Quick: Does Oden Want to Play?
by Ben Golliver on Feb 25, 2009 11:33 AM PST
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PrintIs Nate applying a little bit of public pressure to nudge Greg back on the floor? Here's Quick's article.
Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan has joined the ranks of the confused and curious in regard to Greg Oden's injured left knee, which caused the rookie center to miss his fourth game in a row on Tuesday.
"I'm where everybody else is with it," McMillan said. "I get a daily update and we thought, everybody thought, that he would be moving by now, if not playing. But things just keep getting bumped back."
At practice last week, Nate seemed a little miffed at the changing diagnoses so it doesn't come as a surprise that his confusion is mounting.
Also, worth a listen: Quick's segment on 1080 The Fan yesterday. Quick successfully avoided Isaac and Suke's speculation about Greg's drinking and rumored drug use but did say the following:
I can't quite get a feel for everybody, if they are starting to maybe shift it a little bit to not so much on Greg's knee but Greg's head. Does Greg really want to play? Is he trying to play? Because I've seen them urge him to get on the bike to work out during this time.
and...
I'm starting to shift more in that camp: Does Greg Oden really love basketball? You know, does he? It doesn't look like it... I hate, you know... We should give the guy a break. It's a legitimate injury. His kneecap is chipped. There is some swelling. But I don't know. I just don't see him maybe working as hard as he could to get back.
Quick also notes on the show that he has long defended Greg from that type of question.
My two cents: all players express their love for the game differently. Over the last six months it's tough to point to specific moments where I can say, "this is an obvious reflection of Greg's love for the game."
Whether through enthusiasm, determination, celebration, a quiet moment at the locker, anger, frustration, or just outright joy, I can look up and down the roster and call up "Love for the game" moments, both on and off the court, at games and at practice, for just about every player pretty quickly. Greg is a tougher nut.
I'm not saying Greg doesn't love basketball. I am saying that he's by far the most difficult guy to read on the team.
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)
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I hope, hope, hope...
it’s Oden’s way of hitting the rookie wall.
I will be flatlined if Greg turns out to be Darius Miles 2.0 and doesn’t try his darndest to get his donkey back on the court.
Man up, son. And quit smokin’ that herb (that you allegedly be smokin’)!
Give the man his "M"!!!
by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Feb 25, 2009 11:40 AM PST reply actions
It was discussed in that Quick segment
It was the first I’d heard of it— apparently no credible source or anyone associated with the team has talked about it but both Quick and the 1080 guys have heard it from multiple people.
Boomshakalaka
I don't think it is an issue
It never was with Uncle Cliff. Drinking on the other hand affects your ability to recover from an injury and stay in playing shape.
counter point taken
I guess the key is moderation. Damon took it a little to seriously. It is nice to see him doing well and coaching now. He was never really a bad person like JR Rider and Bonzi… he just liked the weed a little too much.
Weed really diminishes your ability to balance and kills your motivation
It’s fine for people that need neither balance nor motivation, but pro basketball players do not fit that description.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
I can see the motivation but balance?
Come on if weed affected your balance we wouldn’t have any pro snowboarders.
by Escrote on Feb 25, 2009 12:31 PM PST up reply actions 4 recs
rec
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:32 PM PST up reply actions
it affects your reaction time
that small portion of a section you’re slower than someone else, is a portion of a section that they’re now dunking on your head.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
I can't even count how many games I've played stoned
It doesn’t affect your balance…..but it does put you in a zone, which can be either good or bad.
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
I should qualify this
By saying I absolutely don’t want our players playing high.
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
60-70% of NBAers smoke weed supposedly
I think it effects individuals differently, some can handle it some cant. Like anyother activity if you cant handle it, dont do it.
Yeah, that Kareem and Parish never seemed able
to stand up straight. And obviously it killed their motivation, what with their minuscule 20 year careers and all.
by howlingfantods on Feb 25, 2009 1:37 PM PST up reply actions
"Greg is a tougher nut."
Is that another new injury?
The cowards never started
The weak died along the way
Only the strong survived
They were the Trailblazers
by lukeyhere on Feb 25, 2009 11:42 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
why isn't the headline of this Post:
“What’s the problem with Portland’s med staff?”
For real!
Most of our players have taken a long time to come back. I feel like our training staff is “old school” and not up to date with the latest stuff.
by danielfarrell on Feb 25, 2009 12:07 PM PST up reply actions
You've got too much ill humor
so we’re going to have to leech you Greg.
by torsoheap on Feb 25, 2009 12:47 PM PST up reply actions 4 recs
Heard the 1080 segment.
I was a little bit surprised by the questioning of Odens desire. I hadn’t heard about the Drugs and drinking before but now that they bring it up I know that he has been to a frat party or two at Portland State. He’s also been at a couple of the PSU Viking’s basketball games. He is at that age.
One of my Fraternity brothers said that he met Oden at a Party last year and said that Oden was a D-Bag. This made me cringe a little and I let it slide. I’ll give Oden the benefit of the doubt until anything else comes out.
I’d like to think he’s not a future jailblazer.
"Every time Troutlaw touches the ball, I pop an anti-anxiety pill."
Just cause he's at that age
doesn’t mean he’ll be a jail blazer.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
Didn't mean, at the age to be a jailblazer.
just at that age to be interested hanging out with college kids his age, doing college kid things, that’s all.
"Every time Troutlaw touches the ball, I pop an anti-anxiety pill."
Good deal…Glad your ‘frat bro’ could give such an in-depth analysis into GO’s character.
by abobo84 on Feb 25, 2009 1:04 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
no judgement. Just a 1st impression.
"Every time Troutlaw touches the ball, I pop an anti-anxiety pill."
This is some crazy stuff
I choose to bury my head in the sand and not listen anymore and just concentrate on Oden and his on the court behavior/performance. Until I see some facts one way or the other or Greg discussing these items, I don’t feel the need to speculate further. La, la, la, la, la………..
"I saw him in the face" Sergio's quote on the latest alley-oop to Rudy.
by blazermaniac32 on Feb 25, 2009 11:43 AM PST reply actions
Listening to JQ segment on Radio
Here we go again with this absurd JQ speculation.
If he's doing drugs or abusing alcohol that's one thing...
but Greg showed a lot of desire to come back from his microfracture surgery. He’s just so hard on himself, and expects himself to be perfect…I think that is why you see him hanging his head.
And uhhhh…I’m sorry, but a chipped patella bone is going to take time to heal, if not require surgery. This was just a dumb comment, and quite frankly seemed like someone trying to stir pot with no soup.
by JasonT on Feb 25, 2009 11:44 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
I hope you are right dude.
Just media doing their thing.
