Emeka Okafor

[Kingsroots]

Or maybe Amick was told to shut the valve for now. Kings trades always end up being different than what we hear about anyway.

 

[bajaden]

But they'd be adding a prospect Center on a rookie contract. They're trying to cut salary, but I think they don't think Okafor is a fit in NO's. I have trolled some of the Hornets boards since this trade has come up and they really believe Spence could be Brad Miller 2.0 and it excites more then a few of them to have that type of prospect come in.... I think it's something they'd consider (we might have to take someone back though)

What they say on their fourms has about as much value as what we say here. Its intertaining for us, but its only rooted in our personal desires. If you go and read some of the local rags from there you get the picture of a franchise thats more interested in saving money now. Its easy for us to throw their money around, but were talking millions of dollars. Thats a lot of cervesa's mi amigo..

 

[VF21]

Or maybe Amick was told to shut the valve for now. Kings trades always end up being different than what we hear about anyway.

That's the one thing a reporter - good, bad or otherwise - won't do. If they get a lead, they run with it. They don't pull the plug on it just because it would be inconvenient for the people involved.

The Kings would never ask Amick or any other writer to "shut the valve" and they have no leverage at all to tell him to do so. In fact, if they tried, it would make wonderful fodder for the Sacbee sports section for weeks.

If Amick drew back it's because the lead didn't pan out and the story isn't a story, at least at this point in time.

 

[rainmaker]

That's the one thing a reporter - good, bad or otherwise - won't do. If they get a lead, they run with it. They don't pull the plug on it just because it would be inconvenient for the people involved.

The Kings would never ask Amick or any other writer to "shut the valve" and they have no leverage at all to tell him to do so. In fact, if they tried, it would make wonderful fodder for the Sacbee sports section for weeks.

If Amick drew back it's because the lead didn't pan out and the story isn't a story, at least at this point in time.

True. But Amick also said the Kings and NO were discussing other options. Obviously I don't know if anything will happen, but I'm getting the feeling the FO is looking to make moves, and that they think this team is ready to take another step forward.

 

[VF21]

I think it was a slow news day and Amick ran with something that was basically nothing. But hey, it livened up talk around here for the day, didn't it?

 

[Chupacabra]

Im somewhat heart broken. Oh well, the prospect of acquiring a mobile, rebounding, defensive center certainly is exciting to me. We can all still look forward to Martin and Garcia coming back and the ongoing chemistry building.

 

[DoDiGaG0]

1. were not going to land a big name FA next year

2. Okafor's not as oft injured as perceived

3. were not going to land a better FA than Okafor

4. Look at the contract Charlie V got...lots of teams will have lots of $$ next year to throw around, and we'll be overpaying for anyone we get anyways.

 

[Oprostaj]

1. were not going to land a big name FA next year

2. Okafor's not as oft injured as perceived

3. were not going to land a better FA than Okafor

4. Look at the contract Charlie V got...lots of teams will have lots of $$ next year to throw around, and we'll be overpaying for anyone we get anyways.

I agree with the first 3 points. We should go after him if the price is right. However, you are mistaken on one thing. Simple economics. The cap will go down (or stay same), it is a BUYERS MARKET. The contracts that Charlie V and Ben Gordon got were borderline idiotic/moronic/WTF contracts, and each player was overpaid. Having said that, once you get past LBJ, Wade, Bosh, Amar'e... the rest of these players will not really be in a position to demand max money. Unless Sprewell comes back into the leauge. We might be able to lure a free agent here if this team ends up surprising everybody and finishing good in the standings, become exciting and have cash to offer. I would still trade for Okafor, just need to tone it down because he is neither a game changer or a star. He's a very good complementary piece that would work well with JT. Okafor is a little more finesse, not power, altough he can certanly hold his own in the paint.

 

[CalsFinest]

Dang. So he's saying it's basically nothing at all? How lame...

 

[Bricklayer]

Dang. So he's saying it's basically nothing at all? How lame...

