I would like to bring the one of the off season thread on the SERPS where everyone discussed that Yao should find the time to train with Olajuwon. I just looked at the box score between Dallas and Charlotte, and was blown out to see Okafor get 8 block playing against Dallas. No, I did not watch the game and No, I did not see who he blocked, but his stats have gone up, and up specially on the blocks per game (19.9 ppg, 11.9 rpg, & 3.8 bpg). We now know that Hakeem CAN be a teacher (Most people can not), and that it will be perfect for Yao to be tutored by the Dream.
im sure he'll find time eventually...lets just hope that we get bonzi, vspan, sura and novak to add to our depth...man that would be sweet having all these guys contributing...
Okafor's performance last season was disappointed but maybe mostly due to his injuries! But so far this season, he is definitely in another notch! I always like his games hopefully he can stay healthy and keeps it up!
Okafor's improvement is based more on him losing weight and getting long-muscles rather than bulking up like he did last year. I'm sure Olajuwon helped him quite a bit - but his trainer did the majority of the work towards his recent improvement.
I actually had a chat with Okafor on one of those NBA Chatwrap things last year before the injuries and I asked him what was his main focus in the offseason and why. He said he didnt like that his blocks were so low and that training with Hakeem went a long way in showing him how to better his defensive effort without fouling. Hakeem would be a dream coach for yao
PS Okafor was a defensive monster tonight, he was blocking all sorts of shots from impossible angles. If youve ever seen those Bill Russel tapes where he shows you how to swipe at shots, it looked exactly like those.
Emeka averaged around 5 blocks a game for 3 years at UConn while playing in the Big East, he has always had the skills. It was just a matter of adjusting to the NBA level, which he appears to be doing now. When he was in college, Bill Russell said that Okafor was the closest thing he'd ever seen to himself. I don't think Hakeem could have the same effect on Yao. Emeka is much closer to Hakeem in terms of body size and athleticism.
everyone on ESPN is already proclaiming dwight howard the better big guy among him and emeka. dwight might have the body and athleticism, but emeka might have the better smarts. this might be like the new david robinson vs hakeem olajuwon. and yes, i know, emeka is planets away from being hakeem, just saying he's the most like hakeem in the current playing players.
8 blocks tonight...7 blocks two games before. He's almost avg'in 4bpg. I think Dream had a hand in that, and the Rockets are wasting an opportunity.
I'm not sure this has anything to do with Dream. IIRC, Okafor was a terrific shot blocker in collage and was expected to be a great shot blocker entering NBA.
I think if you look at Yao's work ethic and the way he's developed this never ending talk of Dream training him is overblown. Their games aren't that similar because of the huge physical differences between the two. Emeka is much more like Dream than Yao and can learn more from him. I could care less if Yao and Dream ever talk. However Yao trains works just fine IMO.
While Dream might've had something to do with it, I think his influence on Omeka's game is somewhat overstated. Sure, it couldn't hurt to practice with Dream and it probably helped him pick up a bit more on the 'finer' details/techniques of blocking shots, but Okafor has always impressed me with his D, even as a college player. He will be a dominant defensive presence in the league for years to come. On the other end, D.Howard is a dominating presence on the boards, I think he had almost 60 rebounds in the past three games alone, including a couple of "20pts, 20rbs" games.
Well, if Orlando doesn't make it to playoffs this year, D. Howard's stats will be meaningless since those games he played are garbage games anyway.
Okafor is the one young big that I would love to see next to Yao at the 4. I sure wished he would play his contract out and force a trade. I'm sure the Bobcats will offer him a max deal and he won't be able to turn it down. Oh well.
Like tigermission mentioned in the other thread, the NBA is actually having a lot of quality big men now and more to come in the future! Yao, D. Howard, Bogut, Bynum, Okafor, Oden(?).... Yao is the present but D. Howard will defintely is the future! Just for the league can open things and let them play the big men games rather than this stupid "guard" league!
he's still averaging 2.9 bpg - a full 1 bpg more than last year. Hakeem offseason training definitely helping.
Okafor is more similiar to Hakeem in that he was a smaller big man, but had the uncanny ability to elevate/jump quick and fast, and multiple times, which is PERFECT for blocking shots. I've seen Yao improve in his weak-side blocking help this year... but he'll never have the quick elevation of Olajuwon, Okafor, or even Mutombo to be as good of a shot blocker. Yao will do himself a favor by continuing to work on footwork, stay out of foul trouble, and keep the stamina up.... the blocks will come by default.
