[valentine]

 I think Dakari has some untapped offensive upside that is getting slept on a bit.

He’ll never be Jahlil Okafor, but I think with a little more polish he can be 70-80% of Okafor as a scorer and overall player.

Dakari is only 3 months older, 5 lbs lighter, and is an inch taller.

Per 40 minutes pace adjusted, the only real edge Okafor has over Dakari is FGA and FG%, shooting 66% vs Dakari’s 51%. Dakari shot 57% the season before, when he stole WCS’s starting center job.

What are the odds that Okafor, with his NBA family ties, had better big man coaching as a kid? Probably pretty good. I think Dakari can close the gap a bit as a post scorer with more polish on his basic post moves.

And for a prospect projected to go in the second round, that’s pretty good value. Probably better value than Okafor in the top 3. Make that definitely.

One category where Dakari beats Jahlil by a large margin is:

FTA/40 min pace adjusted.

DJ: 9.1 FTA @ 62% FT shooting

JO: 6.5 FTA @ 51% FT shooting

Dakari should be a monster at getting to the FT line in the NBA, and unlike Jahlil, his FT% is already good enough to not shy away from drawing shooting fouls. Drawing fouls and getting opposing centers in foul trouble can be a great way to neutralize a better opponent. It’s a way to drag them down into the mud, so to speak.

True Shooting:

DJ: 55%

JO: 65%

Dakari’s high FT rate and solid enough conversion rate helps him close the gap with Jahlil. With a little more polish on his post moves, he can close the TS% gap even further.

Across the board in the other stat categories, Dakari compares very well with Jahlil per 40 minutes pace adjusted. Slightly better rebounder and shot blocker, slightly less turnovers, but more personal fouls, 4.4 vs Jahlil’s 3.2. But of course Jahlil played not to foul because he didn’t have 4 other NBA bigs on his team.

 

I’m not arguing that Dakari is going to be as good as Jahlil in the NBA, but I think Dakari will definitely end up being a better value draft pick anywhere past pick 25 in the first round.

People act like Jahlil is some rare physical specimen with his 270 lbs at 6’11" but Dakari is taller and weighs about the same, while only being 3 months older. And athletically, it’s probably a wash.

I can easily see Dakari becoming one of those sneaky average starting centers, like a less flashy Jusef Nurkic.

And Jahlil also projects as being a sneaky average starting center, giving up almost as much defensively as he produces offensively, with an overall impact that is surprisingly mediocre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Magic JordanParticipant]

 Who even needs a top 5 pick when you can get Andrew Harrison and Dakari Johnson in the 2nd round and have two franchise cornerstones….. 

You’re dumb arambone.

 

[Magic JordanParticipant]

 Who even needs a top 5 pick when you can get Andrew Harrison and Dakari Johnson in the 2nd round and have two franchise cornerstones….. 

You’re dumb arambone.

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 Who needs a top two pick that only put up stats against weak talent, and can be neutralized by a second round pick like Cliff Alexander or Dakari Johnson?

Dakari would have Jahlil on the bench with two fouls faster than you can say "I’d be so much better in 1980s".

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 Who needs a top two pick that only put up stats against weak talent, and can be neutralized by a second round pick like Cliff Alexander or Dakari Johnson?

Dakari would have Jahlil on the bench with two fouls faster than you can say "I’d be so much better in 1980s".

 

 

 

[TheLastWordParticipant]

 He really tested awful in the vertical at 25" max (9" off his UK measurement wtf?). Will probably get killed on pick and rolls and good teams will go to it everytime against him. You would be going against the grain trying to use him in todays fast moving NBA game.

 

  

[TheLastWordParticipant]

 He really tested awful in the vertical at 25" max (9" off his UK measurement wtf?). Will probably get killed on pick and rolls and good teams will go to it everytime against him. You would be going against the grain trying to use him in todays fast moving NBA game.

 

  

[zer0d0ubt]

 Same goes for Jahlil. He’ll get killed on the pick and roll every time. It’s the exact same thing, except Dakari probably has more defensive hustle than Okafor.

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 Same goes for Jahlil. He’ll get killed on the pick and roll every time. It’s the exact same thing, except Dakari probably has more defensive hustle than Okafor.

