Rumor: Celtics, among others, in contact with Sixers about Noel/Okafor

[kozlodoev]

Interesting followup question?



Do either of the Philly big men entice Cleveland to part with Love?

Doubtful, Noel is redundant of Thompson, and Okafor is Moskoff, who rides the bench.

Okafor is Mozgov... in the same way in which Adam Morrison is Larry Bird, I guess.

Yeah, seriously.  Some people are way over the top in their analysis of Okafor.

I meant it the other way around, really -- Mozgov is to Okafor is as Morrison is to Bird: the game is (kind of) similar, except for the whole talent level thing

[Lucky17]

No further reporting on this rumor? Seems that NO would be an interesting 3rd team to pull in: Ainge could slide from #3 to #6 and pick up an asset or two.

[Fafnir]

Simmons to be the first pick is now leaking out everywhere on NBA twitter after his workout.

[heyvik]

I'm starting to think that Ainge is asking for too much and has a bunch of deals contingent on each other. I think I am convincing myself that Ainge is looking to acquire Okafor without giving up #3, so that he can flip Okafor to the Bulls for Butler. Setting the stage for a Rozier, Butler, Crowder, Durant, Horford line up. IT being the 6th man.

[LarBrd33]

I'm starting to think that Ainge is asking for too much and has a bunch of deals contingent on each other. I think I am convincing myself that Ainge is looking to acquire Okafor without giving up #3, so that he can flip Okafor to the Bulls for Butler. Setting the stage for a Rozier, Butler, Crowder, Durant, Horford line up. IT being the 6th man.

This new line of thinking is adorable.  The idea that Ainge wants to acquire Noel/okafor so he can flip him for butler.

If okafor or Noel gets you jimmy butler, the 76ers would obviously freakin trade for jimmy butler.   That'd be perfect for them.  They need an established talent to pair with embiid and Simmons. It would make them a threat in free agency too.

Why they hell would Philly rather add some mediocre prospect at #3 over just adding jimmy butler to their budding young core?

Can't wait for Thursday to arrive. 

[LarBrd33]

Simmons to be the first pick is now leaking out everywhere on NBA twitter after his workout.

there was never much of a doubt.  He's by far the best prospect.  Ingrams is in a tier below him. Then there's a bit of a chasm to the next tier in the 3-7 range.

[tankcity!]

I'm starting to think that Ainge is asking for too much and has a bunch of deals contingent on each other. I think I am convincing myself that Ainge is looking to acquire Okafor without giving up #3, so that he can flip Okafor to the Bulls for Butler. Setting the stage for a Rozier, Butler, Crowder, Durant, Horford line up. IT being the 6th man.

This new line of thinking is adorable.  The idea that Ainge wants to acquire Noel/okafor so he can flip him for butler.

If okafor or Noel gets you jimmy butler, the 76ers would obviously freakin trade for jimmy butler.   That'd be perfect for them.  They need an established talent to pair with embiid and Simmons. It would make them a threat in free agency too.

Why they hell would Philly rather add some mediocre prospect at #3 over just adding jimmy butler to their budding young core?

Can't wait for Thursday to arrive.

Lol so true.

[LarBrd33]

No further reporting on this rumor? Seems that NO would be an interesting 3rd team to pull in: Ainge could slide from #3 to #6 and pick up an asset or two.

is there actually enough of a difference between 3 and 6 that we'd get an asset?   Boston had it narrowed down to 8 guys, I heard.   From what I've read it's my understanding that the guy taken 7th will be interchangeable with the guy taken 3rd.  There's no consensus picks.  It's a crap shoot.

[tankcity!]

Simmons to be the first pick is now leaking out everywhere on NBA twitter after his workout.

there was never much of a doubt.  He's by far the best prospect.  Ingrams is in a tier below him. Then there's a bit of a chasm to the next tier in the 3-7 range.

And the 3-7 range is looking worse and worse as we get closer to the draft. I'm not looking forward to Thursday anymore at this point.

[jpotter33]

I'm starting to think that Ainge is asking for too much and has a bunch of deals contingent on each other. I think I am convincing myself that Ainge is looking to acquire Okafor without giving up #3, so that he can flip Okafor to the Bulls for Butler. Setting the stage for a Rozier, Butler, Crowder, Durant, Horford line up. IT being the 6th man.