There was a nibble, there was a talk, at least according to his "source", and then the talk went away or morphed into other players/ideas.

As always with these things there are all kinds of points where the info can break down. Source was lying, source not privy to new negotiations, source was made up, source misunderstood/had shaky info, we pull back (maybe to see if we keep winning before making move), we pull back when Maloofs get nervous about $$$, we pull back when Geoff falls back asleep, Hornets pull back after initial panic mode. Hornets pull back after CP3 tells them they'd better trade him too if they do that. Thousand ways it doesn't happen, only one way it does.

 

[bajaden]

There was a nibble, there was a talk, at least according to his "source", and then the talk went away or morphed into other players/ideas.

As always with these things there are all kinds of points where the info can break down. Source was lying, source not privy to new negotiations, source was made up, source misunderstood/had shaky info, we pull back (maybe to see if we keep winning before making move), we pull back when Maloofs get nervous about $$$, we pull back when Geoff falls back asleep, Hornets pull back after initial panic mode. Hornets pull back after CP3 tells them they'd better trade him too if they do that. Thousand ways it doesn't happen, only one way it does.

I agree. Plus we all know that Petrie doesn't like anything he's up to made public until its a done deal. I't wouldn't surprise me if the first thing he did after hearing the rumor was do everything in his power to squelch it. True or not. I've always been a smoke and fire guy, so something may well still come out of it. On the other hand, it may have been nothing more than Petrie calling and inquiring about Okafor and the Hornets saying no, but how would you like Peja. Hopefully that was the end of that conservation.

 

[CruzDude]

As I understand it and as Amick has written, this would be a 1 for 1 swap: Okafor for KT. I like KT and he is a major help to the bigger Kids. Need to know how well Okafor would fit in, what is his personality and how well he is coachable before I am pro or con on this. Leaning yes, but not much yet.

 

[Catalyst]

I remember Peja for Artest was talked about for a long time. It went away and came back several times and then actually happened.

Sometimes the whispers you hear pan out, sometimes they don't.

I think this one was legit considering what the Hornets are undergoing. Kenny Thomas offers cap relief if you're a rebuilding team, and it sounds like the Hornets might be going in that direction soon.

But, NBA teams don't want trade discussions known to players. If a trade doesn't pan out and the media runs a story on it, said player is likely going to feel a bit ticked off and "betrayed by the franchise," that they were even considering trading him. Not a good thing.

At the same time, I believe that Geoff Petrie said a few years ago that GMs are always discussing things, because — it's their job.

You want to know who's available in case an injury happens or a possible deal comes up that lets you move a player who's unhappy into a better situation. You always want to know if there's ways you can improve your team, so you're going to talk and discuss scenarios with other teams. You'll also want to know how valuable your players are in other people's eyes.

Anyway, I don't think you can completely discount some of the rumors that pop up on the internet, because even some of the crazy ones end up happening.

 

[hrdboild]

It's probably pre-mature for New Orleans to start shopping Okafor. There's still a lot of season left and his contract represents a long-term commitment which could be a benefit to the team if he fits into what they're doing. There'll definitely be takers if they wait until the trade deadline and they may get a better offer so the smart thing for them to do is wait and see. I wouldn't be surprised if this one comes up again later in the season.

 

[Catalyst]

It's probably pre-mature for New Orleans to start shopping Okafor. There's still a lot of season left and his contract represents a long-term commitment which could be a benefit to the team if he fits into what they're doing. There'll definitely be takers if they wait until the trade deadline and they may get a better offer so the smart thing for them to do is wait and see. I wouldn't be surprised if this one comes up again later in the season.

I've been hanging out on a Hornets message board to see what they thought of this deal. Some of them expressed your sentiments, and the other half seem to feel with the new management coming in, sweeping changes are coming soon.

Hornets have big contracts, they're paying the luxury tax, and they're a team that isn't going to contend for a title, so doing a bit of house cleaning seems unavoidable at this point, at least IMO.