"Every time Troutlaw touches the ball, I pop an anti-anxiety pill."
none what so ever...and I hope not.
that’s why i agree with you.
"Every time Troutlaw touches the ball, I pop an anti-anxiety pill."
Haven't seen much the other way either
(EG the last paragraph of Ben’s post).
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
I agree 100%
You made the comment I was going to make.
I often think Greg looks like he’s not having fun when he plays basketball, but after he endured a year-long rehabilitation to come back, I think questioning his desire is off-base.
Interesting that you omitted the indefinite article
in front of the word pot in that last sentence.
by MiledAnimal on Feb 25, 2009 11:52 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
lol
Want more aggressiveness? Try less Baylesslessness.
by prezofdeath on Feb 25, 2009 11:53 AM PST up reply actions
So now folks stir it in with soup? Used to be brownie mix.
by MiledAnimal on Feb 25, 2009 11:58 AM PST up reply actions
A substance abuse problem?
Even for a player who’s already been subjected to some of the most outlandish speculation imaginable, that’s one I’ve never heard before.
by knickfan on Feb 25, 2009 11:46 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Do you think it started with pain killers?
I heard Oden plans on cheating on his wife when he gets one.
I da man!
I reckon that's true
Make the music with your mouth Prz
Salaam.
by JamesOn on Feb 25, 2009 12:59 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I like the word "reckon."
I should switch my screen name to maid tu reckon.
by MiledAnimal on Feb 25, 2009 1:40 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Ummm
I think he works very hard and just because he doesn’t show that he loves basketball the same way that you or Brandon Roy does doesn’t mean that he doesn’t.
I hope I can get a bunch of championships, like 15. " - Greg Oden
First impressions
After Portland won the lottery I read pre-draft articles on Oden and Durant to get a first impression (I’m not a big fan of NCAA so I hadn’t seen them play…) The articles on Durant talked about how driven he was to be great. The articles on Oden talked about how he always needed to take afternoon naps
I supported the decision to draft Oden, even knowing this background. I hoped he would “grow up” and mature. I still do
Ignoring questions of off-court activities...
…do the medical staff still see signs of inflammation, etc.? If so, this sort of suggestion seems out of bounds.
If, on the other hand, the trainers and docs think the knee is fine (and can find no evidence that something is wrong in an exam) but Oden says otherwise… then “whassup” becomes a question.
Oden certainly from all accounts worked his tail off on his rehab from microfracture, so the suggestion that he’s dogging this time seems out of character. OTOH, his pysche reminds me a bit of Websters—some careful handling may be required.
Regarding substance abuse issues—obviously there’s no evidence of that on the record. Oden’s 21 so he’s legally entitled to drink if he wants to. I personally don’t care much about mild weed habits either—as long as you stay on the court (and out of the courthouse) I’m not too bothered. (Half the NBA smokes dope according to estimates; I seriously doubt the Blazers are free of tokers…)
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 11:48 AM PST reply actions
All I wanna know is: Does Greg roll with Michael Phelps?
by MiledAnimal on Feb 25, 2009 11:53 AM PST up reply actions
There's also the question of how much Oden's desire
when he’s been able to play. That seems more in question than the speciousness of the injury.
I’m trying to keep an open mind here.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
Sometimes where there is smoke there is fire
All the drug stuff is speculation. I’m sure Greg parties…nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, Greg’s desire has been questioned – considerably questioned. That is not just going to go away.
As a long time Oden supporter what concerns me
is that he is supposedly cleared to play on his own recognizance:
Oden said the knee is improving and that the decision to return has been left up to him.
“The doctor said it depends how I feel,” Oden said. "If I feel I can go out and play, I can go out and play. I’m just trying to make sure it is better. I don’t want to re-injure it if I do come back
yet he isn’t playing. How many times has Broy been injured and that doctors have had to physically restrain him to keep him off the court? How many times have we seen players who love the game play through injury like Przybilla?
Why?
I think it's still the trauma from having microfracture.
He is so scared of being hurt again.
by Cablinasian on Feb 25, 2009 11:50 AM PST up reply actions
I think so too
even though it is on the other knee, the fear of re-injury is one of the hardest things to overcome.
I agree I had micro/meniscus/acl surgery about the same time
The mental recover can be tough. I personally don’t think he is ready to play through a leg injury yet. Just my opinion… I do agree it is time to take the kid gloves off the guy.
I had an ACL replaced and some meniscus scraped
and the only thing that got me over the fear of using was the desire to use.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
I was about to make the same comment.
As fans we can talk all we want about fighting through pain to play. I even know a little bit about playing with bad knees, having torn both of mine, the last one requiring reconstruction.
But the truth is few if any of us can really put themselves in Greg’s situation. Only he knows how much it is bothering him and his being wary of coming back when he’s feeling even the slightest discomfort is understandable. He’s already lost one season to a knee injury. He has an entire career to think about. I have no issue with giving him the benefit of doubt.
hakkaa päälle !
by timg56 on Feb 25, 2009 12:24 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Walton was given the same "lack of the benefit of the doubt"
Back in ’74 when he was missing games with bone spurs and other ailments
(Of course, Bill was also a long-haired, counter-culture vegan in a less-tolerant day and age…)
Sometimes the smart move is to stay off the court
and sometimes it’s easier to stay off then play through a difficult situation.
Ain’t my knee, I dunno.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 11:51 AM PST up reply actions
An interesting theory
not sure it carries much weight. I think the folks above talking about him being gunshy are probably on the mark.
Why?
maybe he's just gun-shy.
He’s already missed a year. I would think that his lowered confidence has him worried about coming back before he is ready and getting hurt again. Probably some psychological battle in his head. Just speculation here, bit it makes sense to me.
"Every time Troutlaw touches the ball, I pop an anti-anxiety pill."
If I were GO, I'd find speculation about my
supposed lack of desire or confidence even more offensive than speculation that I’m a pothead.
by MiledAnimal on Feb 25, 2009 11:56 AM PST up reply actions
I deal with the pothead speculation all the time
It really takes a toll on your mind.
I'm sorry, but
If he says his knee doesn’t feel 100% do you really want him coming back? It is his left knee that doesn’t still feel right and because of that he would be compensating by putting more weight and stress on his right knee – the one that had micro-fracture.
The doctors have cleared him and said it is up to him – but the doctors also cleared Blake and Webster. That isn’t very supportive of the doctors.
by TSE on Feb 25, 2009 11:57 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
That's a good
point about the doctors. Maybe Portland’s medical staff should be questioned a bit more around here.
Why?
You are right
about him not coming back until he feels he can. I just hope he is able to get back quickly and safely.
Why?
yeah. as long
as he’s not wrapping it in tinfoil before going through airport security, or selling cell phones out of the trunk of his car, or showing up with dreadlocks, it’s cool with me.
