Emeka Okafor
- Thread starter ockingsfan
- Start date
No. I'm not talking about this off season, because there's no way guys like Bosh and Lebron come here. But what about after that? Or what about the more realistic free agents like David Lee?
Bynum
Kaman
B Lopez
Howard
Yao (when healthy)
Big Al
Duncan
KG (plays more 5)
Al Horford
Lee (plays C for D'antoni)
and then after that guys like Noah, M Gasol, and Hibbert are producing around the same level.
It's not about him being a good C, it's about him not being good enough and make enough impact to compensate for what his contract does to the team's options.
But this is my point: the Kings are NOT done, because this stupid little 4 game winning streak doesn't mean this team is over with being in the lottery. What if this team goes on to have a poor second half to the season and ends up back in the lottery? Are you seriously saying that the 5-4 start prooves this team is out of the woods? That going 5-4 proves that the rebuilding days are over? What are you smoking?
Bynum
Kaman
B Lopez
Howard
Yao (when healthy)
Big Al
Duncan
KG (plays more 5)
Al Horford
Lee (plays C for D'antoni)
and then after that guys like Noah, M Gasol, and Hibbert are producing around the same level.
It's not about him being a good C, it's about him not being good enough and make enough impact to compensate for what his contract does to the team's options.
But this is my point: the Kings are NOT done, because this stupid little 4 game winning streak doesn't mean this team is over with being in the lottery. What if this team goes on to have a poor second half to the season and ends up back in the lottery? Are you seriously saying that the 5-4 start prooves this team is out of the woods? That going 5-4 proves that the rebuilding days are over? What are you smoking?
Your right Hawes could be better, and Thompson is already better in many areas... but no one is saying we should give those guys up. Our team is already very good at rebounding (God only knows how) and we are a decent shot blocking team... but adding an elite player that does both will make us among the best. Adding Okafor doesn't just give us a great playoff possibility... it gives us a great playoff possibility with the 2nd youngest team in the league. Already in the playoffs with all that room for players like Casspi, Hawes, Thompson, Martin, Garcia, Brockman to grow. For me, thats ideal. I'm not saying playoffs are guaranteed, but that isn't the point. The point is that we would already be contending way ahead of schedule.
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I say do it. Passing on this deal and waiting to make a splash in free agency is too risky IMO. I don't see us getting a better big man than Okafor through free agencyover the next 2 years, or one that comes close talent wise (don't know who's a FA in 2012). We aren't going to get a top draft pick, that ship has sailed.
I understand wanting to save cap room for the summer, but realisticly I don't see us attracting a big name FA. If that happens, we miss out. Who would we really have a shot at signing this summer if we pass on this trade?
I understand wanting to save cap room for the summer, but realisticly I don't see us attracting a big name FA. If that happens, we miss out. Who would we really have a shot at signing this summer if we pass on this trade?
It's not ABOUT the summer. It's about the next 5 years of Emeka's deal. It's about not just free agents, but being able to keep a team together without totally burying the team with overloaded contracts just like what happened before with Miller and Bibby.
Within the next 5 years, the Kings, even if they don't make any trades or go after any players that are better, have to have enough cash to keep the guys they want to keep. If that includes Evans, Casspi, JT, Hawes, etc, then they will have to have enough cap room to do so.
Within the next 5 years, the Kings, even if they don't make any trades or go after any players that are better, have to have enough cash to keep the guys they want to keep. If that includes Evans, Casspi, JT, Hawes, etc, then they will have to have enough cap room to do so.
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cap flexibility is really not all that interesting anymore. in this economic climate, the salary cap itself is plummeting annually. free agents are nervous. they want to get paid, and they aren't sure that leaving their present teams will net them the most money. their agents are nervous. they want to get paid, and that happens when their clients get paid. every team is nervous, because they want to retain their talent, but they don't want to go broke while doing it...
sacramento is not a particularly attractive destination for free agents, at the moment, because its a small, struggling market of little note around the country. the winning atmosphere of the early '00's put sacramento on the map as a basketball city, but that national sense of good will has diminished considerably since then, especially with the arena situation being what it is. arco arena used to be a place to ball, because the 17,000 strong were the most raucous fans in the nba. but now its just an empty, obsolete, barn of a building that i can't imagine most top tier free agents would be interested in making their home court. forget lebron. forget dwayne wade. forget chris bosh, too. those are the [pipe] dreams. so, who's left? amare stoudemire? no thanks. the last thing the kings need is another soft frontcourt player. tyson chandler? he's a solid defensive big, but emeka okafor is comparable, defensively, and more talented on the offensive side of the ball...
