Chad Ford's "Big Board"

[littleteapot]

I really like the Al Jefferson comps with Okafor. I would absolutely take him with a top 3 pick. However, Towns is just in the stratosphere. It looks like Towns has the potential to be a "do it all" center in the pros and he already was in his last month or so at Kentucky.

I agree with the Al Jefferson comp, except Okafor is taller and longer (4 inch longer wingspan). Okafor's 7'6 wingspan makes me think he will learn to some day be a good defender. It is just going to take time.

They have an almost identical standing reach (9'2'' for Jefferson, 9'3'' for Okafor). Regardless, I think very few great defensive centers in the NBA right now are as immobile as those guys. Teams are making the commute longer and longer to come off the weakside and make a play, and posting up from the center position is less common than ever now. It seem likes their is more posting up at the 2, 3 and 4 than the 5. Okafor could become a great defender in the Marc Gasol/Roy Hibbert mode, but most guys with those physical attributes are defensive liabilities in the NBA.

[Evantime34]

I really like the Al Jefferson comps with Okafor. I would absolutely take him with a top 3 pick. However, Towns is just in the stratosphere. It looks like Towns has the potential to be a "do it all" center in the pros and he already was in his last month or so at Kentucky.

I agree with the Al Jefferson comp, except Okafor is taller and longer (4 inch longer wingspan). Okafor's 7'6 wingspan makes me think he will learn to some day be a good defender. It is just going to take time.

They have an almost identical standing reach (9'2'' for Jefferson, 9'3'' for Okafor). Regardless, I think very few great defensive centers in the NBA right now are as immobile as those guys. Teams are making the commute longer and longer to come off the weakside and make a play, and posting up from the center position is less common than ever now. It seem likes their is more posting up at the 2, 3 and 4 than the 5. Okafor could become a great defender in the Marc Gasol/Roy Hibbert mode, but most guys with those physical attributes are defensive liabilities in the NBA.

It's weird that they have identical standing reaches but Okafor has 4 more inches on his wing span. Not sure how that is possible.

[littleteapot]

It's weird that they have identical standing reaches but Okafor has 4 more inches on his wing span. Not sure how that is possible.

Jahlil has a longer neck?

[Evantime34]

It's weird that they have identical standing reaches but Okafor has 4 more inches on his wing span. Not sure how that is possible.

Jahlil has a longer neck?

I guess that must be it.

[D.o.s.]

It's steroids.
































































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[kozlodoev]

It's weird that they have identical standing reaches but Okafor has 4 more inches on his wing span. Not sure how that is possible.

Jahlil has a longer neck?

I guess that must be it.

I don't see how neck is related to standing reach. Okafor likely has the wider shoulders, hence the larger wingspan.

[kozlodoev]

Pope is going back to school so he will be removed from the next board.

Sounds like Bobby Portis may be, as well. While I don't follow college hoops, the tale of the tape shows the type of player Ainge loves to roll the dice on.

[littleteapot]

I don't see how neck is related to standing reach. Okafor likely has the wider shoulders, hence the larger wingspan.

Standing reach = height + arm length - head height - neck length

Pure science

[Evantime34]

It's weird that they have identical standing reaches but Okafor has 4 more inches on his wing span. Not sure how that is possible.

Jahlil has a longer neck?

I guess that must be it.

I don't see how neck is related to standing reach. Okafor likely has the wider shoulders, hence the larger wingspan.

Ok that makes more sense. I think having wider shoulders also helps his defensive potential correct?

[Eddie20]

Standing reach is often skewed, by not fully extending, in order to give you a better vertical. The vertical is calculated by subtracting the standing reach from the marker on the vertical leap. That's why I think wingspan is a lot more accurate.

[alldaboston]

I wouldn't mind Christian Wood at all if we couldn't package our 2 picks to move up. Good shot blocker, pretty good upside.

[aporel#18]

if (big IF) Chad Ford is right, I'd pick Lyles, Portis (if he stays) or Dekker with our own pick, then the Chinese guy with the Clippers' pick. Use the Philly pick to get Dakari, and our 2nd rounder to pick Willy Hernangomez. If we get the Wizards pick, a Harrison kid would be great.

Stash Zhou Qi in China and Hernangomez in Spain for a couple years. Develop the other kids and see if they are keepers.

Wait till the 2016 trade deadline to maximize our assets. The 2016 Nets pick and Gerald's contract will look great by then, no need to give up on assets right now when you have Brad Stevens helping almost every player to raise his stock.

Zhou Qi may be another Yi Jianglian or the next Yao, but from a financial standpoint he could help the Cs in a good way.

Go Celtics!

[Celtics4ever]

I think having wider shoulders also helps his defensive potential correct? 

  I think it provides a greater base to build strength on.   It might make it harder to get around but I think it is valued more because of strength potential to build.   

Chad Ford will edit this post draft as usual, what a joke.

He now has a full roster of productive NBA role players. Pushing one aside for another isn't getting us anywhere.

  Some of them have deep flaws that could be remedied.   I would not too attached to the pick or our players, one never knows with Ainge.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

So, if we don't move up, we're in line to draft Poetl, Dekker or Portis? I call that a pretty solid draft if we get any of the three.

Would be really happy if it's Jacob Poetl. Just the potential of him being a solid rim protector would excite me. I feel like Sam Dekker can be a solid SF in the NBA, either as a starter or off the bench. Don't know much about Bobby Portis, but i read a lot of good stuff about him, so cool (just hope he doesnt turn out into Trey Thompkins, SEC big who posted numbers but didn't translate to the NBA).

[CFAN38]

What a poor list as usual by Ford

Okafor will be the Eddy Curry of the draft imo

How exactly are you seeing that?  One guy was coming out of high school pretty raw while the other guy is coming off a highly productive freshman season at one of the top Division 1 programs in the country.

Okafor and Curry share alot in common in terms of physical gifts. However Curry had a bunch of off the court issues as well as health issues. It should also be noted that at his best Curry was a 19pt 7rb per game guy. The fact that his refusal to take a DNA test from the Bulls landed him in the land of disfunction (aka Thomas' Knicks) should also be taken into account.

If Okafors ceiling is a more mature/mentally stable Curry then he is still the #1 pick.