 

 

[kobyzParticipant]

 I will take kwame brown before i take dakari…

[kobyzParticipant]

 I will take kwame brown before i take dakari…

[CameronCrazy11Participant]

Jahlil Okafor has excellent footwork, has a 7’5" wingspan, and has a low post scoring repertoire that most big men can only dream of. Dakari Johnson’s feet are not even close to the level of Okafor’s and are a big reason why he isn’t being considered for the 1st round. His wingspan is also only 7’2" which is fairly average for today’s NBA centers. Johnson doesn’t really have any go-to post moves either and is an average defender at best. Okafor has All Star potential. Johnson has role player potential. My realistic best case scenario for each guy is a more athletic Al Jefferson (Okafor) and Nazr Mohammed (Johnson).

[CameronCrazy11Participant]

Jahlil Okafor has excellent footwork, has a 7’5" wingspan, and has a low post scoring repertoire that most big men can only dream of. Dakari Johnson’s feet are not even close to the level of Okafor’s and are a big reason why he isn’t being considered for the 1st round. His wingspan is also only 7’2" which is fairly average for today’s NBA centers. Johnson doesn’t really have any go-to post moves either and is an average defender at best. Okafor has All Star potential. Johnson has role player potential. My realistic best case scenario for each guy is a more athletic Al Jefferson (Okafor) and Nazr Mohammed (Johnson).

[zer0d0ubt]

 Everybody knows that Jahlil is the kind of "All Star" that gives up as much as he gets, just like Al Jefferson or Kevin Love.

The difference between "All Star" and "role player" isn’t always as great as the names suggest.

And while Dakari on defense may be "average at best", few even give Jahlil that much credit.

Jahlil’s best case scenario is that he makes his team slightly better. Not good value for a top 2 pick. At all.

 

 

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 Everybody knows that Jahlil is the kind of "All Star" that gives up as much as he gets, just like Al Jefferson or Kevin Love.

The difference between "All Star" and "role player" isn’t always as great as the names suggest.

And while Dakari on defense may be "average at best", few even give Jahlil that much credit.

Jahlil’s best case scenario is that he makes his team slightly better. Not good value for a top 2 pick. At all.

 

 

 

 

 

[kobyzParticipant]

 don’t agree, Okafor will be at least the next petrick ewing…

[kobyzParticipant]

 don’t agree, Okafor will be at least the next petrick ewing…

[LaFlamaBlancaParticipant]

 This post is ridiculous. Besides similar measurables you really can not compare the two as actual BASKETBALL players. Okafor is going to be a beast on the block for 10-12 years with his array of post moves and I believe that in a couple of years he will get his free throw shooting numbers up to 65-70% so that will be a non issue. And couple that with hitting an NBA weight room I can see him eventually being a solid defensive center in the league. Also I heard that Jahlil has already slimmed down a bit and dropped about 10 pounds and is looking much more lean and muscular which is great news for whoever gets the kid. But Dakari on the other hand I can not see him becoming more than a big bodied bench player…. possibly bench warmer…. 

First time poster, excited to join the site and talk hoops with yall. 

[LaFlamaBlancaParticipant]

 This post is ridiculous. Besides similar measurables you really can not compare the two as actual BASKETBALL players. Okafor is going to be a beast on the block for 10-12 years with his array of post moves and I believe that in a couple of years he will get his free throw shooting numbers up to 65-70% so that will be a non issue. And couple that with hitting an NBA weight room I can see him eventually being a solid defensive center in the league. Also I heard that Jahlil has already slimmed down a bit and dropped about 10 pounds and is looking much more lean and muscular which is great news for whoever gets the kid. But Dakari on the other hand I can not see him becoming more than a big bodied bench player…. possibly bench warmer…. 

First time poster, excited to join the site and talk hoops with yall. 

[zer0d0ubt]

 What NBA talent over 6’8" did Jahlil put up good numbers against? Even Cliff Alexander could neutralize him in high school. Jahlil played Utah and Jacob Poetl and put up like 6 points. He played Wisconsin twice and put up 13 points and 10 points in the national championship.

He’s a poor man’s Al Jefferson. Doesn’t move the needle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 What NBA talent over 6’8" did Jahlil put up good numbers against? Even Cliff Alexander could neutralize him in high school. Jahlil played Utah and Jacob Poetl and put up like 6 points. He played Wisconsin twice and put up 13 points and 10 points in the national championship.

He’s a poor man’s Al Jefferson. Doesn’t move the needle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CavFanPRParticipant]

Your post is not bad at all. No doubt Jahlil is going to be the better player in the NBA, but for a team drafting in the second round, they should be thrilled if Dakari is available when they pick. He definetly has upside and could be a starting center in a couple years.

