Author Topic: What if....  (Read 5664 times)

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What if....
« on: December 23, 2012, 04:05:47 PM »

Offline Ogaju

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we have Akeem Olajuwon in the D-League and we do not even know it.

Fab Melo like Akeem is tall and athletic, he is actually taller than Akeem.

Fab Melo like Akeem comes from a soccer playing background.

Fab Melo like Akeem played just a couple of years in college and opted early for the draft. I think Akeem may have played one more year in college which means he was more developed than Fab coming out. Akeem also had played some basketball in his native Nigeria before playing NCAA ball. Akeem was definitely more experienced than Fab at this stage.

Fab Melo like Akeem showed little offensive skills in college depending more on height athelticism and superior footwork to be a monster on defense.

I believe that Akeem had a lot more swagger and confidence than Fab Melo coming into the league, and the challenge of the Celtics is to get this kid confidence. I doubt that Doc Rivers is the best coach for that. He simply does not develop players very well.

Anyway, I believe we have an Akeem in our farm system, the question is can we turn him into a HAKEEM?

Re: What if....
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2012, 04:16:42 PM »

Offline Yoki_IsTheName

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I like your thinking and I actually am buying it a bit.

He could turn into the Dream or not, we have to wait and see. All I know is Fab improves at a very fast level. He showed it in Syracuse, he's showing it in the D-League.

Only thing i'm a bit concerned is his BBIQ. I'm not sure he has Hakeem's IQ.
2019 CStrong Historical Draft 2000s OKC Thunder.
PG: Jrue Holiday / Isaiah Thomas / Larry Hughes
SG: Paul George / Aaron McKie / Bradley Beal
SF: Paul Pierce / Tayshaun Prince / Brian Scalabrine
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge / Shareef Abdur-Raheem / Ben Simmons
C: Jermaine O'neal / Ben Wallace

Re: What if....
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2012, 04:18:13 PM »

Offline LarBrd33

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we have Akeem Olajuwon in the D-League and we do not even know it.

Fab Melo like Akeem is tall and athletic, he is actually taller than Akeem.

Fab Melo like Akeem comes from a soccer playing background.

Fab Melo like Akeem played just a couple of years in college and opted early for the draft. I think Akeem may have played one more year in college which means he was more developed than Fab coming out. Akeem also had played some basketball in his native Nigeria before playing NCAA ball. Akeem was definitely more experienced than Fab at this stage.

Fab Melo like Akeem showed little offensive skills in college depending more on height athelticism and superior footwork to be a monster on defense.

I believe that Akeem had a lot more swagger and confidence than Fab Melo coming into the league, and the challenge of the Celtics is to get this kid confidence. I doubt that Doc Rivers is the best coach for that. He simply does not develop players very well.

Anyway, I believe we have an Akeem in our farm system, the question is can we turn him into a HAKEEM?
Hakeem RIGHT NOW is probably still better than Fab Melo

He was great in College.  The #1 pick the year JOrdan, Barkley etc came out.  And probably would still go #1 if most teams re-did that draft (In a bubble, I'd probably still take him over JOrdan.  You don't pass up one of the greatest centers of all time... Jordan needed Pippen and the right set of circumstances to reach the level he did).  Akeem was a 20, 12 and 3 player his rookie season.  His second season he averaged 24 points, 12 boards, 3.4 blocks, 2 steals ... and made the finals. 

Fab Melo is some scrub d-leaguer.  Come on now.  He's a throw-in for a potential Marcin Gortat trade. 

The day I start comparing Fab Melo to Hakeem... is the day ya'll need to start giving me clozapine.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2012, 04:25:39 PM by LarBrd33 »

Re: What if....
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2012, 04:24:55 PM »

Offline Roy H.

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I agree with LarBrd33.  I think you're underestimating how dominant Hakeem was in college.  He certainly wasn't regarded as a project coming out of college; he was the consensus #1 pick.


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Re: What if....
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2012, 04:29:49 PM »

Offline Ogaju

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I compared him to Akeem not Hakeem.... you do get the distinction.

