Open Run: Day 3 (Video)

by Samuelson on Aug 30, 2007 5:40 PM PDT

http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/index.html

Can anyone find James Jones in the video? I still haven't spotted the guy in any of the scrimmages. Also, it looks like the portion they video'd today lacked Channing Frye as well.

All in all, this early arrival business, though probably inconsequential in terms of wins and losses, will go a long way in building the chemistry of this group. They're all quite young and inexperienced around each other, so every moment counts.

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I just saw Martell

fake a drive and then drain a 3. Then I saw passing and ball movement. Then I saw Greg Oden own the paint defensively.

Hee hee heeeeeee, ha ha.......sweet.

I got my front court aLaMOde!!

by shenanigans on Aug 30, 2007 5:55 PM PDT reply actions

Sweet Video

I love this team.

Oden = Dynasty

by JBlazer on Aug 30, 2007 5:58 PM PDT reply actions

Not at all

inconsequential.

Early conditioning and team-building will definitely help us win games.

Unless we suffer a ridiculously unfortunate injury, this is going to be a boon for us in a big way.

As I've alluded to before, the Lakers used this strategy to gain an edge in the Magic era, and it was Magic leading the charge.

Roy is stepping up big in the same way.

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 30, 2007 6:09 PM PDT reply actions

Also

Yeah, I know it's college but the Luke's at U of O did the same thing and were pretty successful when they were together. I would say it is almost as valuable as real practice when it comes to familiarity because they will learn each other's tendencies and preferences.

I wish Sergio was there too. In a few years Oden will be mad at him for beating him out for the Finals MVP.

If I had an extra hug, I would give it to you.

by tominhawaii on Aug 30, 2007 6:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Tom in Hawaii

must be on crack.

by BigCelPhone on Aug 30, 2007 7:06 PM PDT reply actions

your right..

Oden defenitely wont be mad when sergio wins the finals mvp.

by myemic23 on Aug 30, 2007 7:11 PM PDT up reply actions

funny!

If Sergio wins finals mvp for any team, I will personally write him a letter of apology for implying he wasn't the man for the job in Potown.

you can take that to the bank. ; )

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 30, 2007 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Me too

If Sergio wins the finals MVP, I will bend down and remove my shorts so they will be easier to eat!

by t jay on Aug 30, 2007 7:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah

It was more of a crack on Tony Parker. Tim Duncan should have been this year's Finals MVP.

If I had an extra hug, I would give it to you.

by tominhawaii on Aug 31, 2007 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Really?

Tony Parker was sensational for all four games. Duncan's performance was high-impact but sub-par in comparison to his previous three Finals.

Gonna have to disagree on this one.

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 31, 2007 12:59 PM PDT up reply actions

It's Cool

I think Duncan is like the offensive line in football. If they do their job well, the QB or RB gets all the credit and the linemen never win the MVP. Duncan's game allowed Parker to do his thing.

Likewise, I think Oden's game is going to make everyone on the Blazers, including the coaches, look a lot better this year. Everyone will be watching Oden and then say, wow that Aldridge kid is great. At the end of the year the focus will be on LMA but he will owe a lot of his success to Oden.

If I had an extra hug, I would give it to you.

by tominhawaii on Aug 31, 2007 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions

yup

that's why we took him over durant--team impact.

have you noticed just how hard our guys are having to work just to get the ball in the air against him?

that alone will make our guys better scorers.

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 31, 2007 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions

excellent point

If Oden works hard at blocking (and oh my he does) then our guys offense is going to have to evolve. MMMMmmmmm delicious.... tastes like Laker fear.

October, October, October October, Octo...... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin)

by Idog1976 on Aug 31, 2007 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Laker fear.

It's not just for breakfast anymore.

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 31, 2007 9:38 PM PDT up reply actions

We really are fortunate to get this video...

what other fans get coverage like this?

The scrimmage looked a little less intense than the 1st video, yet still pretty good.

Oden is just a beast around the rim...he throws it down hard everytime...I don't even think he knows how to shoot a layup. As many of you stated it would be great for Joel to be there and give Oden a little competition in the paint.

Outlaw looked good and his jumper is still pretty much unblockable.