this kings team is getting better right in front of our eyes, but they aren't done yet. the VERY last thing the kings need is geoff petrie to revert back to his sit-on-my-hands attitude from the middle of this decade. waiting for some savior to land in sacramento through free agency two, three, four years from now is kinda foolish, at this point, especially when tyreke evans might very well be the superstud the kings have been looking for all along. so, i say bank on 'reke, and start filling in the holes around him. you can definitely do worse than a good, defensive-oriented, 27 year-old, double-double center in the nba, so the kings need to at least consider a thomas for okafor trade, especially when the next best thing is the uncertainty of tyson chandler via free agency...
sacramento is not a particularly attractive destination for free agents, at the moment, because its a small, struggling market of little note around the country. the winning atmosphere of the early '00's put sacramento on the map as a basketball city, but that national sense of good will has diminished considerably since then, especially with the arena situation being what it is. arco arena used to be a place to ball, because the 17,000 strong were the most raucous fans in the nba. but now its just an empty, obsolete, barn of a building that i can't imagine most top tier free agents would be interested in making their home court. forget lebron. forget dwayne wade. forget chris bosh, too. those are the [pipe] dreams. so, who's left? amare stoudemire? no thanks. the last thing the kings need is another soft frontcourt player. tyson chandler? he's a solid defensive big, but emeka okafor is comparable, defensively, and more talented on the offensive side of the ball...
this kings team is getting better right in front of our eyes, but they aren't done yet. the VERY last thing the kings need is geoff petrie to revert back to his sit-on-my-hands attitude from the middle of this decade. waiting for some savior to land in sacramento through free agency two, three, four years from now is kinda foolish, at this point, especially when tyreke evans might very well be the superstud the kings have been looking for all along. so, i say bank on 'reke, and start filling in the holes around him. you can definitely do worse than a good, defensive-oriented, 27 year-old, double-double center in the nba, so the kings need to at least consider a thomas for okafor trade, especially when the next best thing is the uncertainty of tyson chandler via free agency...
He's just a terribly middling player. Not super skilled offensively or super athletic. Tapped out all his potential. Slightly better defensively than offensively, and while mobile, he's rigid and mechanical. What you see is what you get. He's an okay starter, but should be the fourth best starter on the team, not the third--that's why the Hornets are losing.
The impact of the market is exactly why this move is bad. You are getting a role player for a greater amount and length of contract than the highest paid and best player currently on the team. As prices for players drop, it only makes this worse. Emeka is getting 2005 money in a 2009 economy. Not good.
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geoff is that you? trading an expiring for a vet with a long term deal to stunt the growth of your own draft pick is definitely your m.o.; who needs capspace? in 2 years we will be a luxury tax team again and the maloof will ask you to cut salary but no one will want okafor because he got injured again because thats what happens to the highest paid kings player... webber, check... miller, check... bibby, check... martin, check... okafor, we'll have to wait and see...
The only thing that would make Dalembert more attractive is his contract. Okafor has been a much better player throughout their careers. He is also a year younger than Dalembert.
Dalembert for his career: 8 pts, 8.1 rbs, & 2 blks
His best season: 10.5 pts, 10.3 rbs, & 2.3 blks
Okafor for his career: 13.9 pts, 10.6 rbs, & 1.9 blks
His best season: 14.4 pts, 11.3 rbs, & 2.6 blks
Take it for what it is worth.
Dalembert for his career: 8 pts, 8.1 rbs, & 2 blks
His best season: 10.5 pts, 10.3 rbs, & 2.3 blks
Okafor for his career: 13.9 pts, 10.6 rbs, & 1.9 blks
His best season: 14.4 pts, 11.3 rbs, & 2.6 blks
Take it for what it is worth.
This is true whether the Kings get Okafor OR sign a FA this off season. Unless you are saying that the Kings should NOT use their cap space next year, then this is a moot point. They will either have Okafor's contract or someone else's (whatever FA they sign) and still have to deal with keeping the young players.
**** I hate people that judge the game by a boxscore!
What JT and Hawes will NEVER be is the defender and shot blocker that Okafor is. Hell Hawes will never be the rebounder that Okafor is.