"Every time Troutlaw touches the ball, I pop an anti-anxiety pill."
dreads would be sick
or maybe like a polamalu ’do
"It's not who jumps the highest -- it's who wants it the most" Buck Williams
"and if EVERYONE confronted with a tough, disgusting situation pulled out, I don't think I would have been born." Mortimer
by Fund A Mental on Feb 25, 2009 12:49 PM PST up reply actions
he should bring back the super-fro.
"Every time Troutlaw touches the ball, I pop an anti-anxiety pill."
I'd like the dreads myself...
as long as theres no little red black and green wool beanie
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
We don't even know if Greg does...
there is no evidence whatsoever of this. Sure if Greg smoked it once in awhile…whatever. But if it gets to be a habit for him, as it seems to for many people, I guarantee he’s selling himself short on the basketball court.
Ben, you're right on!
I agree that Oden is a difficult cat to get a read on. But I firmly believe that people are still trying to get him to measure up to to their original high expectations for him; expectations that were probably unrealistic, but understandable given all the hype from the Blazers organization and other media sources.
I’m completely prepared to just give him a pass and see where he develops. I would LOVE him to be a passionate, dominant, big man who is a centerpiece for the team. But, I would be ok with him being just a solid player who plays significant minutes and contributes.
I DON’T think I’d be wiling to accept him if he became a trouble-maker – and I’ve NEVER heard any rumors about drinking or dope smoking, but to be honest that wouldn’t even bother me unless it became a problem. The Chief, Robert Parish was rumored to be a big dope smoker, but no one can question his contribution on and off the court.
I have a hard time thinking KP and staff could have missed something like this in their process
Kevin Durant = surefire winner and 10 time all star or better. Character guy.
To pass up KD, they really had to feel good about Oden. I would think smoking pot would disqualify Oden from KP’s “culture” they wanted.
Want more aggressiveness? Try less Baylesslessness.
could be...just always thought it was a group decision, like KP said.
Want more aggressiveness? Try less Baylesslessness.
by prezofdeath on Feb 25, 2009 11:54 AM PST up reply actions
i bet everything is a group decision when paul allen tells you to do it, i don’t know i mean i love greg, i just think that type of behavior, even the rumor of it is not the culture we’ve been manufacturing over the last few seasons.
Like it was a group decision
To extend Darius Miles before KP’s ascension to the GM chair? It must’ve riled Pritch to be stuck with #23 albatross LTC
And KP wanted to draft CP3 until Webster shot the lights out in his pre-draft workout. Nash couldn’t draft CP3 the year after he had “reached” for Bassy
It was KP's pick
They ain’t letting this one get picked by one group as a favor.
Just like Canzano mentioned in that one article (and KP actually let it slip in an interview with radio or whoever before the draft), KP felt like Durant would be an eternal allstar, and Oden would win championships. When he said it in the interview, he recovered by saying BOTH could win championships but he had already flubbed it.
KP wasn’t getting a lot of sleep then, so its no wonder something like that slipped out.
KP didn’t pass the buck on this pick. It’s the one that will define him, forever. He isn’t letting it get out of his hands.
Mortimer
by Mortimer on Feb 25, 2009 12:03 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
What if Raef is the one who turned him onto pot?
He did spend a year injured with Darius as well. Who should we blame?
I da man!
i think that the blazers staff is hiding the truth about the severity of this injury
but i don’t blame them. even if not, most things they say on 1080 is horse manure, completely fabricated assertions.
Robert Parish, Kevin Mchale, and Larry Bird
all smoked weed together.
I think that movie "Half-Baked"
was loosely based on them.
"Every time Troutlaw touches the ball, I pop an anti-anxiety pill."
Does that make Henderson the guy on the couch
"It's not who jumps the highest -- it's who wants it the most" Buck Williams
"and if EVERYONE confronted with a tough, disgusting situation pulled out, I don't think I would have been born." Mortimer
by Fund A Mental on Feb 25, 2009 12:57 PM PST up reply actions
Quick made a coment the other day during the chat
That he has pressure on him and others at the Oregonian to sell papers…..just a thought.
P.S. If I were Oden, I’d be pissed off big time!
2-4 the who
Once again Oden gets too much attention for normal stuff
I ain’t listened to it, but what is the source of the speculation about drug use for Oden? Those 1080’s guys asses? Or something real, like a guy from a frat party at PSU who Oden wouldn’t sign his weiner for and so the frat dude is pissed.
If Oden just needs to play through it, then he’ll just realize he has to play through it. Every normal NBA injury gets blown out of proportion for the kid, and we spend half our time obssessing over every nick and scratch on Oden. I can’t blame him for some of that getting to him and making him worry as well.
Oden is YOUNG. Mentally, not just age wise. He’s more like a really nice, good high school kid— but mentally he doesn’t seem as strong as he will be when he becomes an adult. Very much like Webster, I’d say.
He could be being too careful. I dunno. Jason Quick doesn’t know. I know for sure 1080 doesn’t know, since they haven’t known anything for a looooooong time.
I don’t blame the kid for being too careful though. We’ve handled him that way for a long time. If he needs to transition to the B-Roy style of “just play through it”, then he should… but until now, every twisted ankle and ouchie has caused a ruckus and we all go SIT HIM SIT HIM PLEASE GOD LET ODEN BE OKAY.
If he can play, he’ll play. I have ZERO doubt Oden wants to do nothing else but prove all of the doubters wrong. Someone doesn’t work as hard as he did to come back from micro, or take all the criticism and up and down play so PERSONALLY if he didn’t care about basketball.
You also don’t go through all of that (most of it Oden does to himself mentally) if you don’t want to do what you are doing.
I do the amateur psychiatrist from afar stuff as much as anyone, but every little facial gesture or body languagey thing from Oden gets waaaaaay too over analysed by us. Oden, is Oden. He’s a special player and a unique athlete, and all of this speculation and accusations without grounds for it (as far as I can tell) just eat away at what makes Oden the guy we love.
Mortimer
by Mortimer on Feb 25, 2009 11:59 AM PST reply actions 11 recs
The reports were supposedly not credible
Still, Oden smoking weed and drinking wouldn’t surprise me after hearing this. It’s not the sort of thing folks just say. Oden’s too respected in PDX. It sounds like buzz, not news.
It hardly matters, of course. He can do what he pleases. That said, for the first time in a long time, I disagree with you. The desire to prove people wrong, to make others eat their words isn’t the only reaction people have to this type of stuff. Among youngsters, it’s FAR more common to see some self-destructiveness manifest (ie Rasheed lite). If the kiddo makes it through that stage, they eventually get to “nothing matters” or “I’ll show those suns o’ guns.” Either way, self-destruction comes first. Why? I have no clue.
