Poll: Smart and Bradley For Okafor

[loco_91]

The idea that Smart is better than Okafor is laughable.

Smart will either significantly, and I mean truly significantly, improve his offense, or he'll be nothing more than a defensive specialist for his career, because his offensive game (in an offense-led league) is atrocious.  Okafor is already a starting level player who's shown flashes of being an all-star caliber player.

Philly would be foolish to trade the two even up, and Boston would be foolish not to.  Philly will, rightfully, ask for more.  I just wouldn't give up Bradley, Horford, Brown, Crowder, Thomas, or the Brooklyn picks in that trade.  Pretty much everything else can go.

People say "defensive specialist" as if it's such a bad thing. I'd MUCH rather have a top 10 defender who is bad on offense than a good but not great offensive player who is bad on defense.

Don't kid yourself.  If you flipped the two players, and someone posed the same question, you'd laugh your ass off at the idea of giving up Okafor for Smart, just before you told that person to go pound sand.

YOU would, not I

[LilRip]

Absolutely not. Terrible trade for us.

[trickybilly]

Dennis Johnson and Kevin mcchale for kwame brown

[droopdog7]

Surprise surprise.  Celtic fan seems delusional as usual.  I don't think the trade makes much sense as I would like to keep either smart or Avery.  But the value is about right if the celts were willing to throw something else in of value. 

Okafor is a hellava much better player than smart, who was the worst offensive player in the league.  And to the poster that said they'd much rather have a great defender versus a great offensive player, that's like saying you'd take smart over James harden.  I mean, how ridiculous is that?  And yes, I fully expect some posters will respond and say exactly that; smart over harden.

And to the person asking why people want to trade Avery.  It's because at least he has some value.  Proposing that someone be included in a trade doesn't mean we don't like the player.  It's common sense understanding that you have to give up something to get something.

[guava_wrench]

We did not pick up Horford to gut our backcourt. I could see use moving those two and picks for a real difference maker, but not Okafor.

[Future Celtics Owner]

The idea that Smart is better than Okafor is laughable.

Smart will either significantly, and I mean truly significantly, improve his offense, or he'll be nothing more than a defensive specialist for his career, because his offensive game (in an offense-led league) is atrocious.  Okafor is already a starting level player who's shown flashes of being an all-star caliber player.

A starting level player on one of the worst NBA teams of all time. Smart would have started for them, too, and probably would've led them in minutes. The only reason he hasn't started all the time for the Celtics the last two years is that Isaiah (All Star) and Avery (All Defensive) play here.

By stats alone, last season Okafor had about a dozen games worthy of an All Star. As a starter on the worst team in the league. Smart had about half a dozen games worthy of an All Star. As a reserve for a 48-win playoff team. Switch the teams and players: Would you not be scoffing at Celtics fans who think their young reserve big is too valuable to trade for the Sixers' young starting PG?

Get out of here with that nonsense.  Okafor's a legit starter.

Based on what?

Didn't a 19 year old Okafor, in his first ever NBA game, rip us a new one? We had no one that could even match up with him that night, and they were all vets and guys that were not 1 and done.
Okafor is what Myles Turner was during his season at UT. Multiple variables including his team, current NBA market, size, age, experience, his physical strengths and weaknesses all played a part in lowering his value. I'm glad many do not want to take this kid, it shows how low his value is and that many do not believe he will improve.
Remember big guys like Okafor, solid 280lbs   7'6'' wingspan   9'3'' standing reach
well guys that size always struggle defensively their rookie years, but Okafor was only 19 and in the worst situation possible for him. When you take into account Okafor's physical strength and weaknesses, Philly had him playing too many minutes together, could not space the floor, could not defend and way too many guys taking it to the hole...exhausting the big men, teams packed it in defensively bc Philly lacked any scorers besides the 19 year old Okafor and had 0 outside shooters to stretch the floor

