The #2 Pick

[dockingsched]

In regards to the defense talk, I wholeheartedly disagree that bad defense from your point guard is the same as bad defense from your center. It's just apples and oranges. Centers are your last line of defense and are the ones most often asked to go out of their comfort zone and guard the perimeter where help is harder to provide.

[TyCobb]

When talking about defense, make sure you bring up ability to stay out of foul trouble. While a good rim protector, Towns had alot of problems staying out of foul trouble.

[Slava]

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?

No it doesn't, there's plenty of bad PG defenders who are being hidden well on team defense like Curry, Lillard and so on. The big man needs to either be able to switch on pick and roll defense to contain the opposing guard until his guard can recover from the screen or rotate to make shots in the paint difficult. Those are the two most important things in modern NBA defense, other than running shooters off the 3 point line.

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....

We also beat Boston & Rondo in 2009, Denver & Billups in 2008,2009 and OKC in 2010.

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.

It certainly helps if Okafor can improve his conditioning, lateral quickness and so on and so forth. Otherwise you need to pair him alongside a PF who can shoot on offense to free the paint and block shots on defense to mask his deficiencies. There have only been a couple of guys who fit that mold, like Odom and Ibaka.

[TyCobb]

Okafor will always have length on his side when it comes to defense. He supposedly has a 7'6'' wingspan. He has room to grow, he's not awful or below average by any means.

[ArC_man]

Grandland's draft piece on Towns/Okafor/Russell with anonymous scouts
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/ryen-russillos-nba-draft-confidential-real-scouts-on-towns-russell-and-okafor/

Edit:
Surprising bit about Okafor from one of the scouts:

Now I’ve heard, if you were to ask the Duke people, and they were to be honest with you, there’s not a great love for the game. Not like you’d think. Not a great passion. He’ll be there, and do the right things. But it’s like Jared Sullinger: I want to play, but I don’t want to lose weight. I don’t want to really get in shape. I want to do enough, but I’m not going to do extra. And that is concerning.

Everything that I've read and heard from and about Okafor point to the exact opposite of this.

[TyCobb]

Knicks putting in work to get Okafor to drop to them.

[crazyeights]

In regards to the defense talk, I wholeheartedly disagree that bad defense from your point guard is the same as bad defense from your center. It's just apples and oranges. Centers are your last line of defense and are the ones most often asked to go out of their comfort zone and guard the perimeter where help is harder to provide.

You understand the phrase apples and oranges means they're incomparable, right? Not that oranges are better than apples?

[moonpie]

Jahlil back in tomorrow, D'angelo on Saturday. Mudiay will also get a second workout

[crazyeights]

We also beat Boston & Rondo in 2009, Denver & Billups in 2008,2009 and OKC in 2010.

Denver's Billups was old as hell. OKC was never a real threat back then. And we were a team of destiny in 2009...that or Perkins was injured, whichever narrative you want to prescribe to. (I get that paradoxically, me bringing up Perkins, their defensive center, is seemingly counter to my assertion about PG defense.

What I will say is that I found it hypocritical to nit-pick one prospect on their D and not the other.

What about offensively? Isn't a great offensive center more valuable than a great offensive PG? IF Okafor is as prolific of a post-player as he's made to be, in a league full of guards, then won't that be a huge mismatch for the team that has him? With the great passing you'd been gushing about?

Frankly a core of Russell/Clarkson/Randle doesn't seem right to me. Offensively or defensively. It lacks that special something.

Every indication I've seen from beat writers/Mitch's own statements is that they're leaning toward a big.

Hopefully it's the right choice. Until then, we're all just overanalyzing this anyway. I remember the lead up to last year's draft, the last week turned everything upside down, we were hearing Vonleh ascending into maybe top 3...that sure didn't work out.

Let's just wait and see.)

[john248]

In regards to the defense talk, I wholeheartedly disagree that bad defense from your point guard is the same as bad defense from your center. It's just apples and oranges. Centers are your last line of defense and are the ones most often asked to go out of their comfort zone and guard the perimeter where help is harder to provide.

You understand the phrase apples and oranges means they're incomparable, right? Not that oranges are better than apples?

Who cares about the fruit. The point remains: have you seen a PG who's main job description was to defend the paint and ice PnRs? This is essentially what it comes down 2.

[john248]

Grandland's draft piece on Towns/Okafor/Russell with anonymous scouts
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/ryen-russillos-nba-draft-confidential-real-scouts-on-towns-russell-and-okafor/

Edit:
Surprising bit about Okafor from one of the scouts:

Now I’ve heard, if you were to ask the Duke people, and they were to be honest with you, there’s not a great love for the game. Not like you’d think. Not a great passion. He’ll be there, and do the right things. But it’s like Jared Sullinger: I want to play, but I don’t want to lose weight. I don’t want to really get in shape. I want to do enough, but I’m not going to do extra. And that is concerning.

Everything that I've read and heard from and about Okafor point to the exact opposite of this.

Why did you expect the opposite? He's known to jog back on defense and take defensive plays off. It's why his leadership has been mentioned as questionable since you want your best player to also be the hardest working...

[dockingsched]

In regards to the defense talk, I wholeheartedly disagree that bad defense from your point guard is the same as bad defense from your center. It's just apples and oranges. Centers are your last line of defense and are the ones most often asked to go out of their comfort zone and guard the perimeter where help is harder to provide.

You understand the phrase apples and oranges means they're incomparable, right? Not that oranges are better than apples?

Yeah I understand, lol, as in the role and importance of big man defense and pg defense are so different that you really can't compare the two directly. Bad defense for a big man is not the as bad defense from a pg.

[moonpie]

One week out, who you got?

#2-Russell
#27-Anderson
#34-Jaiteh

[LAKESHOW]

No trade. No funny moves. Exception? Proven Superstar. Thats our history. Acquire Kareem. Shaq. Big time star attractions, proven. If THAT GUY comes available, then lets talk. If not? Then its okafor or towns.

[Slava]

I don't think Anderson falls till 27.

2. D'Angelo Russell
27. Delon Wright
34. Muhammadou Jaiteh

[Sedale Threatt]

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.

That and the free throw thing frighten me...

[Rosque]

http://www.sbnation.com/2015/6/18/8793459/mario-hezonja-nba-draft-scouting-report-cocky



pls

[Sedale Threatt]

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.

This drives me nuts. You pick the best player regardless. Especially in our position, when you can use pretty much everything. We have to hit this one out of the park, I don't care with who.

[KIT]

http://www.sbnation.com/2015/6/18/8793459/mario-hezonja-nba-draft-scouting-report-cocky



pls

Reminds me of Rudy Fernandez

[siar617]

Okafor and Hill make for a good font court. Trade Randle and your other picks to get another lottery pick.