 

[beb0p]

The thing with Okafor is not that he is injury-prone. I don't think he suffered more injuries than a typical big man. The problem is that he is notorious for unwilling to play with injury, major or minor. He does not suit up unless he is feeling 100%. Not 90%, not 95%; it has to be 100%.

Even when he is healthy, he doesn't play until he himself is sure he is indeed healthy. It's been reported that some of his teammates are beginning to question Okafor.

The New Orleans Hornets still don’t know what to make of new center Emeka Okafor. He has yet to play or even practice with them, and his prolonged absence has some team members privately shaking their heads.

An NBA source told Yahoo! Sports that Okafor was cleared to play by the Hornets’ medical staff two weeks ago and by his own doctor a week later. Most of Okafor’s teammates know he has been cleared and are eager to see whether he works out with them for the first time over the weekend.
“He better practice Sunday or he could lose some guys,” one Hornet said.

"He might have been cleared medically, but from a mental standpoint he is not cleared," New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. "In his mind, he says he’s not ready. When you have a guy that says he is not ready, the worst thing you can do is force him to get out there."

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=mc-okaforhornets102209&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

In a season-closing interview, Bobcats coach Larry Brown says he wants Okafor to love basketball more. “I always tease that he has an ‘A' in stretching. Pilates and yoga. I'd like him to have an ‘A' in basketball,” Brown says.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/bobcats/story/856709.html

Emeka Okafor was publicly blasted by his former head coach in Charlotte on more than one occasion for being very particular about his body. He's one of those guys who doesn't go unless he's absolutely 100 percent. While that can sometimes prevent re-aggravation of injuries, it's also something that tends to irritate coaches, especially old school coaches like Larry Brown.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=14132

I think Okafor is one of those guys who will continue to miss games throughout his career. It's his personality. If a guy doesn't like to play with nagging injuries that's the way it is. You can't force him to play. Now, the last two seasons where he played in all the games, that's half blink luck and half common sense, imo. It's not unusual for an injury-prone guy to stay healthy for a short period after missing significant time due to injuries. It's because they came back fresh and healthy. But after a couple seasons, they revert right back to their injury selves. Except, in Okafor's case, it's not really the injury that's going to keep him out but his mind that's going to stop him from playing.

Furthermore, Okafor needs starter minutes. He is much more effective that way.

He’d (Sam Vincent) gut Emeka Okafor’s playing time, only to wonder why Okafor fell into an unprecedented funk. Then he’d restore Okafor’s minutes and - surprise! - Okafor went back to being the reliable and efficient (if limited) big man who once won rookie of the year.

http://blogs.charlotte.com/inside_the_nba/2008/04/this-isnt-going.html

In other words, if the Kings get Okafor, they're essentially giving up on Hawes for an overpaid, oft-injured, and undersized center. If money is not the issue I'd love to have Okafor. But at at his price, the only logically thing to do is pass.

Let's say Okafor comes aboard and plays to his normal self, does that make us a champion-calibre team? No. Playoff team certainly but not a championship team.

However, if Okafor instead becomes the man who misses 30-60 games then this team is screwed. We're stuck with a half-performing cap killer for the next half decade.

The risk to reward does not make sense. It just simply doesn't. We need another big sure, but not one who is overpaid and with a history of missing games. When the trade deadline comes, I'm sure his name will come up again. The smart thing for the Kings to do is to take a look at Hawes and say, "No thanks. Our center may be a weenie but at least he plays thru injuries, is not undersized, and not overpaid."

 

[roasthawg]

The thing with Okafor is not that he is injury-prone. I don't think he suffered more injuries than a typical big man. The problem is that he is notorious for unwilling to play with injury, major or minor. He does not suit up unless he is feeling 100%. Not 90%, not 95%; it has to be 100%.

Even when he is healthy, he doesn't play until he himself is sure he is indeed healthy. It's been reported that some of his teammates are beginning to question Okafor.






