Our Boozer Stopper

Emeka Okafor will be a free agent next july...Not really sure how the trades work with money and such....but i think emeka and ellis has a brighter future than beans and ellis. Trade beans and some fillers for a sign and trade contract of okafor.</p>

 

I'd rather have Okafor over Biedrins. I mean are you kidding me? Is there any reason why we wouldn't want him over Biedrins besides Okafor's injuries or cost? The guy has a more complete post game than Biedrins, he has more strength, he has more offense, he's a better all-around defender, he's got better technical skill for a center, and he's a proven nba player since day 1 and he was as a collegiate champion and star on his team. Okafor has great upside still and he could really keep our inside game honest. He'd be like to us as Boozer is to Utah so long as we have the guards to back Okafor up and give him space to operate in the paint. Plus, Okafor is pretty classy character and he was a good student in college despite focussing a lot on basketball. Having him on our team would be like having an Alonzo Mourning lite.</p>

But if we couldn't get Okafor, Biedrins could be just as good if he can get more muscle and develop a better offensive game (which he might have already we just don't know it). The key thing I want in a big man is:</p>

1.) hands (catch the ball obviously for rebounding, finishing the play, throwing it back out, etc.)
2.) strength (can't hold position in the post without strength.)
3.) Ability to play all forms of defense without fouling out (like how Clif Robinson or Kurt Thomas play post D and how Marcus Camby plays weakside help D)
4.) mobility (running up the floor, lateral movement, covering post to post on weakside help, getting out of position rebounds, coordination)
5.) length (long arms, tall size, ability to grab passes and rebounds without having to gather leap all the time to play bigger)</p>

Biedrins has at least some of that (hands, defensive ability with only some phantom foul trouble, mobility, length). He has also has good balance, coordination, and recovery time which is important otherwise he'd just be ungainly for his size.</p>

 

Well said. I like beans for his energy and running ability. But when it comes to the half court game, he doesnt have the strength to hold off guys like boozer, or as of last night, chris kaman.</p>

Okafor, AL, sjax....would be a good starting front going into next year....and then mix in baron/monta/buike assuming they can retain them to run the team.</p>

 

I rather have Okafor from what I've seen. He puts more pressure on the opponent's offense and gets into the flow to score his points. As for the Millsap stopper, we got POB.</p>

SJax-Okafor-AL or AL-Okafor-POB front line is an upgrade from what we have. They can have Pietrus in the deal, too.</p>

 

This Okafor stuff aside, I really don't want to see Al playing small forward. He makes me nervous with his post dribbling as a power forward, and when he tries to drive off the dribble, it's pretty harrowing to watch, not unlike how I used to feel watching Antawn Jamison do the same thing.</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Montaman)</div><div class='quotemain'></p>

This Okafor stuff aside, I really don't want to see Al playing small forward. He makes me nervous with his post dribbling as a power forward, and when he tries to drive off the dribble, it's pretty harrowing to watch, not unlike how I used to feel watching Antawn Jamison do the same thing.</p>

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Where else do we put a tweener who is too slow to play small forward and too weak to play power forward? The guy is basically Antwan Jamison with less awkward moves. The lack of rebounding and interior D is what is killing us.</p>

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Lets give Al some time....that spin move he pulled yesterday for a dunk was sick. When jackson comes back, that'll be one more guy that'll hog the ball and take away from Al's dribbling/dancing routine.</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (scania612)</div><div class='quotemain'></p>

Lets give Al some time....that spin move he pulled yesterday for a dunk was sick. When jackson comes back, that'll be one more guy that'll hog the ball and take away from Al's dribbling/dancing routine.</p>

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LOL. I guess Al was listening to much "Soulja Boy" while practicing his ball moves. </p>

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I'm for giving AL some time, but he's more a SF to me. We need someone at PF until Brandan Wright can compete online. If we can get Okafor or Shawn Marion, I'm willing to deal Wright and others. If Baron's our main guy, we need to go for it all now.</p>

 

I amjust curious if guy s have noticed a down attitude. This has been bothering me since game one. I remember Pietrus getting taken out of the game and we walked slowly off the court like he was pouting. The xpression on his face as well as his body language was just bad. I have yet to see him show emotion and enthusiasm even when he does something positive. Gone is his cheerleading effervescent personality. He acts like a guy who doesnt want to be here. And it is really noticeable everytime he subs out.</p>

