Game Thread GAME# 42: MAGIC @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 13, 2017 - FRIDAY, 7:00 PM (PDT), KGW

It's like Christmas presents sitting under the tree you can't unwrap yet..this trade deadline is going to be interesting....can't wait

 

Disagree. Portland is high on Harkless, just like they were high on the tank.
While Harkless is greatly better than the tank. Most people don't notice the defensive lapses Harkless has.
Heck most Blazer fans didn't even realize Harkless got pulled because he kept losing his man on defense a few games ago.
He got back in a few minutes later, but Stotts was very upset on the sideline.

Okafor is special, but the big man situation out there is a mess.
Soon as one of them is gone, the two that aren't the face of the franchise are going to make a jump.

 

There's a reason Stotts doesn't run plays for Mo....he's not really disciplined within a scheme....sort of like Will Barton...but he'll get you some highlight reels on athleticism alone

 

A?yone know how Okafor is on defense and rebounds?

 

From the highlight film he is indeed better than Harkless on offense. Is Okafor at least as good on defense. He is certainly more athletic than Harkless.

 

Okafor is very young, and not good on defense.
Though stats don't really lie that in Janurary of 2016 he had better defensive stats than Noel.
It was one month so small sample size. I'd however say that was a flash of what he could do.
But still he's very young.

 

He's terrible on defense. Part of that is being young, part of it is that he was never projected to be good at defense in the NBA. He's also an absolutely awful rebounder for a big man. Of course, some of that could be playing alongside excellent rebounders like Noel and Embiid (though, of course, Embiid wasn't in the picture last year).

His one bankable skill was supposed to be inside scoring, but he's not even good at that, as he scored at a sub-mediocre efficiency.

Right now, Okafor quite literally does nothing well (on a consistent basis). He's young (age 21 season) and will likely improve, of course, but he's starting at such a very low level that star-level expectations are unreasonable, in my opinion.

 

Shit. I have always thought, that outside of Lillard and McCollum, he is by far our most valuable trade chip. So if we trade him, it better be for somebody really good.

 

I think we are tanking.

Wtf. Really. This is not the same team that played Cleveland.
They are clones being replaced and every fourth game we get super clones that kick ass and fool us into thinking they are back. Then the aliens replace them with the normal, sucky clones, like last night.

I mean, Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde on steroids?

 

I've watched a number of Philly games with Okafor and I've yet to see "special." He's a long way from being a reliable rotation player (if ever) and would do very little for a team as deficient on defense as the Blazers are. Yes he's still young, but so far his one supposed bankable skill of scoring from the block, has been mostly MIA since he joined the league.

As for Harkless, I don't think he's a star or anything and definitely movable in the right deal, but this would be a regression in terms of talent and production, and not a lot of probability that it swings the other way.

 

I like Okafor myself that my choice he did put up decent stat his rookie year and had some pretty good games on both side of the floor. The problem with him when he gets it he looking to score everytime. But to me if a coach can get him to pass more out of double teams he be very good player along side Dame and CJ.

 

You should go watch some more games of the young man, because I basically watch every philly game sense Okafor entered the league due to a friend of mine being a lifetime philly fan.
I've seen flashes of special, and his rookie season numbers back that up.(offensively)

 

Okafor last year he ave. 17.1 points 7 Reb 1.2 block a game shot 51 percent from the field. Not bad for 21 year old and you have look he was playing for Philly.

 

Don't let your Aminu hate cloud your judgment.

 

I'm not - I just call it like I see it. My "hate" comes after seeing a player play, I do not hate a player - especially a Blazer - without reason.
Too much is made of Aminu's defense. He's not a bad defender, but aside from his versatility there's nothing particularly great about his defense either. He has just as many lapses in his defense as Harkless does. But people act like he's an NBA All Defense candidate.

 

For the record... @Chris Craig lost this game for us....