This new line of thinking is adorable.  The idea that Ainge wants to acquire Noel/okafor so he can flip him for butler.

If okafor or Noel gets you jimmy butler, the 76ers would obviously freakin trade for jimmy butler.   That'd be perfect for them.  They need an established talent to pair with embiid and Simmons. It would make them a threat in free agency too.

Why they hell would Philly rather add some mediocre prospect at #3 over just adding jimmy butler to their budding young core?

Can't wait for Thursday to arrive.

Except no competent star wants to go to the hell hole that is Philly after their years of sewer-worthy basketball and controversy  You think Butler is happily going to go to a Sixers team? You can say "he doesn't have any choice in the matter at all," but we all know that's not how it really works. The players have a big say in where they go; otherwise, the team gets a bad reputation for not being player-friendly and keeps others from going there.

[heyvik]

I'm starting to think that Ainge is asking for too much and has a bunch of deals contingent on each other. I think I am convincing myself that Ainge is looking to acquire Okafor without giving up #3, so that he can flip Okafor to the Bulls for Butler. Setting the stage for a Rozier, Butler, Crowder, Durant, Horford line up. IT being the 6th man.

This new line of thinking is adorable.  The idea that Ainge wants to acquire Noel/okafor so he can flip him for butler.

If okafor or Noel gets you jimmy butler, the 76ers would obviously freakin trade for jimmy butler.   That'd be perfect for them.  They need an established talent to pair with embiid and Simmons. It would make them a threat in free agency too.

Why they hell would Philly rather add some mediocre prospect at #3 over just adding jimmy butler to their budding young core?

Can't wait for Thursday to arrive.

Lol so true.

Because they have a log jam at the Big (PF, C) position that didn't work last year. And they seem to be VERY high on Dunn as the PG of the future.

[heyvik]

I'm starting to think that Ainge is asking for too much and has a bunch of deals contingent on each other. I think I am convincing myself that Ainge is looking to acquire Okafor without giving up #3, so that he can flip Okafor to the Bulls for Butler. Setting the stage for a Rozier, Butler, Crowder, Durant, Horford line up. IT being the 6th man.

This new line of thinking is adorable.  The idea that Ainge wants to acquire Noel/okafor so he can flip him for butler.

If okafor or Noel gets you jimmy butler, the 76ers would obviously freakin trade for jimmy butler.   That'd be perfect for them.  They need an established talent to pair with embiid and Simmons. It would make them a threat in free agency too.

Why they hell would Philly rather add some mediocre prospect at #3 over just adding jimmy butler to their budding young core?

Can't wait for Thursday to arrive.

Except no competent star wants to go to the hell hole that is Philly after their years of sewer-worthy basketball and controversy  You think Butler is happily going to go to a Sixers team? You can say "he doesn't have any choice in the matter at all," but we all know that's not how it really works. The players have a big say in where they go; otherwise, the team gets a bad reputation for not being player-friendly and keeps others from going there.

..this^

[kozlodoev]

Because they have a log jam at the Big (PF, C) position that didn't work last year. And they seem to be VERY high on Dunn as the PG of the future.

And dealing Okafor for Butler doesn't address their logjam? 

[The Oracle]

Everyone who relies on advanced stats - in addition to that mistake - to hate on Okafor, makes another mistake. He's going to improve. He's 19.

Sorry to break it to you.

It isn't all about analytics.  Did you watch what was happening in the finals to Ezili?  The Cavs were pulling him out to the perimeter and targeting him.  G.S. was doing the same thing to Adams and Kanter in the O.K.C. series.  You force switches on the perimeter to get a slow big on a smaller quicker guy and shoot over him or beat him off the dribble.  It happened all season and is only going to escalate even more because guys like Okafor can't begin to defend this or even there own man when defending someone like Olynyk, Bender Or Porzingis.  Gasol and Randolph, Hibbert, Monroe, Big Al etc. are all going to struggle mightily if they are not allowed to stay near the paint, they simply do not have the foot speed to defend on the perimeter. 

