<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">This year's draft is yet another in which the best available center stacks up better as a power forward, but such is life in the NBA, where making up for a lack of size has become an art form, not a curse. If anything keeps Emeka Okafor, UConn's 6-foot-10 defensive master, from being selected by the Orlando Magic with the No. 1 pick Thursday night, it will be his recent back trouble, not the fact Okafor is closer in size to Bill Russell than Wilt Chamberlain. </div> Full Story The article was very convincing regarding Okafor and his ability. He is a rare, one of a kind player - but his back issues are still a serious problem for the Magic. I thought Okafor was a sure lock for the number one pick last week, and now I'm leaning towards Dwight Howard. However - both are great talents. Now I can't decide. It would be nice if Orlando could have the first and second pick which they originally had (They drew the #1 and #2 picks during the selection day, and the Clippers were drawn after a repeat)
There's so many threads discussing the same thing lol...anyways I'll repeat myself...I'm Okafor all the way....you all saw what Ben Wallace , Defense and some role players did...and what KG and 2 great vets couldn't do...Defense Wins Championships just as it said in the article : Few players, however, have come into the draft with the same foundation and strength to defend on an NBA level. Think Ben Wallace with more offensive upside. Perhaps that sounds like faint praise, but as the Pistons proved once again last week, defense still pays the bills in this league. I'll be dissapointed but not sad if they pass up on Okafor ...I guess Dwight is alright but I don't wanna wait either...Okafor has a lot of post moves and of course the defense and rebounding...while with Dwight well he can hit the outside shot..and will need a few years to develope some kind of a low-post game..
Now that we have Cato, we already have our center. We need a good young SF with upside. Deng would be nice, but he's not the 1st pick caliber. Dwight could play SF and PF. PF and C are already filled. SF is the only position up in the air, so either trade down or draft Dwight Howard. I want Dwight man.
I would rather have howard. Since okafor has had so many injuries at the college level I dont think his body would hold up at the nba level. He has had serious back problems for a long time. Not to mention that tinger in the final four last year. I would rather have a younger howard with no injury problems and will take a couple years to develope than another grant hill type player on the team. Sometimes its worth waiting look at KG, Kobe, and Tmac
*sighs* this is how bad Hill hurt us ...not only making T-Mac leave...a franchise record loses in a row...worst record in the NBA ...not able to sign another big name player.... WAIT Not only that...but Magic fans are so scared about injuries that is dramatically changing draft's choice...only reason I had ever heard that would be a reason for not drafting Okafor is his damn back..which doctors said he would never need surgery and worst that could happen is some pain...he only had pain in 1 game still average over 20ppg in the finals?
I was just watching 2000 NBA Draft...people were scared to draft K-Mart because of his injury during the finals in college? what a coincidence(sp) ha I think Okafor will be better than K-Mart specially at the defensive end.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I was just watching 2000 NBA Draft</div> Raptors TV draft week rewind drafts. I was watching the 1998 and 1999 drafts this afternoon...
We should just push hill somewhere else. He's excellent at doing completely nothing for our team. And taking our money at the same time. He needs to retire or somthing
Quit trashing Hill. I've never even seen some these members till now. This is his last chance. If he fails, then he retires and we move one. If he succeeds then great. I'd rather see him fail here one more time then to deal him somewhere else and have a chance at a comeback. Look at Ken Griffey Jr. in baseball. EVERYONE trashed for being an injury-prone player the past few years. Now look at him. He just hit his 500th HR and is back to his All-Star form. Now imagine if Hill did that on ANOTHER team? How stupid would we look wasting 3 years with him and seeing him succeed the one year we don't have him. This is the last year. We've already waited 3. Another one won't hurt. My 2 cents.
Okafor will NOT avg 20 ppg game this year. There's no chance in hell. Dwight likely won't either, but I wouldn't be suprised if Okafor never avg 20 pts. Dwight still has the potential to do that. We lose Tmac, we need to replace him with a potential superstar, rather than help NOW. We're not going anywhere NOW, so why draft the guy who will help now?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting sportsrock37:</div><div class="quote_post">Okafor will NOT avg 20 ppg game this year. There's no chance in hell. Dwight likely won't either, but I wouldn't be suprised if Okafor never avg 20 pts. Dwight still has the potential to do that. We lose Tmac, we need to replace him with a potential superstar, rather than help NOW. We're not going anywhere NOW, so why draft the guy who will help now?</div> There's someway he can do it. Impossible is nothing. But I agree with you he WON'T do it. Now that t-mac is gone Howard would be a better cantidate for us. He won't have the team cancer (Juwan) to hold back his skills like he did Gooden therefore Howard can come into this league full force. Thus making him a better cantitdate for the Magic.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TimFlem:</div><div class="quote_post">There's someway he can do it. Impossible is nothing. But I agree with you he WON'T do it. Now that t-mac is gone Howard would be a better cantidate for us. He won't have the team cancer (Juwan) to hold back his skills like he did Gooden therefore Howard can come into this league full force. Thus making him a better cantitdate for the Magic.</div> lmao, funny thing is during the press conference after the workout on saturday he said he loved it at Orlando and the vets that could help him to learn more things like "Juwan Howard" hahahahahaha....anyways about Okafor...the thing is the coach didn't run the offense through him..there were a lot of scorers in Uconn...but this guy IS and WILL average at least 20ppg trust me..he'll be like Zach Randolph(post moves)...and has already developed a short jumper.. one thing people don't look at is...he is only 21 years old..he has an upside too..plus everything he already knows....