I think Okafor is one of those guys who will continue to miss games throughout his career. It's his personality. If a guy doesn't like to play with nagging injuries that's the way it is. You can't force him to play. Now, the last two seasons where he played in all the games, that's half blink luck and half common sense, imo. It's not unusual for an injury-prone guy to stay healthy for a short period after missing significant time due to injuries. It's because they came back fresh and healthy. But after a couple seasons, they revert right back to their injury selves. Except, in Okafor's case, it's not really the injury that's going to keep him out but his mind that's going to stop him from playing.

Furthermore, Okafor needs starter minutes. He is much more effective that way.




In other words, if the Kings get Okafor, they're essentially giving up on Hawes for an overpaid, oft-injured, and undersized center. If money is not the issue I'd love to have Okafor. But at at his price, the only logically thing to do is pass.

Let's say Okafor comes aboard and plays to his normal self, does that make us a champion-calibre team? No. Playoff team certainly but not a championship team.

However, if Okafor instead becomes the man who misses 30-60 games then this team is screwed. We're stuck with a half-performing cap killer for the next half decade.

The risk to reward does not make sense. It just simply doesn't. We need another big sure, but not one who is overpaid and with a history of missing games. When the trade deadline comes, I'm sure his name will come up again. The smart thing for the Kings to do is to take a look at Hawes and say, "No thanks. Our center may be a weenie but at least he plays thru injuries, is not undersized, and not overpaid."

Wow, this post (the quotes in particular) has me rethinking the Okafor deal. I wasn't 100% sold on it before but I was pro-Okafor... this kind of changes my thinking some.

 

[Chupacabra]

This post youve quoted is one big "what if" post. Why are people using the arguement "hed make us a playoff team, but not a CHAMPIONSHIP team." Name one damn player that we have a realistic shot at that will take us from the level of team we are now to a championship team. Its not a good reason to dismiss Okafor. Id have absolutely no problem benching Hawes for someone that will play physical basketball.

 

[Catalyst]

The thing with Okafor is not that he is injury-prone. I don't think he suffered more injuries than a typical big man. The problem is that he is notorious for unwilling to play with injury, major or minor.
{snip rest of well researched post}

VERY interesting quotes. I was on the fence about this at first, but after reading what some Hornets fans thought of Okafor, I thought it would end up being a good deal.

After reading this... hrm. If I were GM, I'd be making a lot of calls to get a gauge on his personality before pulling the trigger. While I can live with a guy who doesn't love basketball, but still gives a good effort, I don't think I'd be wanting that guy on my roster if he was making the kind of money Okafor was.

Too risky.

Thanks for posting this beb0p.

 

[LWP777]

The guy has played in all 82 games the past 2 seasons. I seriously doubt he was "100%" every single one of those games. I think you'd be hard pressed to find guys in the league that haven't missed a single game the past 2 years. I don't really think you can put him in the "injury prone" category at this point in his career. I think maybe his second and third year in the league you could, but he has obviously had perfect attendance since then.

 

[ElRey]

With new rumours of a three team trade, Maybe now NO will sweeten the deal. Perhaps add a first round draft pick?

 

[Bricklayer]

With new rumours of a three team trade, Maybe now NO will sweeten the deal. Perhaps add a first round draft pick?

Somehow I doubt New Orleans is going to sweeten a deal where they are already giving up so much for no return (other than financial).

 

[Nighthawk1]

If anything right now it seems like we're the ones initiating these trade talks lookign for a defensive 7footer. So we'd have to sweeten our side

 

[Bballkingsrock]

I would rather have this trade because Okafor is a solid player, and woulnt mind having him for a while and also keeping Nocioni. We would have the toughest team in the league and it owuld be fun to watch/

 

[Smills91]

I wanna see these rumors COMBINED...

...in that...