[CavFanPRParticipant]

Your post is not bad at all. No doubt Jahlil is going to be the better player in the NBA, but for a team drafting in the second round, they should be thrilled if Dakari is available when they pick. He definetly has upside and could be a starting center in a couple years.

[zer0d0ubt]

 People assume Jahlil has all this untapped upside, but his advanced offensive skillset really means he’s closer to his ceiling than a lot of prospects who didn’t grow up in NBA families.

And it’s not like Jahlil’s going to transform his game by losing a few pounds. It’s not like he’s an athlete hiding under 10 lbs of fat or something. And the slight gains he’ll make in mobility will be cancelled out by the losses he’ll incur by sacraficing weight/strength. And he already underperforms against legit size.

I don’t see Toledo anywhere on an NBA schedule.

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 People assume Jahlil has all this untapped upside, but his advanced offensive skillset really means he’s closer to his ceiling than a lot of prospects who didn’t grow up in NBA families.

And it’s not like Jahlil’s going to transform his game by losing a few pounds. It’s not like he’s an athlete hiding under 10 lbs of fat or something. And the slight gains he’ll make in mobility will be cancelled out by the losses he’ll incur by sacraficing weight/strength. And he already underperforms against legit size.

I don’t see Toledo anywhere on an NBA schedule.

 

 

[CameronCrazy11Participant]

Jahlil didn’t grow up in an NBA family. He lost his mom at age 9 and lived with his father in Chicago. His father is a fairly big man by standard height but was not an NBA player. Emeka Okafor is Jahlil’s distant cousin, but I highly doubt he was constantly stopping by to give his little cousin lessons and workouts to do. Jahlil got where he got the same way that most of these other prospects did. He’s very talented and worked very hard to gain a pretty special skillset.

[CameronCrazy11Participant]

Jahlil didn’t grow up in an NBA family. He lost his mom at age 9 and lived with his father in Chicago. His father is a fairly big man by standard height but was not an NBA player. Emeka Okafor is Jahlil’s distant cousin, but I highly doubt he was constantly stopping by to give his little cousin lessons and workouts to do. Jahlil got where he got the same way that most of these other prospects did. He’s very talented and worked very hard to gain a pretty special skillset.

[nill650Participant]

 comparing these two prospects is not realistic.

dakari has nothing to offer offensively , he may have more upside than mosty believe, but he seems to be regressing not improving,where as Okafor has the most advanced traditional skill set of a true center in several years…and yes that does make him overated, because he sucks bad on defense…really bad.

 

[nill650Participant]

 comparing these two prospects is not realistic.

dakari has nothing to offer offensively , he may have more upside than mosty believe, but he seems to be regressing not improving,where as Okafor has the most advanced traditional skill set of a true center in several years…and yes that does make him overated, because he sucks bad on defense…really bad.

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 I think Dakari losing 10-15 lbs last summer set him back more than it helped him. Jahlil will experience the same thing.

And while Jahlil was eating tater tots in his high school cafeteria, Dakari at the same age was displacing WCS as Kentucky’s starting center and playing a big role in their National Championship game run.

Dakari gets knocked for being old news, but he’s the exact same age as this year’s freshmen, so he has just as much untapped potential.

 

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 I think Dakari losing 10-15 lbs last summer set him back more than it helped him. Jahlil will experience the same thing.

And while Jahlil was eating tater tots in his high school cafeteria, Dakari at the same age was displacing WCS as Kentucky’s starting center and playing a big role in their National Championship game run.

Dakari gets knocked for being old news, but he’s the exact same age as this year’s freshmen, so he has just as much untapped potential.

 

 

 

 

[kobyzParticipant]

 Okafor as a frashman lead young Duke team to the title, just like anthony davis did, leading young team to title as a frashman say a lot on how you gonna be as an nba player…

[kobyzParticipant]

 Okafor as a frashman lead young Duke team to the title, just like anthony davis did, leading young team to title as a frashman say a lot on how you gonna be as an nba player…

[zer0d0ubt]

 Yeah, where would Duke have been without Okafor’s 10 points and 3 rebounds in the championship game. Okafor never even had double digit rebounds after Feb.

He was mostly along for the ride on that championship run. Except when they played mighty Robert Morris and San Diego State, or when he faced up against 6’6" Brenden Dawson.

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 Yeah, where would Duke have been without Okafor’s 10 points and 3 rebounds in the championship game. Okafor never even had double digit rebounds after Feb.

