He has been hurt all season. He was out during the last few weeks of the regular reason with various injuries. Obviously he is not in game shape. I guess time will tell.
I wouldn't let 6 games judge a player, particularly Outlaw. according to 82 games, Outlaw was one of the clutchest players in the league the previous year, he hit 5-5 shots in the clutch. He was one of the better six men in the league, he's super athletic his season averages are not bad. In 28 minutes, 13 ppg, 4 rebs on 45% shooting, 38 % three, I did not expect him to have such a bad series but He's only 24-25 so he'll gain more experience. Oden will improve but he has a long way to go, he needs to work on his conditioning and learn how to play without fouling.
I think in the right situation on the right team, Outlaw could be one of those guys that is so valuable to a team. I just think its the wrong situation for him in Portland. Its almost like his career needs to be broken down then rebuilt. Get him on an experienced team with a strong coach that gives him a very limited job. As for Oden, I watched this series and just cant see much in him. I think 10-10 is about what he'll end up getting.
Rodriguez, Frye and Outlaw are rumored to be on the block for a PF that can play D and rebound for Portland. Outlaw was terrible, thought he would be a good addition to the Rox but I don't know now.
He wasn't even on the court long enough to show any promise. He may be good down the road but it wasn't shown in the Rockets/Blazers series.
But The Blazers don't need Oden to be a dominate player on offense he just needs to be solid because they have Roy and Aldridge. They need Oden's potential on defense to show, which we may see if he can stay on the court more without fouling. I don't expect his offensive game to ever be polished it will probably be raw. Most of his points will come off dunks and broken plays. His defense is what the Blazers want the most. The Blazers need him to be solid not great, of course they wouldn't mind him becoming great though.
true... yao is a bad matchup for the majority of the centers in the league.. oden if healthy can be a very good player..
At a minimum, Oden should become a beast on the boards and as a protector of the paint if he can stay healthy and out of constant foul trouble. He's explosive around the basket at both ends and doesn't shy away from the physical aspect of his position. He actually seems to thrive on physical play which is a great sign for a young big. He could certainly become a similar player to Dwight Howard despite being less athletic. He has to improve his footwork a lot and learn to maintain his physical play without racking up fouls so quickly. Durant was the better player but if they picked him, he and Roy would have both had to make major sacrifices as young players because they both need and deserve a lot of touches. If they could have made that work, they would have been the most dynamic wing player combo in the NBA. Roy and Durant will be two of the best players in the league for a long time. Regardless, Oden could be a great piece for them if he becomes a dominant defensive force at a minimum. Roy and Aldridge will be the foundation of their offense. If Batum lives up to the potential I see in him, he will be a nice two-way player that will help on both ends. Upgrading at the PG position seems to be their most immediate need. Adding a solid vet or two as role players wouldn't hurt either. Andre Miller would be a nice pickup that would meet both of these criteria. They can look to move both Blake and Rodriguez and let Bayless handle the backup role.
In terms of seeking contact, Outlaw makes Tmac look like Manu Ginobili. The guy is long, and athletic, but he seemed absolutely terrified to take it to the basket. He'd drive right by his guy, and then pull up every time for a fadeaway. That's what's holding him back.
I think Oden's claim to fame at this point is providing the insipiration for the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
I don't know, but both Outlaw and Oden have huge potentials. That's more than you can say about half of this league. They just had bad matchups this series. Oden showed flashes of his potential when he destroyed Deke in game 1. I love Deke to death, but he looked helpless with Oden backing him down every possession. In other games, he was helpless against Yao. His biggest problem right now is foul problems, but he's only a rookie. Not every rookie can play as well as Derrick Rose in the playoffs. Outlaw struggling is one of the main reasons we won this series. Houston has a knack to shut down other team's role players, and during a playoff series when you can consistently game plan against one team, Outlaw's weaknesses are exposed. However, I see Outlaw as more like Lamar Odom: long arms, lanky build, with great shooting touch. He could be scary. They definitely don't suck at all.
I do think the Blazers matched up on paper with the Lakers much better than us, even if they were the lesser team. They both have similar positions of stength/weakness, they both have deep benches and they are both long, athletic teams.
I've only seen Oden play in this series, but I think it's hard to make a judgment since Yao makes every center look silly.
What Oden needs is a couple seasons of tutoring from Dikembe Mutombo. By all accounts Oden is too humble and nice a kid, and gets down on himself when he struggles. He needs some guidance.
This. By no means is Oden a fluid offensive machine like Yao and oftentimes he looks kind of stiff, but he's extremely long and has a semblance of a post game. I think he's going to be a great center if he can develop correctly. As for Outlaw, he needs to attack way more than he does. The entire Portland team has a jump shot mentality and it really hurts them given how young and athletic they are.
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