Okafor is a perfect fit for our frontline. He rebounds, plays defence, blocks shots and plays within himself on offence. In other words a perfect complement to this team.
If you go into the future hoping that JT and Hawes are your key big man you are not winning anything of significance. Neither is a great defender and neither will be as good a defender as Okafor.
Is Okafor overpaid?! Sure! Is this a risky move?! Sure as are a lot of other moves. The point is that IF we think Reke is the franchise guy we have been looking for since Webber did his knee in Dallas, then this IS precisely the type of move that you DO make. Cap room for us was never about signing a superstar in FA because that will never happen. The cap space with us has always been about having flexibility to make a move for a player.
If we really look at this realistically, we are no chance of signing anyone better than Okafor in the FA and Okafor happens to be the sort of player we really need to solidify the front court.
This is all on premise that the front office is confident that Reke is our man and from everything we have been hearing from the team lately (and seeing from Reke), he looks to be that player we have been looking for.
What JT and Hawes will NEVER be is the defender and shot blocker that Okafor is. Hell Hawes will never be the rebounder that Okafor is.
Okafor is a perfect fit for our frontline. He rebounds, plays defence, blocks shots and plays within himself on offence. In other words a perfect complement to this team.
If you go into the future hoping that JT and Hawes are your key big man you are not winning anything of significance. Neither is a great defender and neither will be as good a defender as Okafor.
Is Okafor overpaid?! Sure! Is this a risky move?! Sure as are a lot of other moves. The point is that IF we think Reke is the franchise guy we have been looking for since Webber did his knee in Dallas, then this IS precisely the type of move that you DO make. Cap room for us was never about signing a superstar in FA because that will never happen. The cap space with us has always been about having flexibility to make a move for a player.
If we really look at this realistically, we are no chance of signing anyone better than Okafor in the FA and Okafor happens to be the sort of player we really need to solidify the front court.
This is all on premise that the front office is confident that Reke is our man and from everything we have been hearing from the team lately (and seeing from Reke), he looks to be that player we have been looking for.
None of the above are particularly coimparable, except maybe Chandler, who I would also like to have.
Brand was coming off major injury -- red flag.
Wallace was old and in decline.
Dampier was off of a contract year push. Been actually very good for them BTW -- doubt they are upset.
Curry was off a heart condition with weight issues.
McIlvane was off half a good season.
Emeka Okafor is one of the steadiest bigs in the league. Actually he may be the absolute steadiest. he absolutely is what he is. there is no mystery theere. No flop potential barring some freak injury. He just shows up, puts in his double doubel wiht 2 blocks, and goes home. Has done it every year now for 6 years straight, and is still in the prime of his career:
04-05: 35.6min 15.1pts 10.9rebs 1.7blk
05-06: 33.6min 13.2pts 10.0rebs 1.9blk
06-07: 34.8min 14.4pts 11.3rebs 2.6blk
07-08: 33.1min 13.8pts 10.7rebs 1.7blk
08-09: 33.2min 13.2pts 10.1rebs 1.7blk
09-10: 29.7min 10.7pts 9.2rebs 1.9blk
Steady as can be -- you can practically set your watch to him. Where is the bust potential? Even this year's slight dip is mostly due to a few fewr minutes.
Never been in love with the guy, certianly not as THE big on your team. But as a third big? Our trio of bigs would be one of the most talented frontcourts in the league.
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thank you.... at least im not the only who remembers how long we've had kenny thomas on the team.... and how useless he's been up until yesterday.
pass on okafor, if his contract was shorter like chandlers... fine, temporary fix until hawes and thompson figure out the pace of the nba. but not five years...
beno, 4 yrs remaining.... oh wait didnt we draft evans to play pg?
nocioni, 4 yrs remaining... we have omri and donte....
okafor, 4 years remaining... does the name hawes sound familiar?
im cool with martin, he's been ours the entire time... same goes for garcia to a lesser extent. but damn... geoff never learns and most fans just dont care.
pass on okafor, if his contract was shorter like chandlers... fine, temporary fix until hawes and thompson figure out the pace of the nba. but not five years...
beno, 4 yrs remaining.... oh wait didnt we draft evans to play pg?
nocioni, 4 yrs remaining... we have omri and donte....
okafor, 4 years remaining... does the name hawes sound familiar?
im cool with martin, he's been ours the entire time... same goes for garcia to a lesser extent. but damn... geoff never learns and most fans just dont care.
