[Video] Kevin Durant arrives at Portland airport for workout

Just saw highlights of the workout on the Portland local news. The Blazers' GM Kevin Pritchard said it was "one of the most impressive workouts I've ever seen" out of the hundreds of players that have worked out here over the years.

 

Well his workout at the combine was about as freakish as it gets for a guy his size. While I haven't been fully impressed by what I've seen of Oden, there is obviously something that NBA followers see that make him one of the best prospects to ever come out. Maybe we just haven't seen him in full force, but the ability to shoot FTs left handed shows that he has some skills to say the least.

 

Oden's college season do not stack up with the best of Duncan, Shaq, DR's etc. Maybe physically he stacks up, his performance does not.

Durant college season was as dominant as any in recent years (I am thinking as a individual being such a force in a big conference tou have to go back to Duncan or Glen Robinson, but they were juniors). And he is younger than Oden. What if you are faced with taking Larry Bird or Ewing?

If I am Portland I try my best to fleece Seattle and take Durant with the 2 pick. Oden could be better, but no sure thing.

If Durant at all looked better to them I'd take him. The league also isn't as dominated by bigs anymore, not compared to wings who can score and break down defense? Would you build with Lebron, Wade or Anthony vs say Yao, D. Howard, Bogut, Okafor or Bosh?

 

Oden will also clog the pain on the defensive end. You have to pick Oden.

 

Today's Oregonian on the Durant workout...

 

From The Oregonian's Blazers Blog...

That last paragraph is interesting. Clearly Durant didn't do anything to hurt himself, so I'm guessing the difference has to go to Durant's favor.

 

I think the best possible scenario for both teams would be this:

Seattle trades their 2nd overall pick + some thing else
Portland trades their 1st overall pick

Seattle selects Oden 1st overall
Portland selects Durant 2nd overall

end of debate

 

Kickass. Sounds like Durant's workout went so well that he's moved into the #1 spot.

 

I think it comes down to if they want offense, excitement, tickets and money(Durant) vs defense and championships (Oden). Can't go wrong either way.... personally if I were Portland, with Roy, Aldridge, and Randolph already in the fold as offensive players, I would pick Oden.

 

I would take Durant, with the new rules favoring the players that can attack the basket he seems better suited to having a bigger impact.

I like Oden, but I just don't see an Olajuwon type of player there.

DD

 

I agree. I think Portland should get next years Sea 1st plus a benifitial player exchange/Portland bad contract dump.

Interesting that Portland is revealing so much. Maybe they are prepping their fans for a Durant pick. But then if they build him too much Seattle may say fine, well take who is left and give up nothing. Interesting that Seattle didn't check out Oden (maybe he is already their target or think they have no chance. Interesting postering.

 

For all the hype around how dominant Durant was in college this last year, I can only think of how the past two super-dominant (Larry Johnson and Glenn Robinson) college players did in the NBA. All-Stars a couple of seasons, but never someone to take you to the 'ship.

 

After working out for Portland, Oden flew to Seattle for interviews, but neither he nor Durant will work out for the Sonics.

 

The Wooden Award winners also include Duncan, Robinson, Jordan, Bird. For the Naismith you can add Walton and Kareem to the list. Those guys became hall of famers in the pros.

When I think of dominant college forwards most like Durant I think of super high skilled players like Bird, Manning, Melo, moreso than strong but undersized for the pros college power forwards like Larry Johnson and Glenn Robinson. Of course Durant didn't get his team as far as most of them int he tourney in his one try, but it sure didn't look like he was contained even when Texas lost. And really of this group only Robinson was a major dissappointment in the pros when healthy--LJ was a 20 & 10 guy and rookie of the year. Also, unlike LJ, with Durant's zero bench score absolutely the last concern of his coming into the draft would be artificial muscle enhancements--though maybe he needs to get on them

Finally, there are elite center prospects that fail to live up as well, many with more impressive college resumes than Oden (Carrol, Benjamin, Kandi, etc).

 

Durant looks as tall as Aldridge in the video. Did he grow in the last few months? Considering David Robinson grew 6 inches in college and Tmac and Lebron grew 2 inches since joining the league, I would not doubt Durant is a legit 6'10" right now.