That little crossover pull-up Roy did was smooth.

It was nice to Martell's jumper falling...I want to see more highlights of him going to the rim.

What stood out to you guys from the video?

On a side note, while I havn't heard anything quite as entertaining from them as "both teams played hard" I get the sense that all the newest Blazers are a PR dream during interviews? So far, Channing Frye says all the right things; Oden has a good sense of humor and protrays himself as a team guy; James Jones was nails in his initial interviews. Even Blake and McRoberts aren't half bad. I havn't heard Green yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was excellent also in interviews. Couple them with Roy and Jack and we can kiss the days of "uhhhhhhh, uhhhhhhh, get the hell out my face you $@&*!" goodbye. Not that I really care much about that stuff, but it helps for the average fan and not so average fan to root for these guys.

by JasonT on Aug 30, 2007 8:02 PM PDT reply actions

Oden looks better than expected

Again, I know it's edited and just showing the good stuff. But the fact he can DO the good stuff is reason enough to be happy.

We knew he could dunk and block shots... but the semi-awkward summer league Oden isn't out there on the court, and he looks more confident and quicker. Also, a few of those shots look like he just may have the soft touch a top scoring center needs (ala Hakeem)... saw it on a put back and a few layups. If he has that, he will be more than Dwight Howard; all he can do is dunk because he chucks the ball at the basket (the only one who can get away with that is Shaq cause he's so damn big); Howard's lack of a soft touch around the basket will always limit his effectiveness.

My two worries about Oden pre-draft were 1: Can he develop some sort of decent offensive game not predicated on athleticism ala Dwight Howard, and 2: Can he pass out of the post. These clips make it clear to me it's gonna be a big affirmative.

I don't think I'd define Aldridge as a load to handle or anything, but he is a pretty skilled offensive player. He looked like he was having a tough time with Oden on him (and Barrett said as much in his blog). Maybe manhandling Aldridge will be the approach other teams will take to knock him out of his game; this tough D from Oden will only help. Oden may have been fouling him, but it's good practice all the same.

Also, I think these practices are extremely important for our ultra-young team and will directly affect our record. We all know actual practices are few and far between during the season, and practice is EXACTLY what our young developing team needs. Now we'll have 30+ extra practices over the bad guys, and even though Nate can't coach the 5 on 5 sessions the coaches can do one on one coaching; plus I'm sure some authority is keeping the practices focused and scripted somewhat. This is a wonderful thing and makes us all love the team even more.

Plus everyone looks pretty good. Oden has impressed me the most, however... I can't imagine a mediocre rookie year for him. It'll be mediocre when compared to the rest of his career, but he'll be a beast from the get go. He's got quick spins, quick jumping to block and dunk, developing post moves, soft hands, already a good post passer... just needs to work on FTs (assuming he is sub-par) and he is set. We are incredibly lucky.

Basketball is fun.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Aug 31, 2007 3:39 AM PDT reply actions

Extra practises

I remember olympic decathalete Daly Thompson when asked about an upcoming competion with his main rival, said somehting like

"Jorgen is very good, he trains every day except Christmas. But I am very good too, and I do train on Christmas. I'm one day ahead of him, that's all I need."

I bet practices deliver in technique, conditioning AND confidence.

by holder on Aug 31, 2007 9:44 AM PDT up reply actions

Heres the thing that I am gushing about

In the first video Oden had two just amazing passes to LMA, the first where he was double teamed on the block and hit a cutting LMA right in front of the basket for a dunk where he say him over the people who were defending him. The second was the one where Jack (I think) drives to the right and hits Oden off the block down low and the D colapses and LMA flashes right into the middle of the paint where Oden hits him for another dunk.

Everybody knows about Odens size, strength, D and rebounding, but passing shows more than athleticism, it shows that he has basketball smarts as well.

by SpyderRyder on Aug 31, 2007 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions

Me too me too!

Those two passes impressed me more than any of the blocks or dunks; we expected those. We weren't sure if he could be a good passer from the block, and in these few clips we've seen it looks like he could be... and at the very least will keep improving at it.

