Camby needs to get real

[George O'Brien]

I think stats are more useful in comparing guards than centers. There are no stats for playing tough defense and it is a much bigger issue when looking at centers.

Let me give an aburd comparions: Okur and Voskuhl

Mehmet Okur
Detroit Pistons
Position: C
Height: 6-11 Weight: 249
From: Turkey
Player file | Team stats

2003-04 Statistics
PPG 9.6
RPG 5.9
APG 1.0
SPG .51
BPG .89
FG% .463
FT% .775
3P% .375
MPG 22.3

Jake Voskuhl
Phoenix Suns
Position: C
Height: 6-11 Weight: 245
College: Connecticut '00

2003-04 Statistics
PPG 6.6
RPG 5.2
APG .9
SPG .64
BPG .38
FG% .507
FT% .740
3P% .000
MPG 24.3

Consider that Jake plays on a team which has more guys who can score, the numbers are roughly comparable. Yet Jake is considered a career backup player and Okur is a highly sought after big man. The key is that Okur is a lot better than Jake on defense, but may not be better than some of the other guys who will get less money.

 

[F-Dog]

Brad Miller 2002-03 with Indiana
31.1 minutes
13.1 points
8.3 rebounds
2.6 assists
1.62 turnovers
.59 blocks
.89 steals

Okur 2003-04 with Detroit
22.3 minutes
9.6 points
5.9 rebounds
1.0 assists
1.42 turnovers
.89 blocks
.51 steals

I know it's not as simple as this, but if you figure Okur's numbers if he played 31.1 minutes per game like Brad Miller did with Indiana here's what you get.

Okur in 2003-04 in 31.1 minutes
13.4 points
8.2 rebounds
1.4 assists
2.0 turnovers
1.2 blocks
.71 steals

Joe Mama

The problem with Okur 2004 vs. Brad Miller 2003 is that Brad Miller was 28 years old and a 6-year veteran, while Okur is 24 and in his second year in the league. Both guys had untapped potential because their teams built limited roles for them, but Okur is also at a point in his career where he should improve significantly over the next couple of years.

Based on limited viewing, my guess is that Okur is a better athlete and slightly better scorer than Miller, while they're about equal at rebounding and defending their man, and Miller is much better passing and playing away from the ball.

Okur might be the Pistons' sixth man for this series, so this is a good chance to get a look at him--if you can stand to watch a few 65-point slugfests.

 

[F-Dog]

I think stats are more useful in comparing guards than centers. There are no stats for playing tough defense and it is a much bigger issue when looking at centers.

Let me give an aburd comparions: Okur and Voskuhl...

Like Blount, Jake Voskuhl plays for a team where minutes and especially points are easier to come by than they are in Detroit.

When Okur is in the game, the Pistons call plays for him--they'll pass him the ball in the post, then everyone will stand around, waiting to see what he'll do. That's not something that you'd want to see happen to Jake.

 

[elindholm]

Yet Jake is considered a career backup player and Okur is a highly sought after big man.

We don't really know how "highly sought after" Okur is. Speculation has been rampant, but sometimes speculation and reality aren't all that similar. When Okur signs a contract for more than the MLE, then we can start talking about how desireable he is.

I'd also be interested to see how much better Okur is on defense than Voskuhl if Okur played against Western Conference big men most of the time.

 

[fordronken]

These statistics don't mean a whole lot to me because as far as I've been reading, the interest in Okur comes in what kind of player they think he'll turn into, not what he already is. There has been a lot of speculation and people "quoting" Joe Dumars as having said that Okur will become an All-Star calliber center in this league.