Hopefully, he’ll make it through that stage and want to prove everyone wrong. But, he could easily get to a state of utter apathy and just plain give up.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
well said,
friend. I agree with absolutely everything in your post. rec.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 12:58 PM PST up reply actions
Why is everyone assuming that Quick is even talking about pot?
Did he mention the drug specfically that Greg was rumored to be taking? Maybe big Greg is smoking crack or shooting smack?
Doing those things
a) are likely to be noticed, and b) would get Oden tossed out of the league. While anything is possible, pot is an established part of the NBA lifestyle—something that the NBA is loathe to admit; and something that much of the fanbase, especially the older fans with lots of money (and those who buy expensive tickets and luxury boxes) find offensive.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:02 PM PST up reply actions
Kinda like the lottery
a tax on stupid people? CA has lots of those. :)
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 1:48 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Unfortunately they are not a rare breed.
They can be found inhabiting all sorts of habitat.
hakkaa päälle !
It's botox
That’s why he’s so difficult to read.
by Corvid on Feb 25, 2009 12:03 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs
Seriously, though
He would have been on pain killers for a long time. Those thingers are addictive.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
That's the first thing that came to my mind
I figured that weed is so prevalent in the NBA that it would be a non issue.
"Luck is the residue of design." - Branch Rickey
by TheObjectiveMike&Mike on Feb 25, 2009 1:56 PM PST up reply actions
If Oden is smoking something
At least he wasn’t dumb enough to get caught at the Rookie thing with Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers. LOL that was just dumb.
Want more aggressiveness? Try less Baylesslessness.
I think he needs to smoke pot
The dude needs something to take away the pressure…. Chill out people. That means you media types.
420den
I wouldn’t be surprised if Oden’s injury was way worse, this has a Martell Webster feel to it and I suspected he’d be out for the season back in November. I think they know if they publicize it the media circus will ensue and might crush Greg’s motivation to ever play again once that story line hits on his OTHER knee.
As for Greg, I don’t really like his attitude. I can get a read off him. He’s a fat whiner and a cry-baby. When they lose, he’s upset. When they win he’s not super enthused. I think it’s becoming more clear that he might not fit the culture we have in Portland. As the season goes on it seems to be chipping away at his soul.
If he’s drinking and smoking pot, that’s kind of to be expected at his age. At the same time though he’s got a standard of living he needs to adhere to being the number one draft pick and a role model. I’d call for a serious team meeting in which the leaders of this team (LaMarcus, Brandon, Joel and Blake) give him a serious tongue lashing and tell him it’s time to grow the F up, not worry so much about the attention he’s getting and put his focus on the court otherwise his apparent wish of not playing basketball might come true and he’ll forever be known as the guy who threw away what could have been an all-star basketball career.
Man, this report really rubbed me the wrong way.
Life is hilarious.
What?
“He’s a fat whiner and a cry-baby. When they lose, he’s upset. When they win he’s not super enthused. I think it’s becoming more clear that he might not fit the culture we have in Portland.”
I guess Blake’s throwing chairs and yelling obscenities, or Bayless’ displays of anger and emotion when things don’t go well make them whiners and cry-babies too? Lets trade anyone that gets ticked off when they lose. Yeah, that will really make the team competitive….with the Clippers.
Why should Oden go nuts over a win, when that is not the general attitude of the team and hasn’t been since Roy’s arrival? If you don’t like his mild approach to wins and sulking after losses, then blame the coach and Roy because its the leadership that is determining the attitude of the team. Should he be the only one jumping around like a school girl in a tootoo on the plane afterwards?
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
drama caused by all of us.
I would say it’s not hard to fall out of love with a game that keeps beating you like an abusive spouse. His NBA career has been a year of injury and still having to answer for all the media speculation of what could be. What could be ends up being a rookie in a tough situation with outrageous expectations for him to dominate from day one. He gets injured again, has some flashes of brilliance and gets injured again while the encouraging voices are drowned out by pundits screaming ‘sam bowie’.
Of course, the Blazers reaction is to coddle him with the special room in the back of the plan, the do what you want mentality. Really, some tough love is needed here to avoid a drama situation. Not every player is going to be Roy and Pryzbilla and just play through the pain. I’m sure those two would look at things differently if they had a season ender as well. But really, the guy needs someone to throw him under the bus and watch him squirm. Then we can see what Oden is made of.
My friend made an interesting comparison about Greg
Oden = Ostertag
She feels he will never be more of an impact than that – and that is not all that bad, but it’s not the championship dream
Oden is clearly NOT the messiah. And he clearly IS a functional NBA center...
…………………. problem is, he was SOLD as the messiah and drafted No. 1 overall. So people will have to take a while getting their expectations in line with the reality…
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
I'd say, Oden can be the big man messiah
He’s going to be really, really good.
I don’t mind going out on a limb like that.
Sonic Boom, I’m sorry about your friend’s opinion. They are kinda sorta really wrong and might not have watched Ostertag play. That’s okay though, not everyone can be good at having opinions. It’s how the world rolls.
Oden is getting a lot of crap for a rookie year that was always going to be up and down. He’s had unprecedented setbacks, and the moments of domination and great play (usually when he plays 30+ minutes) will be the norm in a year or so. It really isn’t that hard to imagine.
Morty
by Mortimer on Feb 25, 2009 12:07 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
If Oden can play 65-70 games a season and figure out this foul trouble thing so that he can play 35 minutes consistently...
… then he’ll be an allstar. His per minute numbers are already above average for a starting center.
Boomshakalaka
There are very few genuine centers in the NBA, so being on the all star team is a realistic possibility for him...
That’s a far cry from the Mega-Impact-Player expectations, however. And there will always be the drip-drip-drip-drip water torture that will be Kevin Durant’s career…
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
It's unbelievable how SO many people
feel that Oden is not going to improve from his rookie season coming off a microfracture surgery. Yes, if he stays exactly at the level as he is right now, well then maybe an Ostertage comparison is accurate. But come on, every player improves from their rookie season.
by JasonT on Feb 25, 2009 12:11 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't think too many people think Oden will NOT get better...
……………………… but rather, too many think Oden will become EXPONENTIALLY better once his knee heals fully. And I see no evidence that this is in the cards. He is who he is — large and powerful, yes, but raw.
The big question mark is his INTENSITY and WILL and COURAGE.
The jury is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out on that one…
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
how much improvement he makes is obviously not decided
but to think that in 5 years from now Greg will not being playing better than he is right now, I find hard to believe. As he is, he is more of a force in the middle than most NBA centers. He’s not in the upper echalon yet, but with a little improvement he will be there. If history bears out, as it has for other players, Greg will improve from his rookie season and move into that upper echalon within a couple of years.