I think LMA is a decent passer already, and if both are aware of each other and willing to cut and get open for the ball, they can use their court sense and length and athleticism to get loads of easy buckets and assists.

Oden will have a quadruple double some day. I can really predict that after seeing two nice passes months before he actually plays a real NBA game? YES I CAN. I just did!

If I had to pick between a soft touch around the basket or a good passer out of the post, I'd pick the passing. He can get by with strength and dunks ala D. Howard, but being a good passer will make everyone around him better. That is another part of Howard's game that is lacking; his constant turnovers to go along with his poor shooting touch will prevent him from reaching his freakish potential.

I'm sure Oden will have more TOs than we want at first, but he seems to have a good passing eye and sees the movement quickly (unlike Zach, for example).

It's a skill very underrated in big men. If both our guys can do it, then it's yet another way we'll soon be unstoppable.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Aug 31, 2007 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions

some of us did

i fully expected the level of passing you saw out of greg. that was touted as part of his game at osu.

another aspect of his game that has been glossed over in the summer league madness is his ability to CATCH.

He catches EVERYTHING around the basket.

His high Bball IQ compliments his great hands very nicely.

We are in for a serious treat over the next decade.

let's treat this kid like the baskeball god-to-be that he is.

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 31, 2007 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions

You're right...

I remember people saying he was a good passer; I just hadn't seen it yet. I don't watch much college ball, but I made a point to watch Oden and Durant's games as I always had a feeling we'd get one or the other (ask my friends! Family! Dog! They'll all tell ya I swear it to heaven!), and while I don't remember Oden being a bad passer I don't remember exceptional passing-- like what we've seen from these few clips.

Watching the OSU games always annoyed the hell outta me cause they didn't pass him the ball nearly enough. He had great numbers for a freshman center (especially when compared to some all time greats, like Duncan or Shaq), and if he had a team willing to get the ball to him he coulda shown even more.

Oh well. Doesn't matter I guess, as we'll give him the dang ball. I'm glad it appears he won't Eddy Curry it up (with passing, not fatness or lazy-osity).

Oden's universal God-like days are upon us soon. I know I'm Jonny Sunshine with my optimism, but Oden might even be better than advertised.

But if he's "only" Dwight Howard, I can live. Just means we'll struggle for our 5 championships as opposed to steamrolling our way. I'll grudgingly take it.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Aug 31, 2007 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions

Don't worry

Oden is gonna school all the centers on Team USA, with the exception of Stoudemire, in a few years.

He is just in a totally different league.

And he rises to the challenge.

Book it.

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 31, 2007 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions

I hope he's a good passer

I'd hate for Nate to pull a Sergio on Oden and bench him every time he throws a bad pass.

If I had an extra hug, I would give it to you.

by tominhawaii on Aug 31, 2007 12:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Nate

values his job more then that. If Nate doesn't learn to let a few of our players play in the next couple of years he will be looking for a new team. I think Nate can adjust and I think KP will help that to occur.

October, October, October October, Octo...... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin)

by Idog1976 on Aug 31, 2007 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions

McRoberts

looked pretty good to me. I liked that little shovel pass into the low post for an Oden jam.

by timg56 on Aug 31, 2007 7:36 AM PDT reply actions

We totally stole him

Just one of five steals in our draft this year:

Oden (stolen via lottery)
Rudy (stolen via cash)
Petteri (stolen via cash + pick)
McRoberts (2nd round steal)
Green (2nd round steal)

Add that to stealing LMA and Roy last year, and KP deserves a freaking medal.

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 31, 2007 8:41 AM PDT up reply actions

I hope you're being sarcastic

- Sam

by Samuelson on Aug 31, 2007 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions

I tend to agree

that KP got some amazing guys considering the slots they were taken at. His sleight of hand last year to get LMA and Roy is truly a draft day for the ages. I don't know about a medal lets hold off and see how those Euro's develop but I definitely wonder what Samuel is driving at...

October, October, October October, Octo...... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin)

by Idog1976 on Aug 31, 2007 12:50 PM PDT up reply actions

To clarify

I know nothing about Rudy and little abut Petteri. Green in particular I think will suprise people. He is my prediction to be the best (after Oden obviously. I'm not painting with acrylics in a closed studio or anything) of that lot is Green. As they say "Take that to the Library" or was it "Bank it"?

