ESPN reporting Okafor - 6/72...

[jemagee]

If you think back it seems that the Tyson Chandler and Sammy D

And Eddy Curry, but they aren't all three equal players even though they got equal contracts....Looking at those 3 very similar deals I think that the hornets got a nice 'bargain' on chandler, the sixers and knicks over paid and the bulls got stupid again

[sixerscan]

If you were an NBA GM, and you were picking first in a pickup game where the losing team's GM's family is killed, and the two best players in the game were Okafor and Iguodala, who would you pick?

I pick Emeka.

Here's another scenario...let's say that we did NOT get Brand, and both Okafor and Iguodala were signed to similar contracts...LB calls Stefanski and asks if we would trade Iguodala straight up for Okafor.  Would you do it?

I would do it in a nanosecond.

So, in my mind, there is no way the Sixers should pay Iggy more than Okafor...although I guess I could live with 6/73 (just to make the Sixers' new drama queen happy).

If Okafor is better and he has Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson on his team how come the Sixers made the playoffs and the Bobcats suck?

[jemagee]

If Okafor is better and he has Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson on his team how come the Sixers made the playoffs and the Bobcats suck?

Mo Cheeks and Andre miller obviously

[Sub]

Okafor is a nice big man, but he is what he is and will be. He's at his ceiling. And there are more people like him than some would think. I'd even say that almost every team has an Okafor-level of big man on their team, some with more upside. Iguodala, at least IMO, hasn't come near to his ceiling, and is a potential All-Star player. There aren't as many Iguodala-type players in my estimation. So to me, he's at least as valuable, if not moreso.

[tk76-]

In terms of an Iguodala/Okafor swap, Okafor would have fit a huge gaping hole in the frontcourt befoer Brand was signed, and Iguodala as a swing is more easily replaced.

That said, Iguodala has much more upside as is a potential impact starter.  He could be a big 3 type player on a contender (the 3rd of the 3), whereas Okafor will always just be a solid center.  He will never be an impact player.

[Sub]

The SG position is easier to replace. I don't believe the same can be said for what Andre Iguodala can do from the SG position, however.

[jemagee]

The SG position is easier to replace. I don't believe the same can be said for what Andre Iguodala can do from the SG position, however.

In general it's easier to get a 'replacement level/league average' SG...but does anyone think Iguodala is ONLY a league average SG?   If so then that's a different argument

For comparisons sake, I consider willie green a below replacement level SG

[Skates]

If you think back it seems that the Tyson Chandler and Sammy D

And Eddy Curry, but they aren't all three equal players even though they got equal contracts....Looking at those 3 very similar deals I think that the hornets got a nice 'bargain' on chandler, the sixers and knicks over paid and the bulls got stupid again

I ignored Eddy Curry on purpose, mainly because he was a scoring big man whereas Chandler, Dalembert, Biedrins and Okafor are more defense/rebounding types.  Chandler and Dalembert were both paid in large part on potential and Chandler has definitely outpaced Sammy over time.

If you were an NBA GM, and you were picking first in a pickup game where the losing team's GM's family is killed, and the two best players in the game were Okafor and Iguodala, who would you pick?

I pick Emeka.

Here's another scenario...let's say that we did NOT get Brand, and both Okafor and Iguodala were signed to similar contracts...LB calls Stefanski and asks if we would trade Iguodala straight up for Okafor.  Would you do it?

I would do it in a nanosecond.

So, in my mind, there is no way the Sixers should pay Iggy more than Okafor...although I guess I could live with 6/73 (just to make the Sixers' new drama queen happy).

If Okafor is better and he has Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson on his team how come the Sixers made the playoffs and the Bobcats suck?

There are a number of commentators and scout types who are not fond of Richardson's game.  He has impressive stats, but is alleged to get them at the expense of team success.  I don't hear that much regarding Wallace, but it is a frequent criticism of Richardson, fair or not.

[jemagee]

I wouldn't call biedrins a defensive/rebounding type...if he is the warriors are screwed.