Do people remember Amare the season after he came back from Microfracture?
It was like night and day. Even if Oden only gets to 90% of his former athleticism he is a perennial all-star
Agreed!
And remember last season when Nate warned the training staff about bulking him up too much? Once he finds his playing weight he’ll be fine. Joel went through the same problem early in his carrer with the Bucks. They thuoght he should play around 265 to 270 and he got into foul truoble all the time. Sound familiar???
2-4 the who
Oden dunked more in his 1/2 season as a rookie than
Ostertag dunked in his entire career. I love how people project his entire career to be the same as his rookie season.
2 points is 2 points.
Who cares if he gets dunks?
by howlingfantods on Feb 25, 2009 1:43 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah...the dunks was a dumb point....
my bigger point was that it is riduluous to act like Oden’s game is going to stay as it is now…being a rookie and coming off microfracture surgery. If Oden never improved from his rookie season, then maybe it would be accurate to compare him to Ostertag. But the chances are he is going to improve at least a little and probably a whole lot more.
Oh, fair enough.
And even more to the point, he’s already 10 times better than Leastertag.
by howlingfantods on Feb 25, 2009 2:42 PM PST up reply actions
If Oden can play 60-70 games a season
he’ll far surpass Ostertag. Oden is already a better player than Ostertag ever ways.
Boomshakalaka
That's kind of ridiculous.
I’ve never been that high on Greg, but he’s no Ostertag. I’ve downgraded him some from my original projections but I’m still thinking a bigger Emeka Okafor with better rebounding a slightly less defense seems about right. Which isn’t bad, at least in the top 5 centers in the league category.
by howlingfantods on Feb 25, 2009 1:45 PM PST up reply actions
Huh-huh-huh, Beavis
…he said high.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 1:49 PM PST up reply actions
TRADE HIM WHILE HIS STOCK IS HIGH
IM TELLING YOU GUYS, WE MESSED UP ON DURANT WHATEVER BUT WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING FOR THIS GUY NOW. WE STILL HAVE TIME TO TRADE HIM IN THE SUMMER. SOME TEAM OUT THERE WILL GO FOR HIM. LETS DO IT
Oden for Beasley
who some said was better than Durant.
Just kidding, BTW…
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:07 PM PST up reply actions
Hee hee
Yeah, Hollinger’s numbers said he’d be even better than Durant, because his college numbers were off the charts.
Being an undersized PF works okay in college, not that great in the NBA if you aren’t SUPER athletic or crazy beefy like Charles was. Beasley can’t even be Carmelo because he can’t play SF.
Oh well. Stats for the loss, finally.
Morty
projecting NBA success from college success is really hard
Hollinger’s stats do a better job than half of the NBA’s gms.
Boomshakalaka
If we could get a relatively young allstar caliber player for him I might do it
Not gonna happen though.
Boomshakalaka
And I'm tellin' ya
That’d be crazy whiggety whack to do.
Everyone who is wrong about stuff all the time, even me, should hold off on judging Oden TOO harshly for another half season or so. Because, you’ll likely be wrong.
You’ll look less silly a year from now.
Morty
Center is the premium position in the NBA. You don't trade centers once you have them, you lock them up and try, try, try again for the scorers...
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
I'l talking a Chris Bosh type player
It would take a player like that for me to agree to move Oden.
Boomshakalaka
We've already got a "Chris Bosh type player" if he'd just keep his butt where he belongs on the floor...
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
Save me the research: in what way is Bosh so superior to LMA?
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
Defensive rebounding a wash...
………….. drawing fouls and scoring efficiency (two ways of saying the same thing) a question of where they are scoring FROM — with LMA more prone to the pointless long jumpers and Bosh more apt to work the ball low. This is teachable, their body types and athleticism are comparable.
As for defense, who can say? I don’t think Bosh is regarded as Bruce Bowen Max, nor is LMA a great matador…
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
by timbo on Feb 25, 2009 12:32 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
LMA has looked better with Oden out
One reason he shoots a lot of Js is that’s where he’s stationed in the offense most of the time—on the high post, facing the basket.
Bosh is far better on the dribble-drive, certainly—but LMA has nice post moves. Usually, though, he’s in the game with either Oden or Prz, and thus is not in a position to use them as often.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:46 PM PST up reply actions
sigh
Here’s a comparison I did back when the Amare rumors were out between LMA, Bosh and Amare. The numbers are from each player’s age 23 season.
Note Bosh’s vastly superior numbers in shooting efficiency and defensive rebounding (most definitely NOT a wash)— Bosh is better in basically every category except turnover % (LMA is very good at taking care of the ball).
LMA made little or no improvement from this year to this year statistically. There’s no indication he’ll get anywhere close to Bosh’s level.
Boomshakalaka
Are your stats perfect?
By your tone, it seems like you’ve come up with a perfect comparison of two players using statistics, which is interesting because even the ‘creators’ of such reliable statistics admit to their individual shortfalls.
Out of curiousity, has Bosh had to completely change his game to accompany a #1 draft pick? That may account for some of the variance (or lack of development) between his 2nd and 3rd year… Also, what is Bosh’s winning percentage when playing next to a true low post player (like Jermaine O’Neal)? I would argue Aldridge has been substantially better at molding his game to fit our needs.
Bosh is an excellent player, but how much would an increased defensive rebounding percentage help our team? Aren’t we already towards the top of the league?
And Aldridge should get more fouls as he becomes more established, particularly in the low post.
Stats are not the end all of every single discussion.
"Now, you take a bobcat or a Jayhawk. You know they'll run if you give 'em the chance. But when one don't run, why, you shoot him and shoot him quick. Raef's my dog, Pa. I've gotta do what's right..." Old Yeller (1957)
by RoyGoesTheDynamite on Feb 25, 2009 1:32 PM PST up reply actions
stats are never the complete answer, no
when the stats paint this clear a picture though— ie a vast difference— its usually a pretty good indicator.
it never ceases to amaze me that people on here think LMA is anywhere near Bosh the allstar/gold medalist.
Boomshakalaka
Bosh plays in a weak conf
Who are the big men he’s battling night in and night out? Lot’s of dominate PF’s in the East……
LMA and Bosh aren’t that much different. One gets lots of praise and one gets lost in the shuffle.
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
the idea that the West plays better D than the East just flat out isn't true anymore
Its amazing to me that you can argue Bosh’s numbers are inflated because he plays 52 of his games against the East.