There is just no way you can give up the quality scoring opportunities that slow bigs are going to give up in the foreseeable future and get enough offense out of a post scoring big centered offense to win games, let alone titles.  If the Celtics brass don't see this and make the mistake of trading for Okafor I will be shocked beyond belief.

And here, dear reader, is a perfect example of the mistake I allude to.

Okafor hate on this board is ALWAYS linked to the notion that what you saw last year is all you possibly can get from him.

Nothing - nothing - could be further from the truth and any claim otherwise should not be taken seriously. It's nonsense.

There are reasons, and then there are excuses. You see the latter above.

Sad news for all the people who can't stand this kid: He is going to get better. All elements of his game will improve, from his body evolving out of his teen years to his offense, defense, rebounding, et al. Ainge was NOT wrong to inquire about him at the deadline.

To give yourself a chance to win a title with bigs that do not have great foot speed and do not spread the floor to a high level all you will have to do is build the Spurs.  You get guys to take pay cuts, a ton of very good big men, perfect roll players, an amazing SF, the best bench in the league, with the best coach in the league, playing the best defense in the league and you got yourself a title contender.

OR you build a team centered around bigs that can spread the floor, that have good foot speed  and can defend the entire floor.  This will allow you to win with less talent because those floor spacers will make everyone else's life much easier on offense.  More room to attack the basket because the shot blockers are not there to defend the hoop.  More open 3's, they will outrun you and you will be able to more successfully defend the perimeter.

People are under this delusion that your big men must rebound, defend the rim and score in the post and they do to an extent but there is way more to it than that.  The game has changed.  If you want to build the Spurs I wish you luck.  I will draft Bender, Lab, maybe Chriss, Davis or take a shot at Maker, whoever I can get my grubby little hands on.  Porzingis is the one that got away.  Olynyk is NOT getting traded.

I look at this draft as a great litmus test for the Celtics.  I really want to see if they get it or if they are going to punt the whole thing and make a mistake like acquiring Okafor.  I believe Danny and Brad get it and nothing they have done the last 3 years tells me they don't.

It is not specifically Okafor that I don't want.  I do not want anything to do with his archetype in today's NBA.  It is insanely difficult to build a title contender around.

[BDeCosta26]

Everyone who relies on advanced stats - in addition to that mistake - to hate on Okafor, makes another mistake. He's going to improve. He's 19.

Sorry to break it to you.

It isn't all about analytics.  Did you watch what was happening in the finals to Ezili?  The Cavs were pulling him out to the perimeter and targeting him.  G.S. was doing the same thing to Adams and Kanter in the O.K.C. series.  You force switches on the perimeter to get a slow big on a smaller quicker guy and shoot over him or beat him off the dribble.  It happened all season and is only going to escalate even more because guys like Okafor can't begin to defend this or even there own man when defending someone like Olynyk, Bender Or Porzingis.  Gasol and Randolph, Hibbert, Monroe, Big Al etc. are all going to struggle mightily if they are not allowed to stay near the paint, they simply do not have the foot speed to defend on the perimeter. 

There is just no way you can give up the quality scoring opportunities that slow bigs are going to give up in the foreseeable future and get enough offense out of a post scoring big centered offense to win games, let alone titles.  If the Celtics brass don't see this and make the mistake of trading for Okafor I will be shocked beyond belief.

And here, dear reader, is a perfect example of the mistake I allude to.

Okafor hate on this board is ALWAYS linked to the notion that what you saw last year is all you possibly can get from him.

Nothing - nothing - could be further from the truth and any claim otherwise should not be taken seriously. It's nonsense.

There are reasons, and then there are excuses. You see the latter above.

Sad news for all the people who can't stand this kid: He is going to get better. All elements of his game will improve, from his body evolving out of his teen years to his offense, defense, rebounding, et al. Ainge was NOT wrong to inquire about him at the deadline.

Did you respond to the wrong post? Nothing The Oracle said indicated that he doesn't think Okafor will change (in fact, it barely referenced Okafor at all)

Unless you are saying that Okafor will change from a slow-footed defender to one with good lateral mobility, which isn't gonna happen

Hey man, that's Coach Bo. He knows all, and if your opinion differs, your both wrong and stupid.

He's so far above us were like ropes on the Goodyear blimp.