VY. Back to Oden, I don't see him having the same athleticism as Dwight Howard, and Howard is a 4 anyway. Duncan, I knew he would be good, I was just in denial. Zo's game really developed in the pros. He was taking it to the hole at times.
It's funny, but the same type of thinking was thrown around during the days of Golden State's Run TMC when many of the teams that didn't have Olajuwon, Ewing, Robinson, etc tried to compensate with the 3 guard offense much like many of the teams today (Phoenix, Dallas)--precisely because there are a lack of dominant centers. Yeah those teams may have made a run and had nice regular season records, but I think any NBA GM will still prefer building their teams around a dominant center if they could get their hands on one (much like our Rockets, the Heat, the Magic). By the way, Malone wasn't a center and the other 3 you mention below all won rings even if you caveated with they needed someone else. Of course they did. Hakeem needed Otis/Vernon/Horry/Cassell and Drexler for his rings. Bottom line, most of your NBA champs (sans the Bulls but even they had a good defensive center in Bill Cartwright) had a damn fine center to get them there. As for centers becoming a dying breed, its happened before until a guy like Greg Oden arrived and joined the ranks of Yao, Shaq, Dwight.
you know who wins, the best player in the league. jordan, olajuwon, magic, bird, to a certain extent Isiah, shaq, etc. etc.
last season the texans could have traded carr to new orleans for the number 2 pick and had vince and reggie.
I would give both #2's, swap #1's and Mario Williams to have Young. That may e stretching it but he certainly looks like a star. Howard is more of a 5. He and Darco are interchangabe at 4 and 5. however, Darco's a little slower and present more matchup problems for 5's then Howard. Oden isn't quite as athletic then Howard (it's close) but is a way better defender, same rebounder, beter shot blocker and has a better basketball IQ. Howard leads the NBA in TO's. Yeah, I thought it was pretty clear on Duncan. He did everything well, spent 4 years in college, and you could just tell he had star written on him. I think Mourning/Okafor is a good comparison. Durant is the guy I would go with. He's as can't miss as can't miss gets. When your only issuses are adding weight and improving already decent ball handling when you're as good as KD at 18 (not to mention he's 6'10 with a pure 3 pter) you can't pass on him. We've seen the big men bust or just become solid (I'm not saying that Oden will at all, I think he'll be good) but players with Durant's skill set don't miss (even though I can't think of any comparison unless you mix KG and TMac together)
These posts never amaze me......Pierce, Green, #2 so they an have 1 and 2...ok While we're at it let's trade VSpan, Novack, and Jake to swap number 1's to move up and take Law 4 (and 3)
You're comparing a Greg Oden that's been playing ball for 15 years to Olajuwon at the same age who had picked up ball bout 3 years before he got to UH. lol You're comparing Oden, in the landscape of basketball where no good players stay past their sophomore year tops, with elite players only playing one year of college ball...with Olajuwon, who had legitimate upperclassmen to deal with on a nightly basis. If the quality of basketball being played in college in 1982 was an 8 out of 10, then now it's a 4 out of 10. To say you're comparing apples to oranges would be quite an understatement. Oden should be dominating against the competition he faces. Dwight Howard would have absolutely ATE UP the college basketball world if he had gone to college. No ifs ands our buts about it. Now, onto this fallacy about needing a big man to win. I hate to see that people buy into whatever the media feeds them. Let's go over the last 20 years of champions in the NBA and point out if they had a HOF post, HOF guard/wing or both. 2006 Miami - both 2005 SA - post 2004 Detroit - neither 2003 Spurs - post 2000-2002 Lakers - both 1999 Spurs - post 1996-1998 Bulls - guard 1995 Rockets - both 1994 Rockets - post 1991-1993 Bulls - guard 1989-1990 Pistons - guard 1987-1988 Lakers - both So of the last 20 champs, 11 of them had HOF post players, while 16 of them had HOF guards. Let's please put to rest the whole need a post player to win. You need a guard just as bad, if not more.
I agree with the poster who said Oden needs 1 more year in school. He needs to show us what he can do with his good hand. His having to play an extended amount of time with his off hand should help him out offensively.
Well, thanks for setting me straight on such a fallacy and for saving me from buying into what the media feeds me. Of course, how silly of me to think that a team needs a dominant (or in your case a HOF) center to win. Thank God you don't consult for the Rockets! Yeah, yeah, yeah, Greg has 15 years more experience than Hakeem, that he should be dominating his competition (which by the way it seems that he does)...I still don't see anything in your retort that wouldn't cause me not to be impressed with young Greg Oden. Even by your Championship analysis below, a significant majority of those teams had a dominant post man, maybe only 7 of the past 20 champs didn't have one. I say that it is much easier for a team to find a capable guard (face it, they are a dime a dozen) compared to finding a true center that can change the game on both sides of the floor. Nope panamamyers, I'm still not swayed by you and your apples to oranges comparison, Greg Oden is still the SHIZNIT!
He's a a great defensive player in his current league. But i don't see his offense is much developed, he's playing using his strength more than skills.
Howard is the perfect comparison to Oden. Remember, this is a kid who's still not playing at 100%. Howard is more athletic but Oden is a better defender. Watch, when Oden enters the league you'll see what I mean. Howard has little to no offensive skills either. In fact Oden probably has more. All Dwight can do in dunk because he's a monster but Oden has developed both hands.
You won't agree with this but Oden has yet to prove he will be more than Deke. Granted he has better hands, but his post moves are similar to what Deke did in college. All Oden does is on offense is overpower (or overjump) smaller players. Those putbacks won't come so easy in the pros. Granted he is very young and therefore has plenty of time to develop moves and touch but I'm not taking it for granted he will. It's good he's developed his left hand some, but let's see him develop a turnaround jumpshot, a spin move, a reliable hook shot (the 3 foot jump-hook doesn't count) that he can hit a high percentage of the time if not double-teamed. Oden has proven to me he will be a defensive force in the pros. He hasn't proven his offense. With his tools, he should be a very good rebounder. His upside depends on how hard he works to get better. When the ink is dry and the multi-millions are guaranteed, we will see how dedicated he is to the game of basketball.
I actually do agree with that but Howard doesn't possess any offensive moves either. He overpowers people. Oden does the same. Deke is a really good comparison on defense but he's nowhere near as ackward as Deke on offense. Even when he was with the Nuggests Deke was a very ackward player. He had the jump hook but he never relied on tremedous athleticism like Oden has but rather lenght and great defensive instict (like Oden has). My point is that while Howard is obviously bigger and a little more athletic all he does is dunk on offense as well. I actually think Oden is somewhat overrated at this point. If I had the #1 pick i wouldn't pass on Durant for him. Even though a great big man is hard to find I think Durant is a once in a decade player.
Oden shot like 67% from the free throw line with his left hand. Wallace can't do that with two. They aren't similar players either. One thing Oden has that can't be taught is a mean streak on the court and a humble attitude off it.
The kid plays most of his college career with his off hand, and if he's not using his off hand it's a bum strong hand because of the injury, and you're not impressed? He's not exactly dominating, but he's definitely better than his competition and he's had to adjust to playing with the wrong hand. I'm impressed. Greg Oden will be very good. Like KAS13 said, he has a mean streak on the court and a humble attitude off it. He's one guy who you can count on to change the game at both ends of the court, and just wait till he gets his strong hand full healthy again. Oh, and so far, he's proven to be pretty clutch. (When he's in the game and not in foul trouble)