Boomshakalaka
you have to agree
that the west has a better stable of power forwards than the east.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:50 PM PST up reply actions
disagree
you gotta expend energy at the defensive end when you’re guarding a guy who can score. that directly translates to less energy on offense.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:53 PM PST up reply actions
It's not an idea
You don’t think that playing against better pf’s, on both ends of the floor, doesn’t have any effect? Seriously?
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
there is no evidence-- none-- that playing in the East inflates ones numbers
I didn’t intend for this to lead to a discussion on Bosh v. LMA, one that is clearly going nowhere.
My original point was just that I’d consider trading Oden if I could get a relatively young, top 15 player in return and the name Bosh came to mind.
Boomshakalaka
power forwards in the east posting a better PER than LMA
While PER isn’t perfect you can say Bosh see’s his share of good players.
Garnett
Sheed
Speights
Villanueva
Jamison
Lee
Hee hee
I like Bosh a lot, but that list falls off, waaaaaaay off, ESPECIALLY defensively, after the first two.
There are a lot more better gooder PFs in the West, the East isn’t strong there, but Bosh is still better than LMA, clearly.
Morty
I do agree that Bosh is better
I just don’t see where he’s worlds better.
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
I'm still high on LMA, but unlike many player prototypes we compare our guys to, Bosh is just a year older
So saying “he has the potential to be as good as Bosh” is really hard to achieve unless he makes a jump.
Brandon is one of those quiet assassins. - Chris Paul
Like Jack the Snacker 1999 says
Bosh is a better rebounder and a more versatile offensive talent, with the ability to take defenders off the dribble. That is something LMA should be able to develop, but hasn’t yet, to his detriment.
Bosh is sorta overrated in terms of a dominant superstar though… which he isn’t. He doesn’t take over games on both ends, or even on the offensive end, much. He’s really good though, but he’s not gonna take a team on his back and lead them to a win very often, ala Roy or other dominant bigs of our times.
A Bosh-led team should be winning more, especially in the top-heavy but squishy middled East.
Raptor fans are too hard on Bosh, but they wish he was able to take over games a lot more.
He’s kinda like Yao in that respect… Yao can have a terrific game when ya watch it, ya see the stats… but for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem like he can ‘take it over’ and really shape the game. It’s a tough thing to define, ya only know it when ya see it, I guess.
LMA can’t do it either, even with his best games.
I like LMA a lot, and think comparing him with Bosh isn’t very fair. I always choose to compare him to Sheed, but with a great work ethic (Sheed coasted), and more team-firstiness, but less strength thus far.
Morty
LMA
is nowhere near Bosh. About that I agree with you.
But I wouldn’t trade Oden for him. GO is still too much of an unknown commodity; you have to wait at LEAST one more season before making a decision like that. Plus I feel like Bosh and LMA is basically just overlap. You can’t start either of them at center with a straight face.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:42 PM PST up reply actions
I'll concede that Bosh is a 1.5 rpg better rebounder. That's it.
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
Bosh ain't gonna do nuthin' in the playoffs
Without POWER next to him.
I dunno if you guys have seen him, Bosh can be quite soft and that has come up in the playoffs.
Bosh does not beat a KG. An adult Oden, beats a KG. Same for a Lebron, once you team Oden up with a Roy.
Roy and Bosh is great, but not win-it-all great. Bosh is too soft and too disappeary.
Morty
Bosh and LMA are VERY similar... When they stay low is when they do their damage.
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
I agree
Though I think Bosh is QUITE a bit better than LMA, they both suffer from “I can make jumpers therefore I should shoot jumpers”-itis.
I don’t think a Roy/LMA combo will do anything SUPER successful in the playoffs either. Even with Przy at his peak. They both need the power and rebounding of Oden.
Morty
Bosh is a top 10-15 player in the NBA
Oden may or may not get there. This is purely hypothetical obviously, but I’d be very tempted.
Boomshakalaka
is it?
Bosh is an allstar, an Olympian, and owner of the NBA’s 15th best PER. Last year he had the 10th best PER.
Boomshakalaka
i think bosh is a great player
but I wouldn’t trade oden for him. the latter is too much of an unknown commodity right now, and I don’t know how a bosh-lma frontcourt would work out.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:20 PM PST up reply actions
My point...
Was more indicative of the fact that we’d never know what Bosh would do on our roster. In Toronto, he’s a focal point, which can artificially inflate his attempts, points, and rebounds, and thus his PER (and as of this season has been playing in his fair share of meaningless games).
I’ll throw out 2006 era Zach Randolph as a perfect example. Because we were a mediocre (bad) team, and Ze-Bo was posting 20 and 10 every night, there were grumblings that he should be an All-Star. When we made the deal, ESPN was reporting that Randolph would be an odds on favorite to play PF for the East All-Star team… Where is he now?
Not to mention, Bosh frequently lines up with Bargnani who isn’t quite as prolific as Pryzbilla and Oden are at snagging rebounds. How many do they take away from Aldridge?
Also, Aldridge has never played against a point guard with the same skill level as either TJ Ford or Jose Calderon. Both of those guys create opportunities, whereas Blake is more of an offensive conductor, and Roy is more of a scorer who happens to defer to Aldridge for the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the game.
In head-to-head competition, I would say that it’s a fun match up to watch. They both go at each other, they have similar skill sets, and it’s a great display of the modern era big man IMO (especially because their battle has led to some freakishly close/exciting games).
"Now, you take a bobcat or a Jayhawk. You know they'll run if you give 'em the chance. But when one don't run, why, you shoot him and shoot him quick. Raef's my dog, Pa. I've gotta do what's right..." Old Yeller (1957)
by RoyGoesTheDynamite on Feb 25, 2009 4:47 PM PST up reply actions
10th to 15th?
Bosh is clearly on the decline!
It makes me Teary to say Disappeary
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Feb 25, 2009 12:24 PM PST up reply actions
WHAT??? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!
Oh, your rant includes an opinion. Well, that must make you right.
Brandon is one of those quiet assassins. - Chris Paul
Blazer Fan Paranoia is back, baby!!!!
46 career games played.
21 years old.
Yah, this pick is a disaster if you expected the next Bill Russell. Even Kwame Brown and Darko Milicic didn’t get written off this fast.
I guess some basketball fans just have too much time on their hands. Oh well. Ya’ll can jump ship now. I think I’ll stick around til he’s been in the league long enough to expire his rookie contract.
Yes! Yes! In the face!
by LeafHawk on Feb 25, 2009 12:11 PM PST reply actions 3 recs
timeall you fanboys know what's what to bet on it!
oden*is smoke pot look out he’s a reall*baller* get him to give pot to outlaw and rudy wake upoden likes todrink and smoke that keeps hhim hood and now he’s not soft. roy can staright up ball but he needs gangstas with him guys that he can trust to roll with look for for championships all you have alot tolearn haha
uh-oh, a fatty impersonator
or did fatty do a TiH and change his nick?