He was mostly along for the ride on that championship run. Except when they played mighty Robert Morris and San Diego State, or when he faced up against 6’6" Brenden Dawson.

 

 

 

[kobyzParticipant]

 

It’s not only about numbers, okafor is a type of player that his impact is much more than the numbers, player that make everybody around him way better…

[kobyzParticipant]

 

It’s not only about numbers, okafor is a type of player that his impact is much more than the numbers, player that make everybody around him way better…

[WinterSoldierParticipant]

 I have to say I don’t love Okafor. I was thinking about it the other day how many big men that can’t play defense, shoot outside of ten feet, can’t rebound well, below average athleticism and can’t make free throws are good NBA players? I couldn’t really think of any. Okafor is young so he could improve but I think he is a bigger risk pick than many people are willing to admit.

[WinterSoldierParticipant]

 I have to say I don’t love Okafor. I was thinking about it the other day how many big men that can’t play defense, shoot outside of ten feet, can’t rebound well, below average athleticism and can’t make free throws are good NBA players? I couldn’t really think of any. Okafor is young so he could improve but I think he is a bigger risk pick than many people are willing to admit.

[zer0d0ubt]

 Ennis Kanter with a better attitude still isn’t worth a top two or top 5 pick.

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 Ennis Kanter with a better attitude still isn’t worth a top two or top 5 pick.

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

 I’m curious how far he could slide. If he doesn’t go 2nd to LAL, or 4th to the Knicks, it’s not easy coming up with a good fit for him.

76ers definitely don’t need him, Orlando definitely doesn’t need him, Sac, same thing. Nuggets already have Jusuf Nurkic, and the Pistons have Drummond. Charlotte has Big Al.

Maybe Miami at 10 would be his worst case draft day tumble.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ebown5Participant]

 Whether teams need him or not, he isn’t going to slide past 4 at the lowest.

I don’t think he gets past 2 though. 

[zer0d0ubt]

 that’s why they call them surprises.

[zer0d0ubt]

 that’s why they call them surprises.

[Ebown5Participant]

 Whether teams need him or not, he isn’t going to slide past 4 at the lowest.

I don’t think he gets past 2 though. 

[zer0d0ubt]

 I’m curious how far he could slide. If he doesn’t go 2nd to LAL, or 4th to the Knicks, it’s not easy coming up with a good fit for him.

76ers definitely don’t need him, Orlando definitely doesn’t need him, Sac, same thing. Nuggets already have Jusuf Nurkic, and the Pistons have Drummond. Charlotte has Big Al.

Maybe Miami at 10 would be his worst case draft day tumble.

 

 

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 How doesn’t he have untapped potential? He’s 19 years old and can still improve a great deal on the defensive end. 

Wasn’t he really overweight in high school? Could that have been why he was "neutralized" by Cliff Alexander? Was Alexander guarding him 1 on 1? Did Jahlil’s guards get him the ball? 

Okafor was neutralized by Poeltl because Utah sent hard double teams every time he touched the ball. That’s not Poeltl defending him straight up. And Poeltl will be a top 10 pick next year, so using him as an example even for those who didn’t see the game is a poor one. 

If Dakari was a good player, he would’ve done more at Kentucky. He was a nice role player on a great college team. He was never dominant. And if I remember, the ACC was far superior to the SEC in terms of talent, so its not like Johnson wouldve been going against amzing competition every game. If anything, he went against fellow NBA guys in practice so you’d think his development would be ahead of Okafor’s by now in that regard.

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

"And Poeltl will be a top 10 pick next year, so using him as an example even for those who didn’t see the game is a poor one."

Okafor is going to be facing top 10 picks every night in the NBA, not 6’6" "centers" from West Toledo Community College or whoever Okafor put up most of his numbers against this year.

If Okafor goes #2 to LAL out west, just about the only non-top 10 picks he’s going to be facing are guys like DeAndre Jordan and Marc Gasol. Pretty much nobody will weigh 230 lbs like Kaminsky and Poetl, and none of them will be shorter than 6’10".

Okafor has rarely been tested by actual NBA center size, and those who come closest have neutralized him.

He has untapped defensive upside like Kevin Love or Brook Lopez have untapped defensive upside. 

I can already see it, Okafor regularly on the bench in the first five minutes with two fouls, 20-25 minutes played, like in the National Championship game. And regulary taken out of the game in the 4th quarter because of his defense and free throw shooting.

