dwight howard vs okafur

[magius]

who would you pick?? its been a while since two legitimate bigs went one and two (unless you count kmart/swift). if orlando gets pick number one i think they should get okafur since i dont think the magic want to take the chance of long-haul developing howard ala kwame brown or darius. if chicago gets it maybe they should trade down and get livingston to play at the combo 2 with hinrich and a legit swing man sf, or they could grab dwight and try starting him at the sf to create a humungous front court -- chandler, curry, howard. personally im not exactly keen on howards game since ive heard tell of comparison to darius miles except with maybe a better shot and a weaker handle and ive seen nothing to challenge that. but i understand he has the athletic foundation and could easily develop to defy me.

if it wasnt for okafur's injury i think he would be guaranteed number one. howard has upside, but okafur is nba ready and has upside.

if livingston can really play nba point then im excited about him, being 6'7 and all.

[Mikki]

who would you pick?? its been a while since two legitimate bigs went one and two (unless you count kmart/swift).

Emeka

if chicago gets it maybe they should trade down and get livingston to play at the combo 2 with hinrich

Crawford is fine...

or they could grab dwight and try starting him at the sf to create a humungous front court -- chandler, curry, howard.

They're all High School kids... and Chandler hasn't deleveoped that much as Curry...

if it wasnt for okafur's injury i think he would be guaranteed number one. howard has upside, but okafur is nba ready and has upside.

true.

if livingston can really play nba point then im excited about him, being 6'7 and all.

i think no cause LeBron was once called a 6'9" PG but when he went to the NBA he wasn't comfortable and caused him to moved to SG/SF...

[Jackal]

Not true, LeBron has said he's more comfortable at PG than SF/SG.

James' Carreer Night was played at PG.

"I had to turn it to another gear," said James, who scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including his team's last 10. "Tonight, playing point guard, I really felt comfortable."

[-BHZMAFIA-]

I would pick Dwight just because he isnt hurt. Okafor's injury kinda hurt him and I wouldnt wanna take a risk on him. Dwight is also younger and I can see him doing alot of good things in the NBA

[PRoPuLsiOnDJ]

i would take okafor ... dwight howard hasnt really impressed me so far.
he's not as good as lebron (not even close)
but he is a big man and big men coming out of high school do pretty well in the nba. (example amare stoudamire)

but it would be too big of a risk to take howard.
i would stick with okafor.

i think no matter which team gets the first pick .... they should draft okafor ... he can instantly improve the defense of any team.
if its chicago, they should go for okafor ... we all know how their high school experience turned out to be ... hopefully they've learned from their mistakes.
if orlando, okafor also ... since they already have a high school phenom in mcgrady.
if phoenix, then okafor ... they could use him to be amare's sidekick.
if clippers, okafor ... clippers need a big man who can play D.

so i really dont see anybody picking howard (i mean ... why anybody should pick him)
but there is a strong possibility that he'll go first simply because he's coming out of high school.

[air gordon]

there's still a fair amount of time before the draft to properly assess okafor's back.

high school big's don't do well coming into the league. amare is the exception. see o'neal, kwame, curry, chandler, diop, etc

livingston makes crawford look like he's samoan. he would get destroyed on the bulls team on both ends since opponents would put their SG on him. have mercy on hinrich lol

[GloveGuy]

Livingston might be extremely tall for his position(and it is his position. It's not that he can play point guard, but he is a point guard), but his PG skills aren't nothing to rave about, or at least wouldn't be if he were 6 inches shorter.

It's merely his size that give him the advantage to see over opposing point guards.

He only weighs 175 lbs. so he won't be able to physically overpower other points, like Lebron probably could.

[Colin]

Okafor for sure. Okafor has been putting up 16 points, 11 boards and 4.7 blocks in college. Howard is getting 4 more points, 5 more boards, and less blocks while playing in high school. Okafor is definitly the safer bet as he has shown he can play very well against tougher competition.

That said I hope Phoenix gets the number 1 pick and drafts him.

[Jackal]

I haven't seen any of the two players play, so just a question:

Does Okafur play a power game? Something similiar to Stoudemire? Or is he more finesse?

If he's power...it would be nice to see Amaré & Emeka together.

[Mikki]

Does Okafur play a power game? Something similiar to Stoudemire? Or is he more finesse?

Elton Brand-like i guess...

[GloveGuy]

Well Emeka had a nice game today, sending UConn to the championship. He picked up two quick fouls in the first three minutes, so he sat out for the rest of the second half, giving Duke contol of the game.

In the second half, he was the man. He took over on both ends of the floor, helping the Huskies make an 8-point comeback in the last two or so minutes.

[The Game]

that was a great game!!! i think duke could have won if they just did what they do really well and thats attacking the hoop... i think they shot too many 3 pointers and perimeter shots in the game.... anyways i compare okafor to shaq when shaq was in his first 2 years in the league.. only okafor is smaller.. but thats just my opinion

[Colin]

I don't think he's much like Elton Brand. He has very good footwork and gets a lot of points off of offensive rebounds. He has monsterous defense.