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:17 PM PST up reply actions
yeah there was a '.' in there too ...book it ...it was fatty's alter ego - - -tubolard
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
What's so sad
about all this blather is that when Oden was drafted, everyone understood that he was a work in progress.
Durant, on the other hand, was correctly billed as a much more polished product. Not to say that he was at or near his ceiling but that his skills were more NBA ready than Oden’s. Now Durant is dropping 35 a night and the majority here is screaming “OH MY LORD – WE DRAFTED THE WRONG GUY!!!!”
Ummm, no. You drafted exactly who you knew you were going to get. And, to paraphrase Dennis Green, Durant “is who we thought is”: A high volume scorer who, at the end of the day, has a skill set that’s much more easily replaceable than that of a dominant big man.
Will Oden pan out to be that dominant big man? Damned if I know, but the early signs are promising. The biggest obstacle seems to be more psychological than physical, all of the “injury prone” nonsense notwithstanding. And if he really is struggling with issues of confidence right now, I hope that someone in the Portland front office has had the good sense to advise him not to spend his free time reading web sites like this one.
by knickfan on Feb 25, 2009 12:23 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
Actually, more appropriate about Durant: "He is who we thought he was -- and we let him off the hook!"
You drafted exactly who you knew you were going to get. And, to paraphrase Dennis Green, Durant "is who we thought is"
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
........... and I 100% agree with this. Going to war in the pit every night takes a certain personality type, and I am really not sure that Oden has it...
The biggest obstacle seems to be more psychological than physical, all of the "injury prone" nonsense notwithstanding.
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
........................... remember, this is a guy that wanted to be a DENTIST when he grew up...
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
Doesn't that show a sadistic streak?
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Feb 25, 2009 12:28 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Which dentist would that be?
Steve Martin (in Little Shop of Horrors), or Laurence Olivier (in Marathon Man?)
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:31 PM PST up reply actions
hen I was young and just a bad little kid,
My momma noticed funny things I did.
Like shootin’ puppies with a BB-Gun.
I’d poison guppies, and when I was done,
I’d find a pussy-cat and bash in it’s head.
That’s when my momma said…
(What did she say?)
She said my boy I think someday
You’ll find a way
To make your natural tendencies pay…
You’ll be a dentist.
You have a talent for causing things pain!
Son, be a dentist.
People will pay you to be inhumane!
You’re temperment’s wrong for the priesthood,
And teaching would suit you still less.
Son, be a dentist.
You’ll be a success.
“Here he is folks, the leader of the plaque.”
“Watch him suck up that gas. Oh My God!”
“He’s a dentist and he’ll never ever be any good.”
“Who wants their teeth done by the Marqui DeSade?”
“Oh, that hurts! Wait! I’m not numb!”
“Eh, Shut Up! Open Wide! Here I Come!”
I am your dentist.
And I enjoy the career that I picked.
I’m your dentist.
And I get off on the pain I inflict!
I thrill when I drill a bicuspid.
It’s swell, though then tell me I’m mal-adjusted.
And though it may cause my patients distress.
Somewhere…Somewhere in heaven above me…
I know…I know that my momma’s proud of me.
“Oh, Momma…”
‘Cause I’m a dentist…
And a success!
“Say ahh…”
“Say AHhhh…”
“Say AAARRRHHHH!!!”
"Now Spit
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
Still not cool has
“Is it safe?”
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 1:51 PM PST up reply actions
Ah, the dentist thing
The Blazers knew all this going in. The dentist thing, the shy goofy persona. That was all a matter of public record. They also knew that Durant was a monomaniacal basketball junkie, even referring to him as an “assasin.” But, y’know, they did their due diligence, ran both guys through the full battery of psychological tests and decided that Oden had the goods to be a star in this league.
Now, I’m not saying that those tests are never wrong. I’m simply pointing out that many of the things that people are bemoaning about Oden now – his laid back personality, his varied life interests – were all known before the draft. Now, add to that the pressure of trying to live up to some otherworldly expectation while coming back from microfracture and you’ve added an additional layer of psychological stress that no other rookie has ever enocountered before and was certainly not predictable before the draft.
I think we’re seeing the manifestations of those additional stresses playing out right now. It’s gonna be a hard road for him. In a way, it will be harder than the physical rehab from surgery that he went through last year. In that case, he was simply following a tried and true process for recovery that had been done by others before him. But in this case, he’s dealing with pressures from a situation that is unprecedented (#1 pick misses entire rookie season due to microfracture) And yes, he’s still only 21 years old. Making definitive pronouncements about his psychological makeup, then, is just a wee bit premature, dontcha think?
by knickfan on Feb 25, 2009 12:42 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
im a dentist
and i question greg’s desire to practice dentistry.
by mightyvan7 on Feb 25, 2009 1:03 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Ha Ha!
My father, too, in pedo. He thought GO’s hands might be too big
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Feb 25, 2009 1:05 PM PST up reply actions
he might make a good oral surgeon
might not even need forceps
You don't think
Greg’s psychological state has an impact on his on-court performance or on his rehab?
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:46 PM PST up reply actions
You might try posting even a fraction of the insight comments
Knickfan does before getting snide.
hakkaa päälle !
Ironically
The things we’re bemoaning now, are all the devil advocate arguments I took up during the great debates.
“He’s old and injury prone!”
“Durant has fire and desire and oden doesn’t!”
If Oden decides he doesn’t want to be a player or that he doesn’t love portland, then he won’t be a good fit. If he decides that he does, then he doesn’t have to be great. just good.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
Now we figured it out: Greg is on lidocaine to numb the pain of stupid questions from Sager & Co.
Brandon is one of those quiet assassins. - Chris Paul
i agree that he might not
i also agree with those who have suffered debilitating long-term injuries and said that getting mentally back into the game is more difficult than doing so physically. Oden’s been injured for the better part of two and a half years.
Whether that makes him injury-prone or not is a different discussion…but I think it’s safe to say that he’s not used to being able to throw himself into the fray with abandon. Let’s get a significant sample size of healthy games before we draw conclusions about his personality type (not saying you’ve drawn any, just speaking in general).
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:09 PM PST up reply actions
It's easy to get guys scoring 28 ppg shooting near 50/40/90
along with 8 rebs and a 3 and a half assists at age 20? Dang, where’s that store? I need to get me a couple of those.
by howlingfantods on Feb 25, 2009 1:53 PM PST up reply actions
also "volume scorer" usually is a phrase used to designate
guys who score a lot of points inefficiently. Hence AI is a volume scorer. Bird and Jordan were just great scorers.
