Oden seems to struggle against the good teams

by Planet29 on Feb 1, 2009 6:07 PM PST

Since the Blazers last win against a winning team on the road back on 11-30 (Detroit) they have played 28 games (14 against winning teams and 14 against losing teams. In the 14 games vs the losing teams Oden puts up 12.5 pts, 9.7 rebs, and1.0 blks per game in 27 minutes not bad for a rookie center. But against the winning teams he drops to 5.5 pts, 4.5 rebs, and 0.6 blks per game in 21 minutes,BIG difference.In many of these games he has picked up the dreaded 2 early fouls and from coaching 101 you are to take him out and they do and we all know what happens from there a 3pt 2reb night 90% of the time.It does not work. Why not keep his playing time the same no matter how many fouls he picks up,call a time out if you have to but keep him on the floor untill its his normal time to come out. We have Joel and LA can play some center too if he needs to. Its not the end of the world even if he were to foul out in the first half and I would bet he would have a lot better numbers in that one half than he has the whole game by making the conventional move.There is nothing to lose try something!!!!! When he matures in a year or two the normal stratagy will probably be the way to go but right now it does not seem to be. We have NO and Dallas coming up on this road trip and we need a contribution from everyone, heres hoping for a 3-0 trip and a couple of good games from GO!!!!

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Yeah,

I noticed this too. It seems the good teams have a sound strategy in baiting Greg into foul trouble. Case in point, Cleveland. I mean Varejao, (VAREJAO!!) got him out of the game quick. That’s one match up I thought we would of owned. And I totally agree, it’s time to change the rotation strategy and just keep him in until he fouls out. Yes, we all know that after two quick fouls in the first quarter, you can consider Oden done for the night. This is the one thing that bugs me most. I just wish Greg can learn to adjust and play through it better. It seemed like he was on his way last night after that dunk…but then, whistle!

by Stryder9 on Feb 1, 2009 6:22 PM PST reply actions

Varejao usually leads the league in offensive fouls taken.

by wepto on Feb 1, 2009 7:32 PM PST up reply actions

He's become a good center

by oregonslee on Feb 1, 2009 8:05 PM PST up reply actions

he’s also one of my “most enraging to watch” players. When he got elbowed in the face on Sunday I was sort of giddy

by 50backflips on Feb 2, 2009 3:35 PM PST up reply actions

Good news.

If Oden was a non-factor teams wouldn’t try and get him into foul trouble. Joel, after all, is a legit center in his own right.

by Nick Van Excellent on Feb 1, 2009 6:54 PM PST reply actions

Is this another angle of the tired "Oden is a bust" storyline?

Don't Jump!

by Bust a Bucket on Feb 1, 2009 7:29 PM PST reply actions

I agree

I do not think oden is a bust, I think he is fantastic and will only get better. I do hate when he ends the game without many minutes, and without fouling out. Someone said something about fouling out being bad for his confidence or something like that. Thats crazy, whats bad is when he fouls early and goes out, then seems to never be able to play well the rest of the game. I think it’s a good Idea not to pull him instantly, but let him get into the flow more.

by twggyy on Feb 1, 2009 7:38 PM PST reply actions

We need to reverse the roles

Seems like our big guys are the ones always fighting against foul trouble. Sooooo, why in the heck do we fail to use Oden on offense to put the pressure on the other team’s bigs? That’s what ticked me off about the Utah game. Especially when they are thin on their frontline because Boozer and Kirilenko are out…why not pound the ball down to Greg and make Utah stop him. Let Milsap and Okur foul him. Get them out of the game, and then let Utah stop us with their pasty back-ups. We could make life much easier on us.

Can I buy you a fish sandwich?

by silkybrown on Feb 1, 2009 8:54 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

This one gets me too silkybrown

You’ve got to get Oden the ball and punish their bigs.

by Wotan on Feb 1, 2009 10:35 PM PST up reply actions

The reason they are good teams

Is that they cause other teams and players to struggle.

Travis Outlaw is an alien, but in a good way.

Awesome Graphic was provided by CIC, because he felt like he should be hazed.

by Clevelander among roses on Feb 1, 2009 10:32 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

the better teams

usually have done their homework and attack greg first, to pressure the blazers early. they would know that greg has good rebound %, and causes opponents to shoot a lower % from the floor. without greg we normally revert to a style similar to last season, which every team knows.

i would expect to see this in every playoff game if we make it, im sure nate coaches the same type of thing, to attack percieved weaknesses.

by Yawnie on Feb 2, 2009 6:15 AM PST reply actions

Attack the paint

Thats a great point Yawnie, the quality teams in the league have players who know how to use there bodies when driving into the lane and draw fouls, the nights when Greg is not in foul trouble are the nights that are guards are funneling players into Greg within the system. The nights Oden struggles are when are perimeter players are just letting the opposing teams players go in at will against are bigs just not Greg.
Utah has played the same style for 20 years and it works on a nightly basis they attack the rim and they draw contact alot of times even if they do not have to. I think Greg is coming along quite nicely he has made adjustments to picking up fouls, he is going to have nights he doesnt move his feet as well or he lunges toward the ball instead of just holding his arms up and daring the offensive player to shoot over him, just like there are nights are guards cannot hit the the broad side of a barn.

I try to help with everything," Fernandez said. "If the coach says go rebound, I go rebound. I work for the team.

""If I'm playing this game to get media and attention, I shouldn't be here," Aldridge said. "I'm here to play basketball, and do what I can do to help this team win."

by Dragonage on Feb 2, 2009 9:46 AM PST reply actions