At least Dakari won’t be massively underachieving when he averages the same 20-25 minutes per game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

"And Poeltl will be a top 10 pick next year, so using him as an example even for those who didn’t see the game is a poor one."

Okafor is going to be facing top 10 picks every night in the NBA, not 6’6" "centers" from West Toledo Community College or whoever Okafor put up most of his numbers against this year.

If Okafor goes #2 to LAL out west, just about the only non-top 10 picks he’s going to be facing are guys like DeAndre Jordan and Marc Gasol. Pretty much nobody will weigh 230 lbs like Kaminsky and Poetl, and none of them will be shorter than 6’10".

Okafor has rarely been tested by actual NBA center size, and those who come closest have neutralized him.

He has untapped defensive upside like Kevin Love or Brook Lopez have untapped defensive upside. 

I can already see it, Okafor regularly on the bench in the first five minutes with two fouls, 20-25 minutes played, like in the National Championship game. And regulary taken out of the game in the 4th quarter because of his defense and free throw shooting.

At least Dakari won’t be massively underachieving when he averages the same 20-25 minutes per game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 How doesn’t he have untapped potential? He’s 19 years old and can still improve a great deal on the defensive end. 

Wasn’t he really overweight in high school? Could that have been why he was "neutralized" by Cliff Alexander? Was Alexander guarding him 1 on 1? Did Jahlil’s guards get him the ball? 

Okafor was neutralized by Poeltl because Utah sent hard double teams every time he touched the ball. That’s not Poeltl defending him straight up. And Poeltl will be a top 10 pick next year, so using him as an example even for those who didn’t see the game is a poor one. 

If Dakari was a good player, he would’ve done more at Kentucky. He was a nice role player on a great college team. He was never dominant. And if I remember, the ACC was far superior to the SEC in terms of talent, so its not like Johnson wouldve been going against amzing competition every game. If anything, he went against fellow NBA guys in practice so you’d think his development would be ahead of Okafor’s by now in that regard.

 

 

 

[Robb_CParticipant]

Dakari is Fab Melo 2.0

[Robb_CParticipant]

Dakari is Fab Melo 2.0

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 He may have games where he plays 20-25 minutes as a rookie…again he’s 19 years old though. 

Last I checked, there aren’t a lot of great NBA Centers. Okafor will be fine against plenty of them. DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol, Bogut sure there are some good ones but there are also a lot that he will be able to feast against with seasoning. 

I guess I don’t remember him doing a lot of damage against Toledo CC or playing a lot of 6’6 centers but if he did, I assume Dakari did as well, and against backups at that given he wasn’t a starter. ACC was a lot better than the SEC this year. 

Look I actually favor Towns to Jahlil as a Wolves fan and I do worry about his defense, but wow there’s a differance between worrying and what you are doing. A lot of guys that get paid to evaluate this stuff think he’ll be a good player. If my own eyes weren’t good enough for me, the opinion of professional talent evaluators is good enough for me

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 He may have games where he plays 20-25 minutes as a rookie…again he’s 19 years old though. 

Last I checked, there aren’t a lot of great NBA Centers. Okafor will be fine against plenty of them. DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol, Bogut sure there are some good ones but there are also a lot that he will be able to feast against with seasoning. 

I guess I don’t remember him doing a lot of damage against Toledo CC or playing a lot of 6’6 centers but if he did, I assume Dakari did as well, and against backups at that given he wasn’t a starter. ACC was a lot better than the SEC this year. 

Look I actually favor Towns to Jahlil as a Wolves fan and I do worry about his defense, but wow there’s a differance between worrying and what you are doing. A lot of guys that get paid to evaluate this stuff think he’ll be a good player. If my own eyes weren’t good enough for me, the opinion of professional talent evaluators is good enough for me

 

 

 

[WinterSoldierParticipant]

 Actually the center position has become quite good lately. Gobert, Drummond, Whiteside, Cousins, Vucevic, Horford, Gasol, Jordan, Noah, Bogut, Valanciunas, Howard, Lopez, Mozgov. Plus the young up and coming Noel, Len, Dieng, Adams,Nurkic, Plumlee, Possibly Embiid and Towns. 

[WinterSoldierParticipant]

 Actually the center position has become quite good lately. Gobert, Drummond, Whiteside, Cousins, Vucevic, Horford, Gasol, Jordan, Noah, Bogut, Valanciunas, Howard, Lopez, Mozgov. Plus the young up and coming Noel, Len, Dieng, Adams,Nurkic, Plumlee, Possibly Embiid and Towns. 

