How would signing Okafor to a partially guaranteed contract have anything to do with Mirotic? Their roles are completely different. Okafor cannot even attempt to replace what Mirotic does.Originally Posted by t-rex23
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How would signing Okafor to a partially guaranteed contract have anything to do with Mirotic? Their roles are completely different. Okafor cannot even attempt to replace what Mirotic does.
Hopefully Okafor fall from Grace has given him a different outlook on his career. He was way too entitled coming into the league. If he can get into better shape and commit to defense he could be a change of pace back up center.
Not gonna get my hopes up for his results. I will say that it is encouraging that he's gotten himself in tremendous shape. That video of him training was pretty cool.
If they Okafor it allows a lot of positional flexibility with Davis and Randle both being able to play the 4 and 5.
It is no secret that 1. Mirotic is our only good, movable trade asset outside of Davis and 2. They have at least explored options of moving him.
I'm not saying that Okafor is Mirotic's replacement because I am not stupid. I am saying that Demps has a history of setup moves that lead to bigger moves and this is something to keep an eye on.
How do you know that? Mirotic's skills are not anywhere near the same as Okafor. So, I cannot see a move for Okafor having an effect on a potential move for Mirotic. Randle/Davis flexibility is not strengthened significantly by an Okafor signing and neither are the perimeter threat Mirotic is.
I am not sure jah will break the 15 man roster to be honest and yall talking about 3ko's spot? hahahahaha
It's 1 person
This +1
This. I think almost everyone realises that Niko is under NO threat from the Okafor move.
Basketball.
Niko is in no trouble my guy.
Once again, I never said Niko was gone or Okafor was his replacement.
I only noted that this may be something to keep an eye on. That is it. Not even that it is the catalyst for a change. Just a possibility that a move could be made in the future.
Great signing, when you make up a team, every player is not going to be a superstar or star, you have to fine role players, and I think Okafor will realize that his time is running out to making an impression in the league. Practicing and playing with AD, Jrue, Randle and players of this caliber should only help him to mature and raise his level of play.
I'll just say I also remember when Oden was hyped as being ready for a resurgence and Diallo was brandished in highlights hitting a bunch of corner threes.
I'll wait to see if Jahlil can move laterally and not get abused on defense and that highlight quickness carries into training camp.
It would be great if you could maybe replace 36 year old Okafor with a 22 year old version. So I'm rooting for it to be more than highlight magic.
I do like what we are doing from a financial perspective though. It might be the most savvy offseason I have ever seen from Demps.
You basically are loaded with cheap, high upside players that come the trade deadline could be flipped for something up to incredibly significant.
Randle, Mirotic, Moore, Payton, Okafor, Diallo, Ajinca, and first rounders are all potential positive assets this season, guys that should fetch equal or greater value, and if the cards fall right land you another superstar or at a minimum a really good small forward.
....Of course if they ball out and they all walk in the offseason because Demps pulls another Ryno/Ennis situation, it will be for nothing, so heres to hoping Demps does have a strategy if/when some of these guys ball out but clearly aren't players you can keep long term.
Last edited by N.O.Bronco; 08-08-2018 at 09:03 PM.
We've seen this so many times and it doesn't pan out. However this is where it starts. If he can get keep his body right and be able to stretch the court he'll have a place in this league with his post game. But he has to display much better defensive want and understanding.
That was my first thought on that highlight video, we know he can score, he should have recorded himself doing defensive drills.
Contributor
A source close to Jahlil Okafor signing in New Orleans tells me: "We almost got it done at the trade deadline a couple of years ago, but couldn't get it completed. Everyone is excited we could make this happen now."
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 8, 2018
What a signing by the Pels. Ultimate low risk high reward situation. From what I've heard it's a 2 year vet minimum deal with the 2nd year being a TEAM option. That means if he doesn't pan out we can get rid of him and only lose a vet min contract, or use him in a trade to make salaries work. But if he goes beast mode we have him next year for 1.7mil. Love that we're giving him a chance. We all know he can flat out score, question is can he get it together to be halfway decent defensive and play within the team? Keep in mind this guy is only 22 years old!
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/j...ally-work-out/
Eventually, AD's minutes will decrease if and when we can add talent to our roster. In the meantime, his minutes can decrease if we slow it down a bit when he isn't on the court. IMO
the addition of Okafor doesn't make any sense at all strictly from an identity standpoint, but it does make sense in terms of balance. He plays a slow style of basketball that requires setting the floor and letting him work the post, a rarity in today's NBA and something the Pelicans don't have at all outside of Davis, who again has the capacity to stretch the floor if he's able. Who knows, maybe one of these signings can even cut into Davis' 36.4 minutes per game last season.All of that, and Okafor himself has a better chance to make the Pelicans' roster than arguably any team in the NBA.
Ehh if he makes the team, not a bad 5th or 6th big I guess
This deal would have gone through, but Okafor failed a medical per The Birdwrites. I'm thinking it might have meant we traded a 1st for him. That scares the hell out of me
His lackadaisical defense is unacceptable. If we see him play defense like a little boy he needs to be benched and chewed out. Our team is aggressive and plays hard defense. His conditioning is critical and his mindset has to be defense. If the guy can play decent defense he will really be a good pick up.
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Agreed. I've said it, others have said it, we all know his offense is there within 6 feet, and he has potential to stretch that out. The defense is the real question mark: we know that despite a lack of defensive awareness, opponents do worse against him close to the basket than their averages. Why? Because he's a big, tall guy who can interrupt rhythm just by virtue of existing. The problem has always been that he cannot defend anything outside of that first ten feet or so. A middy 15 footer flies over him like he doesn't exist. A three might as well be a warmup shot. The question is whether Erman and the defensive identity of our team, combined with his desperation to stay in the league, really puts the foot up his backside and gets his defense working well enough to do some elementary trapping.
Understand your concern, doubt it was, but even if it was, Dell's decision making of late has been outstanding. Instead of a 20+20 mil injured Booger, we have lil Oak and Randle at half that w/o any risks. Not to mention Payton at 1/3rd the cost of Randoff. And a whole lot younger and faster to boot.
We could have very easily have had the 20+20 though, don't forget Cuz rejected it
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So what?
It wouldn't have been good?
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