[hmm]

.

[magius]

okafur in orlando looks like a perfect fit, lets hope the draft doesnt screw them over and drop them a few spots because i would like to see a tmac-okafur tandem. the potential magic roster next season looks like this (assuming no offseason trades occur, though they probably may):

C Okafur
PF howard
SF garrity
SG mcgrady
PG grant hill

okafur is still undersized for a centre, but so is almost everyone else, if size matters you can move okafur to pf, howard to sf and declerq at c or draft a big man in the 2nd round. i'd start garrity over the option of hill at the point forward and lue at the point because garritys more of a spot up shooter and his ability to stretch the d and hit open shots off mcgrady/hill slashes is key. if okafur can command a double team once in awhile he can play inside out with tmac-garrity. lue would be a nice 6th man option although i prefer that the magic hadnt let armstrong go instead. gooden would be the focus point of the 2nd unit and slowly develped to take over for howard once howard gets older.

bench:
C declerq
PF gooden
SF bogans
SG stevenson
PG lue

so if all goes as teniously planned, orlando looks good on paper for next season. hill coming back is going to be a big plus if he can, i would also like to see tmac work on his defense... hes already a good defender, but he has the natural physical talents to be a great one.

as for trades go, id like to see the whole 2nd unit backcourt revamped with steady defensive-minded players who can hit an open 3. an upgrade on garrity (non-existent defense) would be joyous.

anway, back in topic, i think that okafur is the only real guarantee in this years draft to have an impact straight away. there will probably be a few surprises though. his defense inside is what i like, and what almost every team in this league needs. he has great inside game too.

uconn-duke was a good game, okafur had that foul trouble early on, but on that 12-0 run he really shut down duke. he can do everything.

if you dont watch march madness or ncaa and are asking what kind of player okafur is, well, here are some quotes:

Okafor is a shot blocking machine -- he has suction cup hands, and will snatch a rebound. …Extremely smart player. He can score in the paint, extending to about 10' at this point. Defensively he changes games with his presence in the paint. Reacts very quickly, as great shot blockers do. Poised. ...2003 Wooden Award All-American Team, had an impressive sophomore season in which he averaged 15.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game.

NBA Comparison: Ben Wallace (more offense, less nastiness)

Strengths: A tremendous rebounder and shot blocker. Emeka is an extremely intelligent and hardworking player with a great future ahead of him. Okafor possesses unbelievable shot blocking instincts, making him a true difference maker on the defensive end. He is excellent at timing his jumps and moving his feet to alter shots. His intelligence and athletic ability has also made him a proficient rebounder and outlet passer. Offensively he shows good touch and a nice assortment of post moves. His jump shot is really developing and in time will become a nice weapon. In addition, he has good footwork and is very coachable. A super prospect…the sky is the limit for Emeka

Weaknesses: Emeka will have to make the adjustment from playing center in college to playing PF and/or being a small center in the NBA. That alone should diminish some of his shot blocking/altering affects. Secondly, he is sometimes too mechanical in the post and kicks the ball out to early. Although his offensive game is vastly improved, there is still room for more growth...Free throw shooting is also a weakness.

Notes: Point blank one of the best low post players to come out of college in sometime. Will take some adjustment to the NBA, but has the intelligence and work ethic to be a difference maker......On pace to graduate from UConn in three years.

-Savneet Singh .

and dwight howard:

Strengths: A true talent. Dwight is one of those special talents who has it all. He posseses wonderful ball handling, passing, shooting ability and a super quick first step. Combine all that with an uncanny ability to see the floor and you have something special. People with his height and ability to play the perimeter and pass the ball are hard to find. Dwight also has great leaping ability and quick hands which allow him to get his share of points in the paint. His athletic prowess allows him to rack up rebounds and alter shots frequently. Defensively he is everywhere snatching balls, tipping shots, running back on D, he does it all. Dwight is an extremely hard worker and a very coachable kid. Quite simply, he's the whole package with gigantic upside.

Weaknesses: Needs to develop more of a low post game...Tends to rely on his athleticism too much, which is common at this age. Has good footwork, but doesn't use it enough. Tends to drift to the perimeter too often. Strength may be an issue down the line if has asked to consistently play in the post, but the potential is there for him to add it...Dwight at times gets too into the game and picks up cheap fouls...Will need to make the transition from center to PF.... Other than that, a wonderful talent.

Notes: An honor student.....Dwight used to be a guard, which explains why his perimeter skills are so developed. Quoting an opposing player, "He's everywhere."....A bit of throwback, has some old fashion style to his game.....The potential here is scary.

-Savneet Singh.

[hmm]

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[Colin]

Pfft, Orlando.

Does Okafur play a power game? Something similiar to Stoudemire? Or is he more finesse?