There are a number of commentators and scout types who are not fond of Richardson's game.  He has impressive stats, but is alleged to get them at the expense of team success.  I don't hear that much regarding Wallace, but it is a frequent criticism of Richardson, fair or not.

Well I know I always take commentators and unnamed scouts as gospel.  Did you know that there are STILL guys in the league who can't pronouncer Iguodala OR Dalembert properly?

[tk76-]

Did you know that there are STILL guys in the league who can't pronouncer Iguodala OR Dalembert properly?

Based on the player introductions, some of Sammy's teammates still cannot pronounce his name- including Iguodala (he pronounces it like Bert and Ernie- Sam would have a great personality for that show.)

[jemagee]

Now, if they want to tell me that richardson seems to be a bad impact on the team rebounding, i'll accept that, but i'm not seeing the 'selfishness' that's suppposedly there...he might be a defensive liability but i would think if he was so selfish offensively there'd be less assissted FG when he's on the court, worse shooting percentages, etc...

I can see an argument being made that he is a defensive liability, I don't see support for the 'allegations' made by said scounts and commentators

http://www.82games.com/0708/07CHA6D.HTM

Question...who had the biggest contract on the bobcats last year?

[bebopdeluxe]

jem:

I am fine with Iggy getting more than Ellis...I am fine with 6/72....that is MUCH different than 5/70.

sixerscan:

Welcome to the forum, bro...nice to have you here!

My primary argument is not that Okafor is necessarily a better player than Iguodala...it is that, given the relative lack of legit 6' 10" power guys who can average 13/10/2 in the NBA, Okafor's replacement/market value is higher than Iguodala.  Okafor finished in the top 10 in the NBA last season in both blocks and rebounds - one of only five guys who did that (Howard, Camby, Duncan...and our very own Sammy D).  While I am certainly not trying to discount Iguodala's stat-stuffing contributions to the Sixers success, he still has some material holes in his game - especially as a SG, which is where he is going to play out his contract (outside/3pt shooting and his handle/driving ability in the halfcourt being the two most glaring).

Whether or not you agree with the premise that "2's and 3's are a dime a dozen", history has shown that average bigs get paid at least as much as above-average swingmen...and above-average bigs get paid as much as elite swingmen....and I think that Okafor is more of an above-average big than Iggy is an elite swingman.

[carolina blue]

carolina blue:

Would you trade Sammy straight up for Okafor?

I would...quickly.

I'm not sure that I would. 

I think that Dalembert's style and strengths might be a better compliment to Brand than Okafor's.  The age difference isn't much, and Okafor has had some injury issues (back, I believe).  Okafor scored a little more last year, but he took 200 more shots.  He's also a terrible FT shooter.

I think that I've talked myself out of it, so I guess I wouldn't make the trade.

[TheGuiltyParty]

A) I'd take Okafor over Dalembert is less than a second.

B) Okafor missed time in 2006 due to an ankle injury NOT back.

C) I don't believe Okafor's contract will make a huge difference on Iguodala. If we're comparing apples to apples, the contracts that Kevin Martin and Monte Ellis signed would be far more comparable.

D) I still expect Iguodala's numbers to come in around 6 years/$70MIL and I am ok with that.

[Skates]

I wouldn't call biedrins a defensive/rebounding type...if he is the warriors are screwed.

Comparing Biedrins and Chandler, Biedrins has a slightly higher FG% (.003) and BPG, Chandler has higher PPG and RPG, but plays more minutes.  On a per 48 min basis Biedrins is the number 3 rebounder in the league, well above Sammy, and Okafor and a little ahead of Chandler.  Sammy and Okafor block shots better than either Biedrins or Chandler, but have lower FG%.  He fits in the same category with the other three, he shoots FG's very efficiently (tops in the league), rebounds at a very high rate, blocks shots at a reasonably high rate, scores in the low double figures area and can't shoot FT's.  I know blocked shots are not a great indicator of defense, Sammy being a great example of that, but he is about the only guy on GS who appears to be playing defense.

I read that some portion of his $63 million contract is incentive based, which allows room for him to improve, since he is just 22, if he is going to earn the full amount.