Great info by everybody. What I suggest is that nobody is perfect and when you are under the microscope like Okafor eventually somebody will find something to nitpick.
Are his shot block and rebounding totals due to a hole in his game? Or is his offensive ability so dominant his job is to stay out of foul trouble? Based on his winning to date those supposed flaws have never caused defeat.
That's a relevant point and one of the reasons I don't take those statistical comparisons as gospel.
But if you look at other freshman bigs who played a lot of minutes, including some that were huge focal points of their offenses, Okafor's defensive rebounding and blocks don't compare favorably.
Again, just a bunch of random notable freshman names that popped into my head...
Blocks per 40, pace adjusted
Okafor: 1.8
Griffin (freshman): 1.2
Beasley: 1.9
Durant: 2.0
Davis: 5.8
Love: 2.0
Sullinger: 0.7
Emeka Okafor: 5.2
Bogut: 2.0
Here we have a group mostly consisting of NBA PFs, most of whom are/were not legitimate rim protectors, with a few exceptions (Bogut, Okafor, and Davis). Guys like Durant, Beasley, and Love certainly aren't rim protectors, and those latter two have nothing close to the combination of length and athleticism typically required of that role...yet they were on par with Okafor, despite having to be cognizant of avoiding foul trouble due to their significant offensive roles.
Griffin and Sullinger's low numbers make sense, given their lack of length. Those of us who watched Blake play every night know that he also played cautiously on the defensive end due to his necessity on offense.
That Bogut, whose freshman block rate is similar to Okafor's, developed into a spectacular defender in the NBA indicates that this isn't necessarily a death knell for Okafor.
And all of those guys kill Okafor on the defensive glass...
Defensive rebounds per 40, pace adjusted
Okafor: 6.4
Griffin (freshman): 8.6
Beasley: 10.6
Durant: 8.5
Davis: 9.2
Love: 9.8
Sullinger: 8.7
Emeka Okafor: 8.1
Bogut: 10.0
This is troubling if you're looking at Okafor as a potential #1 overall pick. Again, most of these guys are NBA PFs, and Okafor isn't in the same stratosphere in terms of defensive rebounding.
Among the players whose numbers I previously posted, Okafor (6.4) was actually ahead of Drummond (6.0) and Hibbert (5.7) and in the same ballpark as Lopez (6.8). Drummond is an odd case, given that he's a rebounding machine in the NBA. Perhaps we can write that off as an issue of motor and maturity, but that wouldn't apply to Okafor. Hibbert and Lopez rebound at below-average rates in the league.
Perhaps even more alarming: Justise Winslow, Okafor's teammate averaged 6.8 defensive rebounds per 40 (pace-adjusted), compared to Okafor's 6.4. It's one thing to have your rebounding stats somewhat deflated by talented teammates, but an elite center shouldn't be outrebounded on the defensive glass by a 6'7" wing prospect on his own team.
I like Okafor as a Top 5 prospect, but I wouldn't take him first overall in this draft.
