I am fighting my homerism so much today, Will Oden dominate today? I think he should but it might be too soon. I am jacked up on Blazer adrenaline today, I feel like I drank 6 Red Bulls for breakfast.

Classic, Ben! That alone earns my rec.

You’ll see it end with the host endorsing Obama 08. Wow, that may go down as the worst presidential endorsement video in history.

“I don’t care about individual stats, just about which team wins the game”

I know, I know, it would skew the results. :) But still!

This match up will be a staple throughout the careers for both Greg Oden and Andrew Bynum.

It is exciting that there are a number of good young center prospects in the league now, but this matchup of Oden v. Bynum to us Blazers fans really captures the Blazers v. Lakers rivalry (err, hatred) but puts a new set of faces on it. We know the Lakers are built to win now, but with young talent like Andrew Bynum it is likely that the Lakers will continue to be a playoff contender in the West… as they almost always have.

I hope Greg Oden is mentally prepared to battle this other kid from the other neighborhood, it will be an important game for him to personally be successful in if he is to MAN up on this other center in many more key times over thier careers. Not that a player like Oden needs any more pressure, but this is one match-up that Oden needs to give the Blazers the edge on. Now and everytime in the future. I believe we have the better player, and this is the type of match-up where Oden really needs be proving what he is worth. Bynum is another young kid, just like Oden. Bynum does have some experience, Oden has none… that could make a difference in this game. Or maybe it doesn’t. That experience piece is Oden’s get out of jail card if he gets outshinned by his Lakers counterpart, but Oden and Blazernation does not want to see that happen.

I am so excited to see this first battle between Oden and Bynum… and it happens to be on the official unveiling of Greg Oden as it is his first real NBA game.

It is GO Time.

Sniff. Sniff. What is that? Oh, I smell a dunkfest coming our way….

Final Score: Blazers 114 over Lakers 107

Oden v. Bynum is going to be a great one for years to come as long as both can stay healthy and progress in the way they have been projected to progress. I think Round 1 goes to Oden. Why? First off, I’m a huge homer who has been retarded for the Blazers since I was old enough to make out basic shapes and the number 22 on the TV and second, Oden, once he settles down, simply has more tools on D and is the better inside played on both ends.

Greg will be too hyped up for his first game and get in early foul trouble.

Greg wins this matchup long term though.

The worst kind!

I hope that Oden first dunks on Bynum’s head and then Dunks Bynum’s Head!

I can’t EVER “vote for” the Lakers. But in this case, I had to make it real: Bynum will probably get the best of the individual matchup with GO tonight. GO will be a nervous wreck at the start, and the refs may never give him a chance to get over those nerves. Plus, Bynum does have NBA experience.

Not to worry: long-term, G.O. should handle Bynum—and every other center out there—just fine. We should savor every single tough learning experience Greg and his teammates go thru this season. Because it’s all part of the process leading inexorably to DOMINATION.