October, October, October October, Octo...... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin)

by Idog1976 on Aug 31, 2007 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions

why?

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 31, 2007 9:33 AM PDT reply actions

Hey Mort!

Nice run with this thread.

You are the buffet of goodness,

ala the Rio de Las Vegas.

Stay high man! I am right there with you.

We got Oden!!!!!!!!

The Oden Era, Day 65

by Heymoe on Aug 31, 2007 7:07 PM PDT reply actions

Hey Morty !

Take it easy ! If you keep going the "Large"
one will start calling you a GOOF.
Just kidding ! This type of performance was
what we expected, even after the Summer debacle.
The fun part was listening to all the Durantians
talk about GO being a flop or overrated. HA !

GO is going to be a STUD and you can BOOK THAT !

It's GO time !

by walkoff41 on Aug 31, 2007 9:31 PM PDT reply actions

Was it all Durantophiles?

If so, on behalf of all Kevin Durant fans, I apologize.

I wanted Durant, but even I didn't think to call G.O. a flop or a disappointment at any stage of the game. In fact I think Greg had bright moments in the two games he played.

But you are right. Whomever is responsible for those childish, inane accusations against Greg should really not post ever again. Or maybe they can form their own site where they discuss how terrible a center Greg Oden is. Laughable.

In all probability, they are probably just Laker fans trying to mess with our heads.

Don't let 'em. It's GO time, indeed!

Like it or not, Rip City is Back

by sohrab19 on Aug 31, 2007 9:47 PM PDT up reply actions

It's GO time, indeed!

He's just hangin' 'round in in "Pre Camp".

http://kendricksoftillamook.spaces.live.com/?_c11_PhotoAlbum_spaHandler=TWljcm9zb2Z0LlNwYWNlcy5XZWIu UGFydHMuUGhvdG9BbGJ1bS5GdWxsTW9kZUNvbnRyb2xsZXI%24&_c11_PhotoAlbum_spaFolderID=cns!75625ED20CE22 89C!127&_c11_PhotoAlbum_startingImageIndex=0&_c11_PhotoAlbum_commentsExpand=0&_c11_Photo Album_addCommentExpand=0&_c11_PhotoAlbum_addCommentFocus=0&_c=PhotoAlbum&_c02_owner=1

Waitin' for the regular season to begin 8^)

"You're really making me feel good about myself, little man," says Oden as he starts dancing after scoring a goal. "You better come harder than that."

by BlueBooYay on Aug 31, 2007 11:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I was a durantophile..

but it wasnt because I didnt like Oden, its cause I REALLY like Durant. I still think Durant will be a better player than Oden as far as individual play, but I also have become convinced that Oden was a much better fit to our team, so I am not at all disapointed with our big man.

by myemic23 on Sep 1, 2007 3:38 PM PDT up reply actions

ummm what?

I debated on the side of durant because it kept things interesting, but I NEVER stated GO would be a flop. Secretly I thought that even if he was never great, he's good enough to make the TEAM far better than they are. Durant was too hungry for fame. He admires Kobe and that says it all.

I don't believe I ever stated GO was overrated or that he ever had the possibility of being a flop.

I stated concerns about diet (and yes that DOES matter or sports teams wouldn't have nutritionists.) I worried about his desire/drive and that's proven correct. There was an article that Greg was coasting during some training with lamarc and that Aldridge picking up the intensity brought GO up in intensity. Hopefully LMA and Roy will knock that coasting right out of him! Imagine what Shaq would have been like with a strong work ethic!!!

I think I also pointed out that GO has never faced players on par with him and hasn't faced adversity so losing and touch centers will be something new for him. I wasn't sure if he'd rise to the challenge or vanish.

Then I heard some interviews that vanquished some worries. YOu could HEAR fire in his voice on a few things and that's really what a I wanted. Fire. I don't want someone easy going.

GO is the perfect fit for us and wonderful days are to come. Dear god I'm glad we snagged GO over durant!

Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

by ratbastird on Sep 2, 2007 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions