I didn't say what he wanted. I said he could "practically" start (they don't have much at that position) And that's Miami.That's Pat Riley and LeBron that may be calling him. Several teams may call him. I don't know what Oden wants. I don't know what's on his mind. Maybe you do but in my opinion Houston is going to have to offer more than the veterans minimum if they want him.
I say let's do it! Mauree has such a great track record with former lottery picks, and everyone knows guys who had season-ending injuries 4 consecutive years always bounce back healthier than ever. This is a no-brainer!* *literally
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Y'alls reactions are a little on the dramatic side. I imagine you have no knowledge of where he stands medically but you're ridiculing the idea of him coming back? He's been off a long time and he's still young. I'm not sure his problems are degenerative, like Roy's were. Sure he may be injury prone but that doesn't mean he cant play. It also doesn't mean he cant get a little good luck on his side and stay that way for awhile.
That's not really a response to my post. Please address my AI as backup C proposal. And that second part of my post was referring to this:
No way should we pursue Greg Oden. BUT if we did, the condition of us obtaining Dwight, or any other player, should have zero effect on the decision. He is just something you kick the tires on.
I may not be an engineer or architect, but I know a house built on an uneven foundation is going to always have problems. Oden's legs are not the same length - he is structurally incapable of playing in the NBA. I don't think he could survive 15 minutes a game without having a bad injury.
I remember what happened when we tried to continue building around Yao Ming all too clearly. (And it was definitely the right choice, then). Also, I see Andrew Bynum. Maybe Oden has all of the potential in the world - but I would pay the Rockets not to pick him up. We should be very risk averse with big men. Having 8-20 million dollars sitting in a suit will destroy the evolution of any team.
Oden was overrated even when he was healthy. The number of fouls he committed was unbelievable. Dwight Howard has averaged 3.3 fouls per 36 min in his career. Asik has averaged 4.0. Oden averaged 6.4. In starters minutes, he would foul out EVERY GAME.
It's pretty well known. His right leg is shorter than his left as a result of a hip surgery performed when he was in the 6th grade. In a related story, Greg Oden's been having durability problems since the 6th grade.