Akeem was drafted for his upside, he was very raw in college in spite of having already played club ball in his native Nigeria. Give Fab a break. He is only in the D-Legaue because of the team he is playing for right now.

Re: What if....
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2012, 04:31:48 PM »

Offline wahz

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I think the point is IF Fab turns out to be that great in the long run. I don't think the op was coming close to suggesting Fab will be there soon. And I think the two posters above me know that.

Therefore my response is we are looking at 22 titles if Fab develops into Hakeem 8)

Re: What if....
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2012, 04:35:14 PM »

Offline LarBrd33

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I agree with LarBrd33.  I think you're underestimating how dominant Hakeem was in college.  He certainly wasn't regarded as a project coming out of college; he was the consensus #1 pick.

If I was traveling back in time to 1984 as a GM... I'd still take Hakeem #1.  Jordan's Bulls were a below .500 team until Pippen arrived.  Excellent player without question, but if you're playing the championship game you still probably take Hakeem.

Actually, I know for a fact I'd take Akeem #1 in that draft since I read Bill Simmons' book and Hakeem himself swears that Ralph Sampson had so much value back in 1984 that they could have very easily traded Sampson to the Blazers for both Clyde Drexler (who hadn't done much yet) AND the #2 pick (which they would have used on JOrdan).  You'd end up with Hakeem, Drexler and Jordan. LOl.

Fab Melo is nowhere near that type of prospect.

Re: What if....
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2012, 04:37:06 PM »

Offline Roy H.

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Akeem was drafted for his upside, he was very raw in college in spite of having already played club ball in his native Nigeria.

This just isn't true.

Hakeem was a first-team All-America coming out of college, and in '83 was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.  He averaged 17 points and 13.5 boards on 68% shooting as a junior.  He took his team to three straight Final Fours, including two Finals appearances.

As a rookie, he made the all-rookie first team, and was rookie of the month three times.  He averaged 20.6 points per game, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks.

Hakeem -- or Akeem, if you prefer -- was not a project.  Everyone expected him to be an all-time great coming out of school.


I'M THE SILVERBACK GORILLA IN THIS MOTHER——— AND DON'T NONE OF YA'LL EVER FORGET IT!@ 34 minutes

Re: What if....
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2012, 04:37:56 PM »

Offline LarBrd33

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I compared him to Akeem not Hakeem.... you do get the distinction.

Akeem was drafted for his upside, he was very raw in college in spite of having already played club ball in his native Nigeria. Give Fab a break. He is only in the D-Legaue because of the team he is playing for right now.
Yeah man you have no idea what you're talking about.  Sorry.  Akeem lead his team to back-to-back NCAA Championship games and was the 1983 NCAA Tournament Player of the Year. 

Maybe you are confusing Hakeem Olajuwon with Mouhamed Sene... were you trying to compare Fab Melo to Mouhamed Sene?

Re: What if....
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2012, 04:41:57 PM »

Offline Roy H.

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Actually, I know for a fact I'd take Akeem #1 in that draft since I read Bill Simmons' book and Hakeem himself swears that Ralph Sampson had so much value back in 1984 that they could have very easily traded Sampson to the Blazers for both Clyde Drexler (who hadn't done much yet) AND the #2 pick (which they would have used on JOrdan).  You'd end up with Hakeem, Drexler and Jordan. LOl.


Even if they'd passed on Jordan due to Drexler and had taken Barkley, can you imagine the Hakeem / Barkley / Drexler trio spending their careers together, instead of some crappy years together at the end of their careers?


I'M THE SILVERBACK GORILLA IN THIS MOTHER——— AND DON'T NONE OF YA'LL EVER FORGET IT!@ 34 minutes

Re: What if....
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2012, 04:45:14 PM »

Offline Ogaju

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do you know that Akeem played professional basketball in nigeria before he ever came to the USA.

Do you also know that he represented Nigeria in international competition before he came to the USA?

Re: What if....
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2012, 04:49:41 PM »

Offline Ogaju

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Akeem was drafted for his upside, he was very raw in college in spite of having already played club ball in his native Nigeria.

This just isn't true.

Hakeem was a first-team All-America coming out of college, and in '83 was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.  He averaged 17 points and 13.5 boards on 68% shooting as a junior.  He took his team to three straight Final Fours, including two Finals appearances.

