position is relatively not as significant as bad defense from the last line, which is the center position. Your center almost always has to be a plus defender for a good team defense.

Yeah, this is the biggest concern for me. Team defense can cover a limited guard to an extent and really defense from perimeter players is more about effort. On the other hand. if you have a big that gets eaten alive in the pick n roll, you simply won't be able to play good defense while he's in. You just can't get away with a bad big defender.

I've leaned towards Okafor but kept the door open for Russell, but I think as the day gets closer in leaning towards Russell. People talk about cliches like always go big over small but that doesn't really make sense to me, it's not something I would use to determine the choice. TBH I feel like bigs are more likely to bust and would probably prefer going for a proven big via free agency. I don't feel like highly rated guards bust that often.

Russell has the size, reach, awareness and IQ to be a good defender. He has also shown flashes of good defense during the season... but was very inconsistent. That may be in part because D'Angelo was running the entire show at Ohio St.

Ohio St had no talent outside of Russell and therefore D'Angelo spent a lot of energy facilitating the offense on top of being the #1 scorer on the team. This is why D'Angelo Russell was the only player in college basketball to average 19 ppg, 5 rpg and 5 apg. The only player.

If Russell didn't have to be the entire offense at Ohio State, I believe he may have been more consistent on the defensive end.

yeah I agree, always gotta consider circumstances and in this case the load he had to assume on the offensive end.

[dockingsched]

[tweet]http://twitter.com/chadfordinsider/status/611552847713468418[/tweet]

[M2K]

[tweet]http://twitter.com/chadfordinsider/status/611552847713468418[/tweet]

Minnesota going through the motions of evaluating the top players in the draft. There is no way Minnesota passes on Towns because he fits their position of need at the moment and would pair up well with Wiggins, etc.

[Danny Darko]

To be fair, bad defense from the guard position is relatively not as significant as bad defense from the last line, which is the center position. Your center almost always has to be a plus defender for a good team defense.

Did we not wind chips with bad lazy Shaq D and great D from Kobe and Fish? idk if that is always true.

[LApwnd]

To be fair, bad defense from the guard position is relatively not as significant as bad defense from the last line, which is the center position. Your center almost always has to be a plus defender for a good team defense.

Did we not wind chips with bad lazy Shaq D and great D from Kobe and Fish? idk if that is always true.

And Pau was not some defensive monster on PnR D either

[Goudelock]

How bad is Okafor on defense? Is he current-Dirk levels of terrible on defense?

[LApwnd]

How bad is Okafor on defense? Is he current-Dirk levels of terrible on defense?

Its his PnR D....based on highlights when his guy sets the screen, ok4 neither switches nor sag into the paint to contest the layup attempt. So the gaurd can do whatever he wants once he is free from the screen. I know we've always been bad-medicore defending the PnR even with bynum and then howard, both guys would never aggressively show on the guards once the pick is set, they both tend to sag into the paint leaving the opponent for wide open jumpshots or floaters, howard still to this daday is a bad PnR defender imo same goes for jordan

[PKABOOICU]

How bad is Okafor on defense? Is he current-Dirk levels of terrible on defense?

im not quite sure, but i think he would be better than dirk....dirk was absolutely horrific on offense and defense against the rockets in the playoffs.
One thing about okafor is that i feel like he is lazy...he kind of seems like a guy who could just get bored of his craft too easily and not care...leaving so much untapped potential...kind of like andrew bynum.
towns and russell seem like they will work on their game even when the lights turn off, okafor looks like he would be the first guy to pack his bags and get back on the bus.

[PKABOOICU]

julius randle+jahlil okafor would be like pairing up zach randolph+al jefferson


so much offense, so little defense...and a clogged paint.

[crazyeights]

To be fair, bad defense from the guard position is relatively not as significant as bad defense from the last line, which is the center position. Your center almost always has to be a plus defender for a good team defense.

Tell that to the Lakers who have had the worst PG defense for the past couple years.

Lakers almost always had bad PG defense even when they were winning titles. Kobe had to end up guarding the opposing PGs like Billups, Westbrook, Rondo etc on a regular basis. Fish was diligent if anything but not a plus defender by any means.

I'm confused.

So we should draft Russell over a big, because of the changing NBA landscape, which essentially places an importance on guard play...well doesn't that make having a defensive spearhead at PG all the more important?

To address your Fisher point (although it's odd to bring up something from what would be considered the old NBA landscape, but) isn't the fact that Kobe had to guard these top flight PGs an inherent weakness in those Lakers teams?

You named Billups, Westbrook, and Rondo...we LOST to all 3 of those teams in the playoffs....

The point is, bad defense is bad defense, and while with the right role players and schemes deficiencies can be masked, ultimately NBA offenses will exploit an awful defender in a 7 game series, whether it be guard play or a big in a p-n-r.

Mitch addressed Okafor's defense in a presser a couple weeks ago where he said he bought into the idea that because he was the only center on the team, and their gameplan revolved around him staying out of foul trouble, he was coached to not go after rebounds or pick up ticky-tack fouls. I also agree with others that have pointed out a lot of Jahlil's problems seem to stem from his physical conditioning, which is somewhat expected from a freshman in college.

Danny brought up a good point which is the same people bagging on JO for his defense are pumping up Russell, who is by-and-large another poor defender at the previous level. It's a topic that deserves to be discussed, and one that I wouldn't simply brush aside as all year we had the pleasure of watching opponent PGs consistently slice and dice our guards.

IF we had Patrick Beverley, then great, maybe we could draft the next Harden (who Russell reminds me of), but we may have Clarkson as a longterm running mate with whoever we draft, and he's no defensive wiz either.

[dockingsched]

[tweet]http://twitter.com/billoram/status/611585777290469376[/tweet]

[Minhee]

Totally agree about the bad defense from your last line of defense.

The 5 titles that our Lakers won since 2000 had Shaq or Andrew Bynum as our last line. While those 2 weren't good at defending the P&R or high s&r they were rim protectors and really good rebounders. They brought intimidation and alter shots. Okafor will not be doing any of that and that is a concern.

Rememeber in 2008 when Gasol was our center? Yeah he was great offensively, great footwork, lots of skills to score but he wasn't a rim protector nor did he intimidate anybody. His softness lead to KG and Perkins completely dominating the inside, we all know what happened in that series. I'm afraid with Okafor/Randle, we will be reliving the results similar to 2008 assuming we get anywhere near contender status in the next 5 years.