PDA

View Full Version : Jahlil Okafor: Magnificent article on ESPN



53n206
11-24-2015, 06:50 PM
I recommend one reads this. Really good article on a really fun guy

grad_devil
11-24-2015, 06:51 PM
Here's the direct link (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14172705/the-lonely-burden-sixers-jahlil-okafor).

Billy Dat
11-24-2015, 09:20 PM
Thanks for the heads-up and the link. The article is very interesting, especially the bits about the kind of game-by-game feedback these players get, rating each of his transitions from offense to defense and whether they were "good", judged by very specific criteria (e.g. "was the first step a jog or a 'burst'). These guys certainly get plenty of quality metrics by which to judge themselves and measure improvement.

For those interested, this ESPN bball podcast starts with a Jah vs Towns debate coming off last night's head-to-head match-up:
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14215114

luvdahops
11-24-2015, 09:43 PM
Thanks for the heads-up and the link. The article is very interesting, especially the bits about the kind of game-by-game feedback these players get, rating each of his transitions from offense to defense and whether they were "good", judged by very specific criteria (e.g. "was the first step a jog or a 'burst'). These guys certainly get plenty of quality metrics by which to judge themselves and measure improvement.

For those interested, this ESPN bball podcast starts with a Jah vs Towns debate coming off last night's head-to-head match-up:
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14215114

Did I miss something or did they completely gloss over Okafor's domination in the head to head (last night and consistently over time)? I don't really dispute the general thrusts of what they were arguing in terms, but there is something to be said about how they perform against one another, isn't there?

huey
11-24-2015, 10:07 PM
I recommend one reads this. Really good article on a really fun guy

Thanks for the link. Great article. Hopefully they stay with him this year. I don't think players should be required to stay...but I'd love if he could have gone through that transformation at Duke. Eh, who am I kidding, I love watching his highlights nightly in the NBA. His post play and quickness are already elite.

Billy Dat
11-25-2015, 07:27 AM
Did I miss something or did they completely gloss over Okafor's domination in the head to head (last night and consistently over time)? I don't really dispute the general thrusts of what they were arguing in terms, but there is something to be said about how they perform against one another, isn't there?

It was a magazine piece so it was probably finished weeks ago. I only remember them talking about the first 3 regular season games. Listen to that podcast I linked to (above), which was recorded yesterday after the KAT/Jah game and you'll see that the head to head did little to change the narrative of Jah being a gifted scorer and limited rebounder and defender whose low post game doesn't align with the 3-and-D, pace-and-space modern NBA while KAT is essentially to prototype for that style.

luvdahops
11-25-2015, 08:57 AM
It was a magazine piece so it was probably finished weeks ago. I only remember them talking about the first 3 regular season games. Listen to that podcast I linked to (above), which was recorded yesterday after the KAT/Jah game and you'll see that the head to head did little to change the narrative of Jah being a gifted scorer and limited rebounder and defender whose low post game doesn't align with the 3-and-D, pace-and-space modern NBA while KAT is essentially to prototype for that style.

I was actually referring the podcast. Again, I don't really dispute the narrative. I would have thought the head to head history would be discussed a bit more, though, not because it changes the narrative, but because it does provide some balance to what was otherwise a very one-sided discussion. I do think that if Jah and KAT swapped places, the narrative might change somewhat, and the sense of who was off to the more promising start even more so.

Ichabod Drain
11-25-2015, 09:14 AM
It was a magazine piece so it was probably finished weeks ago. I only remember them talking about the first 3 regular season games. Listen to that podcast I linked to (above), which was recorded yesterday after the KAT/Jah game and you'll see that the head to head did little to change the narrative of Jah being a gifted scorer and limited rebounder and defender whose low post game doesn't align with the 3-and-D, pace-and-space modern NBA while KAT is essentially to prototype for that style.


I was actually referring the podcast. Again, I don't really dispute the narrative. I would have thought the head to head history would be discussed a bit more, though, not because it changes the narrative, but because it does provide some balance to what was otherwise a very one-sided discussion. I do think that if Jah and KAT swapped places, the narrative might change somewhat, and the sense of who was off to the more promising start even more so.

Like luvdahops said, they really glossed over the actual game between the two players. If you want to ignore the points and basic stat lines i guess that's understandable (even though Jah's stat line was laughably better than Towns') but Jah also had two blocks on Towns and drew two fouls going at Towns.

I agree Towns is going to be a great player but i'm not sure any of the guys in that podcast even watched the game.

Billy Dat
11-25-2015, 09:26 AM
I was actually referring the podcast. Again, I don't really dispute the narrative. I would have thought the head to head history would be discussed a bit more, though, not because it changes the narrative, but because it does provide some balance to what was otherwise a very one-sided discussion. I do think that if Jah and KAT swapped places, the narrative might change somewhat, and the sense of who was off to the more promising start even more so.


Like luvdahops said, they really glossed over the actual game between the two players. If you want to ignore the points and basic stat lines i guess that's understandable (even though Jah's stat line was laughably better than Towns') but Jah also had two blocks on Towns and drew two fouls going at Towns.

I agree Towns is going to be a great player but i'm not sure any of the guys in that podcast even watched the game.

My bad, I should have read your note more carefully. I agree with you guys, the game did little to change what the pundits see as an inevitable march to "the Stretch 5", the 3 point shooting center which KAT and Porzingis represent.

If you are interested in another podcast, here's another one from yesterday with Zach Lowe and our own #31, Mr. Battier, where they start talking about the stretch 5 concept at the 29 minute mark.
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14215207

Li_Duke
11-25-2015, 09:37 AM
Thanks for the heads-up and the link. The article is very interesting, especially the bits about the kind of game-by-game feedback these players get, rating each of his transitions from offense to defense and whether they were "good", judged by very specific criteria (e.g. "was the first step a jog or a 'burst'). These guys certainly get plenty of quality metrics by which to judge themselves and measure improvement.
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=14215114

This is not typical of most NBA franchises, but Philly has hired an army of statisticians. I may be a biased, being a statistician myself, but I think this will be a huge plus for Okafor's development. NBA players are competitive, and playing for a loser can seem futile. He just needs to get the mentality that his development is independent of wins and points/rebounds, but rather on what % of good plays he has. They are changing a binary outcome (win/losses) to a continuous scale (% good plays) that he can more readily control.

jacone21
11-25-2015, 10:11 AM
I sit in my recliner in the dark family room and read the article. A mockingbird, stirred by the light of the full moon, sings in the tree outside my window. Suddenly, I remember how much I dislike present tense writing. I close my browser, drink the last sip of my tea, sigh, curse Kansas State, and drift into troubled slumber.