As a rookie, he made the all-rookie first team, and was rookie of the month three times.  He averaged 20.6 points per game, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks.

Hakeem -- or Akeem, if you prefer -- was not a project.  Everyone expected him to be an all-time great coming out of school.

My use of Akeem vs. Hakeem was to separate the raw player from the player that became one of the best centers of all-time. I do not want to compare Fab to the great Hakeem but the much more impressionable young man that came out of Nigeria.

What most people do not realize is how much basketball Akeem had played before coming to the US.

Re: What if....
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2012, 04:51:52 PM »

Offline LarBrd33

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Maybe it's something about Boston fans and Hakeem that goes back to 1986 when we faced a 2nd year Akeem in the Finals...  because this is the second time I've seen a Celtic fan insanely undervalue how amazing Olajuwon was.

The first time was in 2008 when someone tried to seriously argue that Kendrick Perkins was a better fit for our team than "Hakeem in his prime" and that he'd take Perk over "Hakeem in his prime" because of how well he played his role.   

Re: What if....
« Reply #13 on: December 23, 2012, 04:55:26 PM »

Offline Roy H.

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Akeem was drafted for his upside, he was very raw in college in spite of having already played club ball in his native Nigeria.

This just isn't true.

Hakeem was a first-team All-America coming out of college, and in '83 was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.  He averaged 17 points and 13.5 boards on 68% shooting as a junior.  He took his team to three straight Final Fours, including two Finals appearances.

As a rookie, he made the all-rookie first team, and was rookie of the month three times.  He averaged 20.6 points per game, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks.

Hakeem -- or Akeem, if you prefer -- was not a project.  Everyone expected him to be an all-time great coming out of school.

My use of Akeem vs. Hakeem was to separate the raw player from the player that became one of the best centers of all-time. I do not want to compare Fab to the great Hakeem but the much more impressionable young man that came out of Nigeria.

What most people do not realize is how much basketball Akeem had played before coming to the US.

I'll concede, Fab Melo at 22 might be as developed as Hakeem at 15 or 16.  He's nowhere near as talented, though.


I'M THE SILVERBACK GORILLA IN THIS MOTHER——— AND DON'T NONE OF YA'LL EVER FORGET IT!@ 34 minutes

Re: What if....
« Reply #14 on: December 23, 2012, 05:10:21 PM »

Offline LarBrd33

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Akeem was drafted for his upside, he was very raw in college in spite of having already played club ball in his native Nigeria.

This just isn't true.

Hakeem was a first-team All-America coming out of college, and in '83 was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.  He averaged 17 points and 13.5 boards on 68% shooting as a junior.  He took his team to three straight Final Fours, including two Finals appearances.

As a rookie, he made the all-rookie first team, and was rookie of the month three times.  He averaged 20.6 points per game, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks.

Hakeem -- or Akeem, if you prefer -- was not a project.  Everyone expected him to be an all-time great coming out of school.

My use of Akeem vs. Hakeem was to separate the raw player from the player that became one of the best centers of all-time. I do not want to compare Fab to the great Hakeem but the much more impressionable young man that came out of Nigeria.

What most people do not realize is how much basketball Akeem had played before coming to the US.

I'll concede, Fab Melo at 22 might be as developed as Hakeem at 15 or 16.  He's nowhere near as talented, though.
Yeah really this thread doesn't make any sense.  Watch the actual 1984 NBA Draft:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=e01huxPPb1U#t=551s  ... Skip to the 9 minute 11 second mark when Houston is up.  There's zero doubt that the Rockets are taking Akeem.  The announcers:  "It's considered once in 15 years a team can draft a center... once in 25 years a team can draft a superstar center... and the Rocket's timing has been impeccable... last year with Ralph Sampson and this year with Akeem Olajuwon." ...  They point out he's only played basketball for 5 years, but already an All American who had won multiple awards, was Conference Player of the year and and was a dominant college player.  He already had the nickname "The Dream".  Everyone knew he was a superstar... the top pick in a draft where they suspect there is about 6 superstars.