OSU lost but Oden put a show there... How do you compare him to Yao 4 years ago? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rXl6iyzgBg I do not know.. but Yao looks more nimble back then..
Oden went from being overrated to underrated in 1 season! He puts up phenomenal numbers considering he is a freshman coming off injury. The post position in college is rarely statistically astounding. Look at Ewing and Shaq! He missed early practice with OSU, they built the team without him. Then they kind of sprinkled him in like icing on the cake rather than a focal point. He is more of a defensive force than Mutombo was. Leaps as quick as Amare. Is the strongest 18yr old basketball player since Moses Malone. He might not be a Jabbar or Olajuwon. But I think he will make more of an impact than Ewing, Robinson, Mutombo, etc... And that aint bad.
oden doesn't have the same offensive touch yao does no comparisons with yao really, but oden looks like a monster on the defensive side. on the plus side, he's got a NBA body. I don't think he's hype. hibbert isn't going to be oden. oden's ceiling is unimaginable
More than Deke? OK. More than Ewing and Robinson? That is quite a reach at this point. If he develops powerful and effective moves on offense, he might reach that level. It just depends. I'm not ready to put Greg Oden in the Hall of Fame just yet. He will probably be the #1 pick in the draft though.
Ya... I might have jumped the gun. A little... Defensively as a college freshman Oden is better than Deke was. The impact is insane. Its like someone unleashed a tiger in the paint and everybody is scared of it. The NBA defensive 3 secs rule will stop it. But right now it is insane to watch. Robinson and Ewing didnt lead (Duncan) their teams to championships. I guess thats why I semi-bashed em. Admittedly looking back, ya... Sounds crazy. Ill play Nostradamus though.
The kid is 18 yrs old!!!!!!!! And he palyed one-handed for a majority of the yr. And he's 7'1 280 lbs. He is an absolute menace on defense and on the boards, and he already has NBA size. He gets great position, boxes out great, rebounds, great hands, blocks shots and basically wreaks havoc inside all game long. On offense he gets in position deep and he has some nice moves and touch, however he doesn't even know how to play offense yet. He finishes with force, and is pretty much unstoppable when he gets it deep. He has bball IQ, great kid, plays w/heart too. He doesn't have the same offensive skills as a Hakeem or Yao, but he is only 18. In a few years he could be Shaq-like dominant. HE is the #1 pick no doubt.
durant > oden oden looked great tonight but durant is currently a better player and has more upside than oden.
Oden is a scary looking mofo too. Durant is special too, but he so damn skinny to bang with NBA 4s now, Oden is as big as most Centers. Bottom line we have 2 guys coming out who are the next KG and Shaq and maybe better. The Texans would pass on both and take Noah.
Durant doesn't have more upside than Oden, both of these guys' ceilings have never been seen in the league before. Durant's ceiling is a guy that can post like Dirk, handle like Tmac, and rebound like KG. Oden's ceiling is a bigger, stronger Bill Russell with better offensive abilties. The only difference is that Bill Russell's won championships.
First time I have seen Oden. If I was the Rockets I would pick Durant. If I needed a center I would pick Oden. I'd say most teams would pick Oden no. 1, much as I like Durant. 4/5 yrs Durant would go number one. Hakeem vs Michael Jordan type of pick. Durant needs to primarily mature physically. Oden to develop a bit more offensively. Oden did not take any outside shots at all-- not even mid range. I think a lot of NBA defenses will not allow him to just dunk and do post moves, but maybe he can get away with it even in the NBA.
I love how everyone is claiming that oden had a monster night tonight, when this was what Durant AVERAGED throughout the season. 25 points, 12 rebounds. A poster said earlier that Oden has "unimaginable" potential, but we have seen this type of player before. He is a a great player, no doubt, but even at his max, there is a precedent for what a dominant center can do. On the other hand, how many players like Durant have there been before? He is even younger then Oden, 18 to 19, and has clearly not matured completley, yet he was still the most dominant player in college basketball. Now Im not saying that Durant will be the first pick, because in a way Oden is the "safe" choice in the same way that Reggie Bush was the safe choice in the NFL Draft, the media have already declared him the best player and even if he busts, the GM responsible for that pick wouldnt be held responsible. However, having the second pick in the draft could very well end up being better then having the first, because if Oden is picked over Durant, the team sitting at the 2nd spot gets the best player in the draft, for less money, and with something to prove.
If Noah and Horford are really considered top ten prospects in this year's draft then that really tells you how top heavy (Oden, Durant) and weak this draft really is. Oden's team may have lost but he so badly outplayed Noah and Horford it's not even funny. Both were completely helpless when matched up against him.
The Bill Russell comparisons need to stop. Russell was special because he was an inovator. He started consitantly blocking shots and leading fast breaks. However, that era is gone. Really, what is so unique about Oden, something that has never been seen in the league before? He is great defensivley, but so was Hakeem and Deke, Robinson and Shaq in his prime, Dwight Howard. On offense, he is limited to moves very close to the basket, basicaly a less imposing version of Shaq without the physical aspects that made Shaq so dominant. He has some very nice moves, the jump hook is solid and his athleticism is undeniable, but there is nothing there that has not been seen before, unlike Durant, who truly is a unique talent.
Durant may be the next McGrady, while Oden may be the next Robinson. Looking at these two guys, do you still think Durant has higher upside?
you seem pretty fixated on oden, and i am sure you have read a lot about durant. i doubt that the tmac comparisons have gone past you. durant said at one point that even he thinks of himself as a tmac type of player. oden and durant are both players that have been seen before, so what is your point?
I'm not sure we've seen Durant before. He plays bigger than Tracy. Not to be mean, but you will never see Derek Fisher successfully guard Durant. At the same time, Durant doesn't quite have Tracy's perimeter game and handles. I doubt he will ever handle the ball as well. After a couple of seasons, my guess is Durant will be a full-time PF version of Tracy. We have to wait and see how his body develops. Oden had a fine performance today but if it had been close the Gators wouldn't have allowed him to score so much late in the game.
I think Oden will be a solid NBA player, but he annoys the crap out of me every time he dunks. He pulls himself up on the rim every single time. Wow....your 7'1" and can dunk.....congratulations! Seriously though, anyone have any info about his personality? Is he a good guy or one of those superstars in the making that end up being drama queens?
My problem with Oden is that he looks like a 40 year old. There must be sth wrong with his genetical predisposition that causes him aging fast. How long can he play in the NBA?