[zer0d0ubt]

"I assume Dakari did as well, and against backups at that given he wasn’t a starter. ACC was a lot better than the SEC this year."

Nobody’s declaring Dakari a consensus top 2 pick.

And Dakari plays more physical than Jahlil. I trust Dakari’s physicality and drawing shooting fouls to translate more than I do Okafor’s finesse game scoring over second rate scrubs. 

And Dakari has practiced every day for years against some of the top big men in the country.

He played against Joel Embiid every day in high school, and has spent every day over the last two years battling against Julius Randle, WCS, Towns, Lyles, Lee, Poythress, and more.

That’s an incredible resume/background Dakari comes from. And the biggest knock against Dakari is that he only beat out WCS for starting center on a National runner-up team, but failed to beat out #1 pick Karl Anthony-Towns for the starting center job.

There’s a role for big, slow centers without shooting range in the NBA. But franchise cornerstone isn’t it. Especially without a killer instinct and crazy mentality. Jahlil will be forced into fadeaway 8-10 foot shots, and other teams will just live with the results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

"I assume Dakari did as well, and against backups at that given he wasn’t a starter. ACC was a lot better than the SEC this year."

Nobody’s declaring Dakari a consensus top 2 pick.

And Dakari plays more physical than Jahlil. I trust Dakari’s physicality and drawing shooting fouls to translate more than I do Okafor’s finesse game scoring over second rate scrubs. 

And Dakari has practiced every day for years against some of the top big men in the country.

He played against Joel Embiid every day in high school, and has spent every day over the last two years battling against Julius Randle, WCS, Towns, Lyles, Lee, Poythress, and more.

That’s an incredible resume/background Dakari comes from. And the biggest knock against Dakari is that he only beat out WCS for starting center on a National runner-up team, but failed to beat out #1 pick Karl Anthony-Towns for the starting center job.

There’s a role for big, slow centers without shooting range in the NBA. But franchise cornerstone isn’t it. Especially without a killer instinct and crazy mentality. Jahlil will be forced into fadeaway 8-10 foot shots, and other teams will just live with the results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 So you think the value between the two favors Johnson because he’ll probably be picked between 25-45? That’s fair…I just disagree. 

Imagine how much further along Okafor would be if he practiced everyday against those guys? My guess is he’d be a lot better at finishing over length. Coulda woulda shoulda

I think Okafor’s floor is higher than Johnson’s ceiling. Maybe he really is solid and Kentucky’s roster was just so loaded that he never got a chance to really shine, but I think Okafor will adapt and improve in a lot of the areas you question his ability i.e physicality and scoring over length. 

I do worry still about his defenese, though I could argue with myself for both sides of that. 

 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 So you think the value between the two favors Johnson because he’ll probably be picked between 25-45? That’s fair…I just disagree. 

Imagine how much further along Okafor would be if he practiced everyday against those guys? My guess is he’d be a lot better at finishing over length. Coulda woulda shoulda

I think Okafor’s floor is higher than Johnson’s ceiling. Maybe he really is solid and Kentucky’s roster was just so loaded that he never got a chance to really shine, but I think Okafor will adapt and improve in a lot of the areas you question his ability i.e physicality and scoring over length. 

I do worry still about his defenese, though I could argue with myself for both sides of that. 

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

"I think Okafor’s floor is higher than Johnson’s ceiling."

It sure better be. 

There are going to be good, uptempo teams against which Jahlil will be pulled. And good pick and roll teams where he’ll also be pulled out after getting torched a few times. And late in games because of his FT shooting.

Big, slow centers have a role in the NBA, but unless they are spectacular offensively, they are often relagated to situational use. Getting mere situational use and effectiveness out of a top 2 pick is unacceptable, especially when there are so many quality prospects in the draft at other positions. Guys who always have a place on the court.

 

 

 

[zer0d0ubt]

"I think Okafor’s floor is higher than Johnson’s ceiling."

It sure better be. 

There are going to be good, uptempo teams against which Jahlil will be pulled. And good pick and roll teams where he’ll also be pulled out after getting torched a few times. And late in games because of his FT shooting.

Big, slow centers have a role in the NBA, but unless they are spectacular offensively, they are often relagated to situational use. Getting mere situational use and effectiveness out of a top 2 pick is unacceptable, especially when there are so many quality prospects in the draft at other positions. Guys who always have a place on the court.

 

 

 

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