Okur's Status?

[InGameStrategy]

If we had memo in the lakers series, i guarantee we wouldn't have been swept. Like him or not, Memo is still a better option at center than Fesenko.

Both I and recent history respectfully disagree. The Laker frontcourt would've pwned Okur. As usual.

April 2: Gasol starts at center, ends one assist short of a triple-double. Okur 11 points, 3 RBs, and a -19 on-court point differential.
https://www.nba.com/games/20100402/UTALAL/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore

February 10: Gasol 22 and 19 at center; Okur 3 for 10, 6 points, 4 rebounds. At least he had only a -4 on-court point differential.
https://www.nba.com/games/20100210/LALUTA/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore

December 12: Bynum starts, doesn't do much; Jazz win. But Okur couldn't even manage a positive +/-. 4 for 12 for 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 fouls.


Maybe MO could've helped eke out one win. But he would've likely contributed to the loss of lead (or chance of lead) that was repeated in each of the four games by Boozer, Millsap, Deron, and 2 wings. I'd say, at best, that Okur is slightly better alongside Boozer than Millsap is. Maybe vice versa, too. Okur brings crucial height relative to CB or PM, but it comes at the expense of footwork. Not that Booze or Fes or even Millsap is a gazelle, but the Matador Factor is reduced when at least one of the latter two players is on the court.

 

[carolinajazz]

he's getting slower by the day

...he's gone from semi-worthless on defense to completely worthless! He's now officially a 30 million dollar white elephant....in more ways than one!

 

[r_u_s_t_b_u_c_k_e_t]

Both I and recent history respectfully disagree. The Laker frontcourt would've pwned Okur. As usual.

yeah, meanwhile Fesenko was killing the lakers with his 1 rebound and 2 fouls in 13 minutes in game one. then he somehow topped that by shooting 1-7 with 4 fouls in game two.

forget about Fesenko. he'll be playing somewhere else next season.

 

[InGameStrategy]

yeah, meanwhile Fesenko was killing the lakers with his 1 rebound and 2 fouls in 13 minutes in game one. then he somehow topped that by shooting 1-7 with 4 fouls in game two.

forget about Fesenko. he'll be playing somewhere else next season.

Your narrow analysis goes no farther than the box score. Fesenko was the only Jazzman to have a positive point differential for each of the four games of the Laker series plus the highest on/court-off-court point differential of any Jazzman on the team. Once you transcend the stat line, then your claim would start to mean something--in the other direction.

Also, your comment does not take into account Fesenko's limited minutes going into the playoffs. He was given only 13 minutes in the entire month of April before the playoffs started, even though it was widely known that Utah needed height to battle the Lakers (even a healthy Memo wouldn't have been enough), and Game 1 was his first start ever against the almighty Lakers. Before you flippantly dismiss a player, especially a big man who usually takes longer to develop, give them a reasonable amount of time to develop--and be in game rhythm. The coaches had not done that with Fes during the past 3 years, and the result was that he that he had to grow up fast in the playoffs. Not the optimal time to do basic development. Nevertheless, he still helped to cut a double-digit deficit to five points in the third quarter of Game 1 vs. the Fakers, and he continued to do so, on average, in the subsequent three. And again, this is a 7-footer who is still raw offensively and has had about as much playing time in three years as many first-year centers garner.

BTW, point differential has been shown to be a positive, albeit not perfect, measure of player performance. (No measure is perfect.)
https://www.82games.com/comm30.htm
https://armchairgm.wikia.com/NBA_Point_Differential_-_The_Most_Power_Stat

 

[NUMBERICA]

He's absolutely not the hardest worker.

I'm expecting that he's done as a player but not injured enough to get his cap number off the books (worst-case scenario). Anything outside of that (especially being done and having his cap number erased for a career-ending injury) and I'm happy. Er.

 

[Hopper]

I've tried to put the whole Laker fiasco out of my mind and may not have the best recollection of it. That said, about all I remember about Fess in that series is him missin a buncha point-blank dunks and free throws, while fumblin the ball a lot.

 

[go4jazz]

yeah, meanwhile Fesenko was killing the lakers with his 1 rebound and 2 fouls in 13 minutes in game one. then he somehow topped that by shooting 1-7 with 4 fouls in game two.

forget about Fesenko. he'll be playing somewhere else next season.

Game 3?
Game 4?
Bynum's stats against Fes versus Bynum's stats against Phoenix and Boston?