If he's power...it would be nice to see Amaré & Emeka together.

Amare stays at the high post more often and uses powerful slashing moves to the hoop (think Kevin Garnett with more force, KG is still better don't misread me) Okafor uses his great footwork and nice touch inside. UConn likes to drive from the opposite side of the floor as Okafor so that he can put it back from the weak side. On defence they are very similar but Emeka is definitly better.

And Amare and Emeka are both awful free-throw shooters.

[GloveGuy]

I don't really think you can compare Okafor to any power forward, epecially Amare, whose game is based more on athleticism.

Okafor is a center so compare him to a center. He's "the Shaq" of the college game, but he posses more defensive skills which could make up for his height. He's got some nice back-to-the-basket moves, but nothing spectacular. It's his defense that stands out.

But lets not be comparing him to Amare or anything, because their games are different. A shorter Alonzo Mourning is what I'd call him. Or maybe a more orthodox, dramatically shorter Dikembe Mutumbo.

[Colin]

Him and Alonzo are the same height (6'10'')

Edit: And you can compare a center to a power forward if they play in a similar style. Okafor does use athleticism, especially on defence, but Amare relies more on it. They do have similar (not the same) games, the main difference is Okafor spends more time in the post on offence.

[GloveGuy]

Edit: And you can compare a center to a power forward if they play in a similar style. Okafor does use athleticism, especially on defence, but Amare relies more on it. They do have similar (not the same) games, the main difference is Okafor spends more time in the post on offence.

From what I've seen, Okafor is listed at 6'9", but either way, it's not really a big difference.

I know you've seen Okafor on defense, and you can't say that it's mostly athleticism that gets him those blocks. His timing when going up for a block is perfect and purely based on skill. Amare is way more "in your face" than Okafor, who is much more fundamentally sound in my opinion.

[The Game]

i dont think okafor will play center in the NBA... he doesnt look big enough to play center.. but looks can be decieving.. you'll quickly learn that when you see him move in the post...

[The Game]

okafor leads connecticut to the ncaa title!!!

[Colin]

I didn't say it's mostly athleticism, I think he has great skill and timing. But his athleticism is a big part of it to. Some of his blocks when the other team is on a fat break he sprints down and gets a huge ammount of hangtime waiting for the player to release the shot, then it's gone.

[putodelagoa]

So everybody just mocks on Okafor because he isn't tall enough, even though he does have the complete package for a n. 1 pick...

The way he just dominated the last moments of the Duke game, missing, rebounding and putting it back in shows something about him.

Would any GM pick Charles Barkley in a modern draft? I mean he was a 6 ft 5 power forward...
Who cares if he could dominate a game?

Alonzo Mourning wasn't neither very tall for his position (6ft10) nor very refined, offensively. So you wouldn't take him at nr. 1, today...

Neither would you pick a Ben Wallace that stands at 6ft 9.

Ratliff swats everithing that moves, beeing 6.10 and i don't see Portland trading him for a guy with 2 more inches of "upside".

Elton Brand puts up 20 and 10 night in night out, and people still complain about how he didn't improve statistically during his career. What? should he be putting up 30 and 20, by now? What's wrong with 20 and 10, which are his career numbers? How much more could you wish for? Ah ! Forgot he's 6ft 8... Must be that.

Damn! How much did Tim Duncan improve statistically? And he's by now 2 time mvp...

Instead the bulls are stuck with a kid that will be lucky to ever average this numbers during one full season. But he has more "upside", because he runs like a gazelle and his 7 feet tall.

Always the same stuff. Great players beeing overlooked because they don't display the "pro body"or "pro-size"...

How tall and heavy was Bill Russell?

Okafor will change dramatically somebody's team, as a center or wathever, because he nows how to play.

What's wrong about picking the sure thing?

[EGarrett]

I'd have to say we can't tell how tall Okafor is until he's measured at Draft Camp. Different schools handle their height listings differently.

Some schools measure players when they come in as freshmen then don't change that measurement, which is why Tim Duncan was listed at 6'10" at Wake Forest and turned out to be around 7'0" when he was measured.

Other schools measure players without sneakers on, like Indiana. Jared Jeffries was listed at 6'10" in school but turned out to be 6'10" in his socks...so he's listed as 6'11" now.

And of course there are schools which let players be listed as almost whatever they want. Dajuan Wagner was listed as 6'3" at Memphis but turned out to not even reach 6'1" in his socks.

So Emeka was listed as 6'9" early in his college career but is 6'10" now. Did he simply ask to be listed as more? Was he re-measured? If so, was it with or without sneakers. Emeka could turn out to be anywhere from 6'8" to 6'11" depending on these factors.

Same for Dwight Howard, really...but I'd take Emeka over him in a second. Okafor is very intelligent, hard-working, and has already demonstrated that he's NBA-ready. No way am I passing that up for another Darko or Kwame Brown.