I also see the same, but to a lesser degree in baron this year. Not the attitude really, but just a sense of defeatism or just not enthisiastic.</p>

Biedrins doenst seem to be playing hungry and aggressive like last year. It seemed the guy could get all those loose balls and odd boards that popped out beyond the box outs.</p>

Ellis to me also has been kind of in that down unenthusiastic mode.</p>

The only guys that seem really up are Al. Belly and Azu.</p>

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There just seems to be something missing in the teams demeanor thus far. I dont know if it is the loss of jax and j-rich's passion and fire to win at all costs or just being down from the losing start.</p>

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (boogielew)</div><div class='quotemain'></p>

I amjust curious if guy s have noticed a down attitude. This has been bothering me since game one. I remember Pietrus getting taken out of the game and we walked slowly off the court like he was pouting. The xpression on his face as well as his body language was just bad. I have yet to see him show emotion and enthusiasm even when he does something positive. Gone is his cheerleading effervescent personality. He acts like a guy who doesnt want to be here. And it is really noticeable everytime he subs out.</p>

I also see the same, but to a lesser degree in baron this year. Not the attitude really, but just a sense of defeatism or just not enthisiastic.</p>

Biedrins doenst seem to be playing hungry and aggressive like last year. It seemed the guy could get all those loose balls and odd boards that popped out beyond the box outs.</p>

Ellis to me also has been kind of in that down unenthusiastic mode.</p>

The only guys that seem really up are Al. Belly and Azu.</p>

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There just seems to be something missing in the teams demeanor thus far. I dont know if it is the loss of jax and j-rich's passion and fire to win at all costs or just being down from the losing start.</p>

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Well, I can maybe see why Pietrus would be frustrated. He's having to play a matchup he's not well suited for. Biedrins is just simply outmatched physically and probably fatigued from year long basketball.</p>

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Maybe Baron is unhappy. Who knows... Maybe they found out Cohan has money problems or might sell the team or something... I can't figure it out. Maybe they know small ball is a one trick pony predicated on speed and hustle rather than traditional ball where a team has options to go smaller or bigger and not just smaller all the time.</p>

 

I think what makes Harrington an undersized power forward is the fact that he isn't ast his best with the ball of the floor. He's been doing a better job lately, but in the past it seems like he misses a lot of layups, too many to be a slashing small forward. I'm not confident with his ballhandling at that position either. I think at the 4, he can at least out quick the defender. He's reasonably athletic enough to do that.</p>

The great irony about Al Harrington is that for all his superior athleticism and so forth, his offensive game isn't all that dissimilar from Troy Murphy's. He's a power forward who has a solid jumper, all the way past the three point line, but as he gets in closer he lacks the finesse or strength to muscle up and sink the post layups. Now, to be fair, Al is certainly paid more fairly for his contribution to this team than Murphy was or would be now, and he's a vastly superior defender, but also not as good a rebounder. The Warriors fans who are losing their heads over our poor rebounding during this 0-3 start must realize that this is not an accident, it's a result of the personnel and the style of play Don Nelson wants. I'm sure he'd like to have a great rebounding power forward who could run the floor, and maybe Brandan Wright can be that. But for everything you love about Don Nelson, there's likely going to be a flipside.</p>

 

Its only been 3 games. Let's give Biedrins some time. He made an amazing leap last year. Okafor has definite talent but Biedrins is better suited for the W's as they are currently built because he rebounds, block shots, screens and has great hands. He's young too and has not yet been injured. Yes he's got to learn to play tougher interior defense, but he's learned to stay away from instant foul trouble and I think in the long run he'll get the hang of interior defense also. He's just got to learn to put his length to use. Jabbar got pushed around too but he was still pretty good on the interior.</p>

I love Biedrins; especially after what we saw before he came alive, Foyle, Murphy, Dampier, ugh.</p>

I think some got spoiled and now there's this wanting of even more immediate growth by Biedrins and that may not be realistic.</p>

Al is a tweener but ultimately he'll be a good 4 matchup because he'll out quick them and he'll rebound enough to hold the spot.</p>