Oden's Summer League

[JoseA]

Let's follow his progress or regression!

Last night's report:

Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers – The No. 1 overall pick of last month's draft really struggled. He finished with more fouls (10) than rebounds and points combined (eight). He needs a great deal of work on the offensive end. For the most part, the Celtics guarded him one-on-one in the post and he only managed six points to go along with his two rebounds.

Article

Doesn't surprise, he is nothing but a stiff. I know this is just a summer league game, but the Trailblazers sounded like once they drafted Oden they won an NBA championship

We will see how he does next game....

[BravesRule22]

I hope you are kidding w/ the stiff comment

Portland should be very happy and they should be talking about championships. There hasnt been a Center to enter a draft like Oden since maybe Shaq....

[JoseA]

For one thing Shaq was not the last great center in the draft, for that award you would have to look towards Tim Duncan. Now that's a winner.

Why should Portland be talking about titles? Their team is not even close in talent compared to other teams. According to you they lost their phenom Zach Randolph, and gained a washed up Steve Francis along with a non-physical Channing Frye.

Just getting Oden doesn't even make them close to a championship container. Sure they have some decent young players like Aldridge, Roy Outlaw, and Jack but besides that their roster isn't close to the elite teams of the Western Conference. They would be darn lucky to make the playoffs this season.

Oden won't have a distinct size advantage that he had in college basketball so he won't be even close to as good as what he could have been in college basketball. He has no Mike Conley, a guys who he has played with his whole life and he is in a city that doesn't value basketball much. He will just be a faded memory eventually of what could have been if Portland took Kevin Durant...

[dlb]

Oden sure looked like a stiff during his (very brief) college days. He's a project. There is a possibility that he'll be leading Portland through the playoffs in five years, but it's just a possibility.

[BravesRule22]

For one thing Shaq was not the last great center in the draft, for that award you would have to look towards Tim Duncan. Now that's a winner.

Duncan is a PF

Why should Portland be talking about titles? Their team is not even close in talent compared to other teams. According to you they lost their phenom Zach Randolph, and gained a washed up Steve Francis along with a non-physical Channing Frye.

Um, how about their young core of players ?

Oden, Roy, Alridge, McRoberts, Jack, Udoka, SRod, Outlaw, Frye ( im not a fan but is a useful BENCH player not a starter ) Thats a crazy core of young talented players all under 25....

Just getting Oden doesn't even make them close to a championship container. Sure they have some decent young players like Aldridge, Roy Outlaw, and Jack but besides that their roster isn't close to the elite teams of the Western Conference. They would be darn lucky to make the playoffs this season.

NO-ONE in Portland is talking about winning a ring this year, they are talking about over the next 5-10 years....and they have good reason to do so. You just mentioned a extremely good core. Having a C/PF combo of Oden and Alridge is VERY VERY GOOD. To go along with Brandon Roy, thats a TALENTED TEAM.

Oden won't have a distinct size advantage that he had in college basketball so he won't be even close to as good as what he could have been in college basketball.

Oden didnt have a DISTINCT size advantage in college either, they way he plays the game isnt about his size. Its about how GREAT a defender he is. The kid played 50 % of the year WITH HAND !!!!!!!!!!

He played 1 year in college and played it with 1 hand, the kid is 19 and is a great defender. He is going to learn and grow as a player. If you guys think Oden is a finished product then you are nuts. Portland is excited about his POTENTIAL. Look at Pat Ewing coming out of College he wasnt close to play player that Oden is coming out of college and Ewing ended up GROWING and MATURING into a hell of a player.

He has no Mike Conley a guys who he has played with his whole life

You are right he has a better guard in Brandon Roy and a childhood friend in Josh McRoberts who has known for most of his life

and he is in a city that doesn't value basketball much.

Have you seen the ticket sales since they got Oden ?

He will just be a faded memory eventually of what could have been if Portland took Kevin Durant

Oden > Durant

NO Blazer fan is wishing for Kevin Durant

[dlb]

Look at Pat Ewing coming out of College he wasnt close to play player that Oden is coming out of college and Ewing ended up GROWING and MATURING into a hell of a player.

Ewing was better than Oden as a college frosh, by the time he went pro, he was where Oden should hope to be in 3 - 4 years.

[BravesRule22]

Ask any expert, read any column.....

Everyone always compares Oden to Ewing and they always say the same thing

Oden is further developed than Ewing ever was in college and thats after 1 year, not the 4 that Ewing stayed

Oden vs Durant

Kevin Durant is no Greg Oden. Hell, Patrick Ewing is no Greg Oden. And Patrick Ewing was a pretty good pro, no? Almost 25,000 career points. More than 11,000 rebounds. Eleven All-Star Games. Hall of Fame. Ewing was one of the best centers ever.

Oden's better. Or he will be better. Oden and Ewing put up almost identical numbers in their final year of college, but Ewing was a senior. Oden was a freshman with one good wrist. That was their starting point.

Just like I said, everyone compares the two and says how Oden is so far advanced from were Ewing was because Ewing was a SR and Oden was just a Freshman.

You can read the rest of the article about Oden vs Durant...but that was the part abour Oden vs Ewing

If you google it you will see 100's of articles just like it, or look on ESPN, the opinion on this topic is pretty much agreed on.

[dlb]

Anybody who judges "better" by points scored, especially when comparing two players separated by 20 years playing for entirely different coaches, is not competent to write about basketball.

For argument's sake, here are Ewing's career stats: NBA.com: Patrick Ewing Career Stats.

He was ROY in 85 - 86 (the year he turned 24), averaging 20 ppg, 9 rpg and just over 2 bpg. During his prime, he raised his numbers into the mid - hi 20s, double digit rebs and about doubled his bpg. After age 30, he tailed off a bit, but was still a very good player.

Ewing was one of the great centers of all time. No rookie deserves to be declared better than he before playing even a single game.

Here's the guy I think Oden will end up resembling: NBA.com: Robert Parish Career Stats. About three years to develop, then a solid high-teens for ppg, pulling down about 10 rpg, and blocking a couple of shots a game. For good measure, he might punch someone in the face.

[BravesRule22]

I dont think Oden is going to be better than Ewing, I mean I think he CAN be...but he would have to reach and realize all his potential. Obviously the writer went overboard a bit to make a point. I watched Ewing for most of his career and I know how great the guy was and everything he did for this team.

That wasnt why i posted the article though, the bolded part is why I posted it

[TexasG]

Originally Posted by BravesRule22

Oden > Durant

I was with you until you said that. I'm of the belief that Oden will be a very good player if not great. However I think Durant WILL be a great player. Oden is a better fit for the Blazers but as of right now Durant is much better than Oden.

[BravesRule22]

Durant will average more points, if that makes him a better player than sobeit....

Oden has a better all around game and will be a more important piece to his team than Durant is to his.

[Timberwolf]

Oden has tremendous defensive skills and instincts that appear about once in a generation. He has the Bill Russell/Bill Walton ability to see the court and anticipate. As a player with one injury riddled year in college he is not polished. I expect a pretty pedestrian performance this year as he gets used to the higher level of competition and serves as a decoy when he is well defended. I will be surprised if Durant does not outperform him in their first two years in the league. I also expect to see a Shawn Kemp type progression of consecutive years of significant improvement for Oden. He will be a dominant player by the time he would have completed his four years of college eligibility.

Portland had a tremendous supporting cast in search of a star, now they have the golden child. I am not a Blazer fan, but I think Portland is the future center of power in the NBA.