Oden an Enigma?

by 67 on Nov 28, 2008 3:48 PM PST Comment 11 comments

Lots of talk about Oden and many points of view.....But only time will allow all the details of this man-child to emerge and give most a final conclusion about his play....

The future of Greg Oden is unknown as well as the future of this team....Parties on both sides of the fence, have already drawn some conclusions (I'm guilty)....

But one thing that is known for sure....comments on both sides have so very little history to support their arguments pertaining to his contribution to the NBA, the Blazer team and basketball, in general......

It really falls on his shoulders now.....tough for a young fella....but he has the full support of his teammates and coaching staff to help ease the pressure some...

When I look at his play, I still see a young, immature boy in a big mans body...An NBA basketball player's body......but a mindset that has yet to catch up...I think a year away from the game has hurt this guy emotionally a great deal (physically too, but this can be fixed)

So(IMO) in the longer term, I think it will depend on Oden's passion for the game.

As a former young person, my interests used to stray on a monthly basis and after being away from a certain activity for a period of time, it was always difficult to get re-focused and back to where it was before....sometimes I never looked back

This is not a reasonable comparison(kinda like comparing a watermelon to a peanut) but I didn't have nothing else to compare to, but life in general...

This where maturity comes in....and along with it, the passion for the game.....knowing what you have to do , but not always the easiest and the most fun....but as you do it more you sorta develop the sense that this is what I am....so I will be as good as I can be at it.....It puts some worth to what you do......and seems to go a long way to satisfying your goals

Oden has very little high level basketball experience ( 1 year of college and a few NBA games) not much to draw any definite conclusions about him...so the only fair conclusion may be his showing a lack of physical agility (almost looking awkward at times)...But this could still be rust and hard to conclude upon...

Bottom line...We all have seen Oden conrtibute... so it's not a question of that....it will always be measured in a scaled version and to what degree he contibutes....it is also on a timeline and we don't know what that timeline is...Only Greg knows that....and I think his passion for the game will be a key to getting him closer to reality and farther away from the concerns.....

3 recs | Comment 11 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

It is true, alot of us have been awefully presumptious in regards to Oden's development.

But let us be clear, he has 3 double doubles in <10 games of play, that is impressive. Oden, good or bad, draws the defense. The issues often arise when Oden is either not in position fast enough or the player he passes out to doesnt make his shot. The position issue will resolve itself as Oden is young and has some bad habits to break and good ones to develop, the latter example is obviously out of his control.

The defense is difficult to quantify. He often is a bit slow and /or out of position. Neither indicates Oden will be a bad player, rather he has some more to learn.

Oden has switched between playing with 4 different guys in the last couple of games, he has not had enough time to develop some chemistry. It is my worthless opinion that he should not start. He can and is very useful as Joel’s backup and imagine the potency of the “2nd” unit w/ Oden in there… whew!

It’s up to something that none of us, even Greg has control over, Time. He will get there, not yet and it;s a slow process, let us enjoy his growth.

Sophia

"Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcreaft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians. [speech at GOP Presidential Convention 1992] Rev. Pat Robertson

by BlazerFan1 on Nov 28, 2008 4:11 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

agreed.

Joel is the teams best center RIGHT NOW, and we are trying to make the playoffs RIGHT NOW. Let Oden play his 20-25 minutes a night off the bench against reserves to get his confidence and feel for the game back. I think he is still uncomfortable with the pressure. Honestly I think we will start to see a different Greg once he gets his confidence back, and understands his role with the team.

The rest of the team needs to do better playing with him too. I’m tired of seeing entry passes into the post to him when he is 10 freakin feet from the rim. I can tell when he’s gonna get a traveling call or offensive foul before they happen.

Overall I’m not worried though. Either he turns into a serviceable center or a superstar. Only time will tell. Let’s enjoy the journey. Blazer games this year are like watching a soap opera, with complicated story lines and subplots, none more relevant than the great Greg Oden mystery.

by dario argento on Nov 28, 2008 4:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Greg is fine

He’s 20, not a troublemaker, and would average 17/11 with starter’s minutes. He hits his free throws and shows signs of becoming an excellent passer. His defense has been less than advertised, but most expect this to improve significantly.