Kings deal: Kenny Thomas, Andres Nocioni
Kings receive: Emeka Okafor, JR Giddens, Brian Scalabrine

Celtics deal: Brian Scalabrine, Tony Allen, JR Giddens
Celtics receive: Andres Nocioni

Hornets deal: Emeka Okafor
Hornets receive: Kenny Thomas, Tony Allen

Moving Nocioni's deal makes acquiring Okafor a lot more feasible financially, when our rooks(sophs and juniors too) are starting to come up for extensons. Okafor's deal will be dwindling in years when Shock, Evans and Casspi are due up for bigger contracts. Having Nocioni off the books will allow the Kings to basically stay within a reasonable realm financially during a Martin/Okafor anchorage over the next 4 years.

I would LOVE this deal!

C: Okafor, Hawes, Scalabrine
PF: Thompson, Brockman, May
SF: Udoka, Casspi, Greene
SG: Martin, Garcia, Giddens
PG: Evans, Beno, Rodriguez

Solid, VERY solid 15 man roster with room for improvement too.

 

[Andre87]

after seeing Spencer NOTSOhawesOME "play" these couple of weeks I'm leaning towards absolutely

 

[VF21]

...in that...

Kings deal: Kenny Thomas, Andres Nocioni
Kings receive: Emeka Okafor, JR Giddens, Brian Scalabrine

Celtics deal: Brian Scalabrine, Tony Allen, JR Giddens
Celtics receive: Andres Nocioni

Hornets deal: Emeka Okafor
Hornets receive: Kenny Thomas, Tony Allen

Moving Nocioni's deal makes acquiring Okafor a lot more feasible financially, when our rooks(sophs and juniors too) are starting to come up for extensons. Okafor's deal will be dwindling in years when Shock, Evans and Casspi are due up for bigger contracts. Having Nocioni off the books will allow the Kings to basically stay within a reasonable realm financially during a Martin/Okafor anchorage over the next 4 years.

I would LOVE this deal!

C: Okafor, Hawes, Scalabrine
PF: Thompson, Brockman, May
SF: Udoka, Casspi, Greene
SG: Martin, Garcia, Giddens
PG: Evans, Beno, Rodriguez

Solid, VERY solid 15 man roster with room for improvement too.

Okafor's deal doesn't dwindle. It actually gets larger each year.

 

[Nighthawk1]

Okafor's deal doesn't dwindle. It actually gets larger each year.

You're right.. To help you illustrate...

Emeka Okafor $10,538,937 $11,540,375 $12,541,812 $13,543,250 $14,544,687

 

[VF21]

That's what makes Nocioni's deal so rare. His contract actually goes down, IIRC, rather than increase.

 

[BMiller52]

...in that...

Kings deal: Kenny Thomas, Andres Nocioni
Kings receive: Emeka Okafor, JR Giddens, Brian Scalabrine

Celtics deal: Brian Scalabrine, Tony Allen, JR Giddens
Celtics receive: Andres Nocioni

Hornets deal: Emeka Okafor
Hornets receive: Kenny Thomas, Tony Allen

Moving Nocioni's deal makes acquiring Okafor a lot more feasible financially, when our rooks(sophs and juniors too) are starting to come up for extensons. Okafor's deal will be dwindling in years when Shock, Evans and Casspi are due up for bigger contracts. Having Nocioni off the books will allow the Kings to basically stay within a reasonable realm financially during a Martin/Okafor anchorage over the next 4 years.

I would LOVE this deal!

C: Okafor, Hawes, Scalabrine
PF: Thompson, Brockman, May
SF: Udoka, Casspi, Greene
SG: Martin, Garcia, Giddens
PG: Evans, Beno, Rodriguez

Solid, VERY solid 15 man roster with room for improvement too.

OMG please. Dude, WHY do we have to get rid of Noc for crap like Scalabrine and an unproven wing player who won't even get any time here like Giddens? Seriously, there's a simple solution here without making the trade more complicated(which you probably did by playing around with the trade checker on real gm), it's just a straight up swap of Kenny for Okafor. There, put Okafor next to JT and keep Noc as the starter and we actually might be good on defense. Problem solved, lets not make this trade more complicated than it needs to be.