Okafor?

[DPG21920]

I understand where you're coming from and I wasn't trying to imply West was some kind of potential All-Defensive Team member; just that he's a strong guy, who moves his feet well, and has a good compe ive-fire that makes him more than capable.

The thing I worry about with Oak though is, I wonder if at this day and time you could get by consistently playing him alongside Tim. Tim's mobility isn't what it used to be and neither of them are guys you want straying from the basket. With the way the league is now, and if you're going to play with two shot-blockers, their skills have to either really mesh offensively to exploit the opponent or defensively to shutdown the opponent. Plus, the twin-tower look the Spurs modeled their first championship formula after didn't have to deal with the ridiculous rules changes defensively and were able to play a low-point ground-it-out affair because of it; those days are long and gone with the athleticism you now see in front court's across the league and the hand-checking rules on the perimeter.

And that's to say nothing of the personnel the Spurs have on this team. Maybe you solve the rim-protecting problem but you could be giving yourself a whole new set of problems offensively with the congestion in the paint; hard to have a score-first point guard, without a 3-point shot, that lives in the paint and a slashing 3-man in RJ thrive that way.. and that's to say nothing of Manu who's at heart a slasher himself.

The dual shot-blocker threat would be great; it's just got to be the right fit for the personnel and times we're currently in.

So you are saying that the Spurs need someone who can turn the interior defense around while at the same time make room for TP and RJ and Gino to slash? Where is that dude at ?

Just give and take, but I see your point.

[Blackjack]

So you are saying that the Spurs need someone who can turn the interior defense around while at the same time make room for TP and RJ and Gino to slash? Where is that dude at ?

Just give and take, but I see your point.

There's obviously no perfect, obtainable solution that gives you the rim-protection, offensive spacing, and mobility on the perimeter defensively you'd love to have, so you've got to assess and prioritize what you can address.

I really don't have much of a problem with Oak's contract considering how solid and dependable he's been, which is a little surprising given the back issues, but I could see there being some problems being able to play he and Duncan together given the league's landscape and the Spurs' personnel; which might make the acquiring of a lesser, cheaper player to fill a similar role a better option. Someone along the lines of Tyrus Thomas who's more of a weakside shot-blocker and has the mobility on the perimeter would be a much better fit next to Tim at this stage of his career. I don't see how the Spurs could get their hands on Tyrus but I'm just throwing it out there as an example.

Although I was happy with the 'Dyess signing, I was a big proponent of 'Sheed because of his ability to kill two birds with one stone. He's not the shot-blocker he could be, but he's still one of the best post-defenders in the league and brings the ideal length and offensive skill set for the personnel the Spurs offer. The Spurs don't necessarily need a shot-blocker per se, just solid length that can help prevent players from getting to and finishing at the rim; you actually don't even need the length as much as strength, intelligence, and good feet to get the job done. (i.e. Hayes of today and Thomas a while back) It's just even harder to find those type of players than it is to find a decent 6-10+ guy. They can't just have the ability and know-how, they've got to have the respect of the official as well.

Someone like West doesn't bring you the rim-protection you'd hope or a dominate rebounder but he does make you a of a lot more potent offensively and puts the opposing frontline on their heals; a Bynum or Gasol would be forced to leave the paint to get to that 17-footer, similar to what Krstic posed to Tim last night, and they wouldn't be allowed to just focus on the offensive end; foul-trouble actually enters the equation. He's got the tools and body to make people shoot over the top, I don't believe he'd be the perceived sieve with the Spurs' coaching and system, which leads me to believe he'd be a net positive all things considered; West isn't the only option for the offensive scenario, he's just the topic of conversation at the moment.

Given the age of this team and the questionable health, I'm really looking at this in a more short-term view than I would otherwise; Oak makes a of a lot of sense long-term with Tim on his way out. I just don't see the same kind of capatability in Duncan-Okafor that I do in Gasol-Bynum and I question whether the Spurs' perimeter can thrive the way it needs to with them on the court together.

I don't pretend to know for sure, which is why I'd OK this trade in a heartbeat if the Spurs thought it represented the only chance of bringing home another le, I'm just not sold on this being the route to go..

[DPG21920]

I agree with all of that. I would much rather a low cost option comes along. Okafor, for the reasons you mentioned would not be a perfect fit, and for that money, you would hope he was.

I don't know who will become available but I would rather grab a defensive guy and worry about the offensive benefit later.

[FeZZy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=14353

Okafor on the Move Again?

Trade rumors should always be taken with a grain a salt, but the one Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee suggests the Hornets are considering certainly raises a few questions. The deal, according to his source, would send Okafor to the Kings in exchange for the expiring contract of Kenny Thomas. Obviously, New Orleans would make the move to free up cap space in what already looks like a season lost. But what's in it for Sacramento? And what would this move say about the state of the Hornets?

For Sacramento's part, they're supposed to be nursing along Jason Thompson and Spencer Hayes as their frontcourt of the future, not bringing in a reasonably established veteran who will command big minutes and take away from one or both of those two players' floor time. Okafor is, without question, an upgrade over Hawes at the center position, but such a move wouldn't come anywhere near enough to push the Kings back to credibility. Perhaps Sacramento management would feel it was a promising start—a step in the right direction. To get Okafor out of Thomas is a value, even if the money owed the Hornets' starting center would be considerable for the next few years.

As far as New Orleans in concerned, just a small way into the season and the Okafor gamble doesn't seem to be paying off just yet. It was widely assumed all summer that the Hornets would want to shed salary, not take more on, but the trade that sent away Tyson Chandler and returned Okafor obligated them to several more million dollars worth of payroll in the long-term. It was a statement that they're willing to spend money to win, despite what the common perception might be.

But now, if such a trade were to be consummated, the statement is just the opposite. It would be admitting that spending money to win was a mistake, and with Chris Paul already unhappy one has to wonder if that's the best strategy towards keeping the star point guard with the team that drafted him. He has a player option in 2012 that, if things aren't much different in a couple of years, he could exercise. Ever so suddenly, the future of the Hornets doesn't look quite as bright as it did two seasons ago, and a trade like this would be a concession suggesting the organization feels the same way.