We have to be careful not to confuse theatrics with passion. Duncan often looks like he doesn’t care that much. Neither does Brandon at times. Greg’s on court presence can be off-putting, but we should give the man the benefit of the doubt. We’ve all worked with the newbie that takes things way too seriously. Come on man, it’s just office chores, ya know? If I had 150,000 people watching me work and a message board dedicated to my every motion, I’d wig out as well.

Bottom line, Greg has the body, skills, and personality of a superstar, but the disposition of a role player. And really, would we have it differently?

by Engineering Problem on Nov 28, 2008 4:33 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

You summed things up nicely

I especially like the Duncan comparison as I’m tired of the “he lacks passion for the game” argument as it is ridiculous to compare how I express passion with how my brother-in-law does. I am very extroverted and wear it on my sleeve whereas my brother-in-law an Aquarius like Oden and is difficult to read at best, but I don’t doubt his passion he just expresses it in a unique way. All in all it is just a matter of time for Oden to get through his emotional rut and come out the other side. I think it is of paramount importance that we all support Greg while he is developing, lest Greg feel like he ought to go elsewhere when his rookie contract is up. That is something that is under discussed, the possible ramifications of local media and fans bashing Oden for not being an instant Shaq.

He's Coming! Oden Slayer of Giants

by Idog1976 on Nov 28, 2008 5:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Good point

about local media expectations and Greg’s future. Fortunately, the credible media has been pretty easy on Oden. Blowhards on the radio, not so much.

Greg was born with the curse of self-awareness, rare in a pro athlete. It is what it is – we should look at the upside of this trait. In five years, Greg will still be going to bed wondering if the coach likes him and thinking about to help the team win the next game. What does a 22/13, face plastered everywhere Oden do to the careers of the other Blazers?

It’s time we stop wishing for Greg to be a vacant-eyed alpha dog. This is Brandon and Nate’s team, as it should be.

by Engineering Problem on Nov 28, 2008 5:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yes

I agree…I wasn’t actually saying he lacked a passion for the game. I was trying to convey that his passion for the game will help his progress as a player…If that makes any sense…..mind reading off of people’s mannerisms would not be a qualification I have….In other words it would be a pretty wild assumption, even for a qualified mental therapist….

'Liability on defense, is an asset on the bench" a quote from my basketball coach, who believed good defense won games and made the offense a product of it

by 67 on Nov 28, 2008 5:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think this shows

how skittish we are about Greg. I reread your post and didn’t see anything that would imply that Greg is anything other than a hard, conscientious worker. Didn’t mean to read anything in that wasn’t there!

by Engineering Problem on Nov 28, 2008 5:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

And don't forget that sweet soft jump hook

For a big man it doesn’t get much better. I think he’s 1 for 1 for the 8 foot jump shot.

GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.

by Blazer1342 on Nov 28, 2008 5:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i think it would be very tough to be 7' tall, agile and strong

and have as your “destiny” being a jock, a professional athlete, a basketball player…. sure it would be fun when youre 13, 14, 15 — but it might really get boring and tiresome when youre 21. and you cant just blend in and even walk around downtown without drawing a crowd.

sure you get a lot of money, but what can you do with it, when you can never escape? im serious. you cant experiment and be in a band for a year, or go backpacking to india… not without attracting attention and probably havng some paparazzi follow you around.

im not sure i would choose that fate. i dont know.

ignacio

by ignacio on Nov 28, 2008 6:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

By the way post game report

while only scoring one point Oden looked great tonight. He looked calm composed and even a bit happy. He neutralized Chandler and controlled the glass while shutting down our paint. Along with Joel NOH couldn’t penetrate and get easy looks. Our 1/2 punch of Oden and Przybilla is just devastating on defense. I’m liking that yahoo trade idea of getting us Conley. Sometimes guys have trouble talking to anyone but people they really trust. If Oden had a friend on this team it might make all the difference. If Conley could inspire Oden then that would be invaluable.

He's Coming! Oden Slayer of Giants

by Idog1976 on Nov 28, 2008 11:22 PM PST reply actions 0 recs