hahah see what I did there? Hakeem is real stretch.That guy had so many post moves and the footwork of a ballerina. And as shooter mentioned, a jump shot. So yeah a Shaq/Duncan combo makes more sense to me.

So much confidence in his many abilities. Those left-right steps around his pivot foot to shake and fake his defender are just too quick for a big man. Great elevation. A reliable skyhook and outside shot. All this coupled with amazing amazing footwork. Last year Houston showed a training video where Hakeem tries to teach Yao some of his stuff, and obviously Yao is miles away from what he does even as a much older guy. It doesn’t matter that Hakeem is “undersized” against him, his moves and basketball IQ are still better.

http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Yao_gets_first_tutorial_with_O-226053-34.html
http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2007/05/the_dreams_dream_yao_ming_stud.html

That was the easy part. Now, could Oden be like Hakeem? I can’t remember if Hakeem’s way of playing the game has vastly changed over time from rookie to champ, but in the games I remember – such as this one – his playing style and his body look different. More finesse, less power. I hope Oden can develop his own distinctive style. He could be as successful and would benefit from learning a few of Hakeem’s offensive moves though (even if he can’t execute them as quickly).
Of all current big men, I would probably compare Amare the most with Hakeem, who has a strong inside presence but also a reliable outside shot (which he developed while recovering from micro-fracture, there is a parallel to Oden).

Oden is younger than they were in his rookie year and he’s coming off of a season-ending injury. I would suggest comaring his 2nd or 3rd year with these other players sophomore years as a more accurate comparison.

the second I saw your title I was thinking “no, reminds me of the admiral”. I think he will move a lot like a young Robinson but He’s bigger.

 . . . if he had a teammate as good as Brandon Roy in his prime, or if Ralph Sampson
could’ve lasted as his co-big (as LaMardridge will for Oden).

Or a backup as good as Przybilla, with guys like Trout, Rudy, and Bayless on the freaking BENCH.

Ohhhhh, what could have been . . .

of Hakeem.

becoming a power player in the mold of Shaq (all the muscle and weight he’s accumulated). I hated Shaq’s game. I’d like to see Greg get down to 265 and work on developing some Hakeem like moves.

God I loved that guy. So amazing……

Oden and (H)Akeem are totally different style players.

As much as I would like the Blazers to make the finals this year, I don’t see it happening. Plus, you fail to mention the Blazers number scoring option and future leading scorer, LaMarcus Aldridge

He was listed at 7’, but if you saw him standing alongside true 7-footers (including David Robinson), you could clearly see his height was inflated. He was maybe 6-10. But who cares? He was so strong, quick, and well-coordinated that he left 7-footers in the dust. He destroyed Shaq in their first playoff series, and Shaq didn’t even mind: he basically said it was an honor to be schooled by his idol.

GO may develop plenty of offensive game, but it won’t look like Hakeem’s. Hakeem had a different build and, as a former soccer player, had remarkable footwork. On the other hand, Oden is taller and more explosive than Hakeem—even at 20 years of age. And he’s clearly improved his shot during his one year “haitus.” So the tools are there for an effective offensive game.

Will he put up numbers like Shaq, Hakeem, and Duncan did in their rookie years? No way: those guys didn’t have teammates like Roy, LMA, Outlaw, et al to put the ball in the hoop. But that’s a GOOD thing. Let GO focus on defense and rebounding for now. At the offensive end, his presence down low will free things up for his teammates. And he’ll still score around 12 ppg just off alley-oops, put-backs, and foul shots.

college before entering the NBA? That might be a better guage of expected rookie output. As others have also stated, he is not going to be the prime offenseive threat as those two were, he is going to get more opportunistic type baskets.

 If Oden averaged 9.7 boards a game in college why on earth would average 12 his rookie year coming off an injury playing against bigger and quicker competition than college?

If he turned into a David Robinson clone that wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. I don’t see him being as agile or quick as the Admiral. Remember D.R. even led the league in scoring for a season.

I see Oden’s game more like Howard’s with less explosiveness but more raw strength. Kind of like Shaq lite.

Agreed: 12 rpg this season is unrealistic. But as for the rest of it…

Not as quick or agile as the Admiral? GO tested above many small forwards in the Orlando pre-draft measurements in speed & agility. He’s FREAKISHLY quick & agile for a 7-footer (as was Robinson, of course).

Less explosive than Howard? I’m not so sure about that either. Right now—and even during last season’s summer league—GO’s issue is stamina. David Robinson was always in great shape. Hopefully, GO will get there. Last year, he was dealing with tonsilitis and the effects of months of constant interviews, travel, etc. This year, he’s coming back from knee surgery.

If and when GO succeeds in getting into top “basketball shape,” I think he will knock our socks off. 7-footers with his combination of speed, strength, quickness, and coordination are rare birds indeed. There’s a reason that the ’07 draft was termed the “Oden Draft” a year or two beforehand.

 In their first season together in 1997-98, Robinson and Duncan shared the load equally as the elder player posted 21.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.63 blocks per game while the young star from Wake Forest had similar numbers of 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.51 blocks per game.

talent that it’s only a matter of time before he starts to reach his potential. I do wish Hakeem would teach Oden though. It would speed things up a lot. That is the number 1 guy he needs to mold his game after.

is Hakeem’s jump shot. He could create a good mid-range jump shot, kind of like what Aldridge is working on. How has Oden’s mid-range game developed in the last year? Apparently a lot. We’ll see how he plays. But as for what I’ve seen, Oden seems more like an inside dominant force, kind of like the power center someone mentioned above.

When I first heard the Patrick Ewing comparisons, I thought, NO, NOT THAT!! Ewing was a power player who fell in love with the fadeaway jumper. Sure, he could hit it. But what a waste. 7-footers that can rebound, block shots, catch alley-oops, and generally cause havoc down low win championships for you. Especially when they’re teamed with guys like LMA & Roy.

Sure, it would add versatility if GO could occasionally draw his man outside with the threat of his jumper. That would open things up so that LMA or whoever could post up down low. But I want to see GO spend the bulk of the time in the paint, not chucking jumpers.

I’m surprised it slid off without 5 recs.

 if he works on his footsteps.However, don’t expect Oden to be better than either because of injury…