Personally I wish we had traded down on draft night and selected Dunn with the #3. Maybe we could have gotten Zach Lavine and the #5, Lavine had been thrown around before draft. We could have still nabbed Jaylen at 5, or traded the #5 for Okafor so we would net Lavine and Okafor from the #3...which is pretty reasonable lol. At worst we could have traded the #3 for Okafor, and maybe that could have been something that interested Durant at the time. if I were Durant the Celtics would have looked more promising to me before the signing with Okafor over Jaylen. We could have selected anyone but having a guy who actually proved he can put the ball in the hole in the NBA over a rookie, would have definitely counted in my decision. Probably still takes the Warriors.

[crimson_stallion]

No way!

Bradley is a better player then Okafor is right now, and players with his skill set (Defence and perimeter shooting / scoring) are hot stuff in this league.  He's a key piece for us that we cannot afford to give up in return for anything less than a perimeter star.

Smart for Okafor (plus filler) I could consider - no way I include Bradley.

[KG Living Legend]

 If Okafor becomes an Avg defender he will be excellent.

 Remember Bradley avg 1.7 ppg at 20 years old. His third year he was at 9 ppg, at 25 the best year of his career 15ppg.

 Okafor went for 17.5 ppg and 7 rpg at 19 on a crappy team. If that was offered you would regret passing on thus deal in 3 years.

[KG Living Legend]

 
 Okafor
 Horford
 Crowder
 Jaylen Brown
 Isaiah Thomas

 Bottom line. That Five is better than the top five we have right now.

 Or Sub in Rozier, Hunter, Jackson, Young for Brown. Rozier brings a lot to the table as far as skillets than Avery Minus the shooting.

 Terry is better with the dribble, Passing, taking it to the rim, and he's an incredible rebounder.

 Plus Brown is a budding superstar and it would accelerate his development.

 Finally there is no one I trust more to get a Defensive Minded undersized long armed guard than Ainge.

[KG Living Legend]

 And how about this lineup for Philly.

 Joel Embiid
 Nerlens Noel
 Ben Simmons
 Avery Bradley
 Marcus Smart

 Lacks shooting, that's a lot of talent though.

[crimson_stallion]

If Okafor becomes an Avg defender he will be excellent.

 Remember Bradley avg 1.7 ppg at 20 years old. His third year he was at 9 ppg, at 25 the best year of his career 15ppg.

 Okafor went for 17.5 ppg and 7 rpg at 19 on a crappy team. If that was offered you would regret passing on thus deal in 3 years.

I don't care.

We don't have 20 year old Bradley on this team.  We have 25 year old Bradley on this team.  25 year old Bradley is better then 20 year old Jahlil Okafor.  What 20 year old Bradley was like is absolutely 100% irrelevant.

I also don't care what anybody says about Okafor maybe potentially hopefully possible one day becoming an average defender.  He was a poor defender in college.  He was one of the worst defenders at his position in his rookie year in the NBA.  He's not just "below average" defensively, he is terrible.  He is horrendous.  He is ghastly.  He is so bad it's almost embarrassing.  He makes rookie Al Jefferson look like Alonzo Mourning by comparison, he's that bad.

Forgive me if I don't put a lot of faith in the idea of him one day potentially becoming an average defender.

I mean no offence by this, for the record - just calling it as I see it.  I would not trade Bradley for Okafor striaght up, and I'm pretty darn sure Danny Ainge wouldn't either.

You're talking about a guy who averaged 16.4 PPG as a second option on a good playoff team, while shooting 37% from three and making the all-defensive first team...on a $7m contract.

Okafor only averaged 17.5 points despite being a #1 option on the worst team in the entire NBA...while ranking as the 3rd worst defender at his position...on a similar size contract.

The worst part about that is that for Bradley offence is his secondary talent - wheras for Okafor his scoring ability is supposed to be his greatest gift!

So the Sixers can offer me Okafor for Bradley - I will chuckle in amusement, then gently hang up the phone.