The more I look at it, the more I'm siding with doing the deal.
This team is going to have to overpay for FA talent.
And even then, they would have to overpay even more for a big man.
Do you really want to save K9's cap space for an overpaid swingman? Because that is what ends up happening. There are no good deals for big men.
This team is going to have to overpay for FA talent.
And even then, they would have to overpay even more for a big man.
Do you really want to save K9's cap space for an overpaid swingman? Because that is what ends up happening. There are no good deals for big men.
it would definitely be one of the most talented frontcourts in the league. the concern, in my opinion, has less to do with emeka okafor and more to do with tyreke evans. trading for okafor, at his current salary, is basically a vote of confidence in tyreke as the future of the franchise. that move communicates to tyreke that he's the man, and that the front office is going to start filling in the gaps around him. i think tyreke evans is as close to a sure thing in the nba as any rookie in the last couple of years, but essentially appointing him superstud-for-years-to-come would still seem like a rather bold statement this early in the season...
kenny thomas was a mediocre and undersized PF when we traded chris webber for him in '05...
emeka okafor is a consistent double-double threat, is a consistent defensive presence, is 27 years old, is still in his prime, and at 6'10", 255 lbs, is the right size for PF/C's in the nba in 2009...
okafor may be overpaid, but there's no other comparison here. his contract would not be anywhere near the dead weight of kenny thomas' contract, because okafor is an incredibly useful and effective player...
emeka okafor is a consistent double-double threat, is a consistent defensive presence, is 27 years old, is still in his prime, and at 6'10", 255 lbs, is the right size for PF/C's in the nba in 2009...
okafor may be overpaid, but there's no other comparison here. his contract would not be anywhere near the dead weight of kenny thomas' contract, because okafor is an incredibly useful and effective player...
Don't fool yourselves, NO doesn't do this trade with Okafor straight up for Thomas. Yea, they need the salary relief, but you don't save anything by cutting your 2nd best player for an expiring. The fans won't like it and CP3 won't like it. And, if there isn't anyone in the seats to watch, how much are you really saving.
Okafor for Thomas, a young talent (maybe Omri) and our 1st rounder is what I think they'll ask for. Especially if adding Okafur moves us out of the lottery. Then the trade is Thomas and 2 late 1st rounders, for their starting Center.
Now, Do you still do the deal?
Okafor for Thomas, a young talent (maybe Omri) and our 1st rounder is what I think they'll ask for. Especially if adding Okafur moves us out of the lottery. Then the trade is Thomas and 2 late 1st rounders, for their starting Center.
Now, Do you still do the deal?
Obviously not, but you may be missing what they are really attempting to do - shed salaries so they can make a run at one of the big FAs this summer with the enticement of playing next to Chris Paul. Remember that just last year they were willing to shed that same salary position (when they were paying it to Chandler) for a bunch of crap/enders from the Thunder.
This is by no means a defense of Okafor. While he is only slightly under 6'9" in his bare feet, and listed as 6'10" in shoes, he does have a wingspan of 7'4" that helps negate his lack of height for the position. To go along with that, he is a good athlete and isn't earthbound like Diogu and some others. Having said that, I think its fair to say that he's underaccheived based on the expectations of him. Of course that may be the fault of those who judged his ceiling.
At some point you have to take what is out there. Is their going to be a better deal for a player that fills this need? As far as shotblockers go, Emeka is one of the best in the league statistically. For that type of player (i.e. defensive minded big men) the guys that fill that role, are still young enough to be a long term fix for the problem, and aren't franchise guys are Emeka, Hibbert, Noah, and Chris Anderson.
The question becomes are going to commit to making a playoff run this season. If we are, we need to make a move to fill the hole of defensive minded center and we need to do it soon. Are any of those guys gettable with what we have to offer? Do we give up draft picks to get them? I think NO is desperate enough to make a stupid trade. If we can get Emeka without giving up a draft pick, I think that is a solid trade.
The question becomes are going to commit to making a playoff run this season. If we are, we need to make a move to fill the hole of defensive minded center and we need to do it soon. Are any of those guys gettable with what we have to offer? Do we give up draft picks to get them? I think NO is desperate enough to make a stupid trade. If we can get Emeka without giving up a draft pick, I think that is a solid trade.