Guys who score a lot of points efficiently are just great scorers. Durant’s a great scorer. A TS of .587 for the season which included his pretty awful first month still playing out of position before they fired PJ is a jawdropping number for a wing who creates his own shot.
by howlingfantods on Feb 25, 2009 2:03 PM PST up reply actions
to paraphrase Dennis Green, Durant "is who we thought is":
that doesn’t mean we should “let Oden off the hook!”
hmmmm
maybe he just doesn’t want to have to sit out another season with a knee injury and would like to make sure he’s ok before going 100%
by 50backflips on Feb 25, 2009 12:24 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Quick better be sure of his sources
about substance abuse. In any case, Quick should not be on the radio anymore
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
Was it JQ who brought this up
or the radio nitwits?
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:32 PM PST up reply actions
it was the 1080 guys
Quick acknowledged he’d heard rumors but made it clear he hadn’t heard it from a credible source or any source within the team.
Boomshakalaka
The Portland Sports Radio guys are all retards.
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
from what I've been hearing
it sounds like you are correct. I stopped listening to either channel because I was becoming annoyed, and that was a while ago. A lot of it seemed shock oriented instead of legit debate/education/breaking news.
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
No good will ever come from appearing on 1080 the Fan
not that John Costanza is that much better. But those two village idiots will say anything for ratings.
Still trying to figure out the C value paradox...
by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Feb 25, 2009 2:45 PM PST up reply actions
Let the chaos begin!
How’s this taste Morty?
I don’t think he’s a pot head, and even if he is I could care less if he was a badass on the court. I suspect Oden is a bit of a softie, great for existential human existence, sucky for a center in the Western Conference.
Maybe the pressure will turn him into a diamond? I hope so.
don't fight the feeling.....
by SuperDave on Feb 25, 2009 12:33 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
There ya go...
I suspect Oden is a bit of a softie, great for existential human existence, sucky for a center in the Western Conference.
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
Yao's a softie
but he still kicks ash on most nights.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:47 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah but does Yao smoke weed?
Sorry… lame post
I have no idea.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 2:45 PM PST up reply actions
Yao is very, very large. But he'll never be a GREAT center because he's soft...
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
Yao has also been a bit injury prone...
..though not as much as T-Mac.
Of course, Yao didn’t have KD being drafted behind him…
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 2:46 PM PST up reply actions
No, but Amar'e ;-)
In retrospect some of the lottery picks in 2002 read like a sad joke.
01 Yao Ming
02 Jay Williams
03 Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
04 Drew Gooden
05 Nikoloz Tskitishvili
06 Dajuan Wagner
07 Maybyner “Nenê” Hilario
08 Chris Wilcox
09 Amar’e Stoudemire
10 Caron Butler
11 Jared Jeffries
12 Melvin Ely
13 Marcus Haislip
14 Fred Jones
15 Boštjan Nachbar
Boozer was a second round pick in that class. Buahahaha!
Brandon is one of those quiet assassins. - Chris Paul
Ouch
That list is painful, other than Yao, Amar’e and Butler.
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
Jay williams would have had an awesome NBA career
all those in front of Amare – - -Dunleavy…wow…Wilcox….wow
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
Anyone notice
That when Oden goes hard for a play he really struggles hard to catch his breath… just an observation… it could be a lot of factors. I really hope Oden doesn’t end up like a lot of child actors that have so much success at such a young age.
the post has now drifted in the realm of "E!"
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Feb 25, 2009 12:38 PM PST up reply actions
Thanks Ben!
For sending us down this road again.
I think it is a fair analogy
Like Michael Phelps and Michael Jackson… these people are never allowed to have normal childhoods and it has to affect them. Just saying.
You're right - they are BOTH named Michael!
and their lives are cookie-cutter similar in what other ways?
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Feb 25, 2009 12:52 PM PST up reply actions
Uhh... they're both white?
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:53 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
+1
just look what happened to travis best, walter mccarty, and john wallace from He Got Game.
They acted, and were all out of the league 3 years later.
by mittsabishy on Feb 25, 2009 12:44 PM PST up reply actions
And Darius Miles
only Ray Allen, among recent hoopsters, has survived a brush with Hollywood.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 12:49 PM PST up reply actions
Shaq survived!
I am not sure you could call what he was doing acting though… lol.
my fav Pooh character
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Feb 25, 2009 12:53 PM PST up reply actions
When is this all gonna stop?
Everyday, all day, its Oden this and Oden that. If I were him I would sit out also, and its not just Portland fan being frustrated with his injury’s. Its the national media whispering this stuff on the radio about is Oden injury prone, was he really as good as the everyone thought he would be. There have been stat after stat posted on this site from fans that show he is right on pace to becoming a legitimate top notch center.
I wish Dave or Ben would put one of there mortoriums on Oden posts for a couple weeks.
This blog is a must read and very well done by Ben but it also is just a huge downer if these inuendo’s turn out to be true. This is not fun reading. This also cannot be verified, is true hoop going to pick up on this and make this a national story.
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."
How long until Deadspin, PTI, etc. lead with their Greg Oden stories about drug use?
Amazing.
They have really stirred up the hornet’s nest with this unfounded accusation/rumor.
You know this will be all over the national news before long.
Nice work guys.
Ahh, the joys of being the only game in a one sport town.
I love the Blazers, but what the media and public are doing to Greg Oden is truly a shame.
As sad as it is, I can practically guarantee Oden is in Portland as short of a time as he possibly can be.
At this rate, I see this ending badly for all involved.
I thought I saw a correspondent from "High Times" in town for a cover story
Weed is a banned substance in the NBA – - positive test and out – - – of course no-one is testing….but still…
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
Who Cares?
Oden is a human being, not a product, commodity, or role model. Some may say that he has been bought and paid for and, therefore, owes his life to the corporation. The last society that bought that philosophy was Rome, where thousands of decadent, lazy imbeciles paid good money to watch gladiators hack each other to pieces.
The Portland Trailblazers is nothing more or less than a business that sells excitement to the bored, and if Oden doesn’t like it, that’s his business. If you want him to change to suit your daydreams, that’s your choice, but it will change nothing.
If you say "basically" at the beginning of a sentence, you probably also put ketchup on everything you eat.
by CosmoPlavix on Feb 25, 2009 12:50 PM PST reply actions
After School Special
Is it just me? Or does this feel like an After School Special or VH1 Behind the Scenes?
“He had it all. Millions of dollars, fame. Then a knee injury sent him into a downward spiral. He started using drugs and lost his desire to play the game. Greg Oden. A story of a fall from grace.”
by JasonT on Feb 25, 2009 12:53 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
......................."I don't need YOU.......... All I need is THIS CHAIR..."
Why is Channing Frye still here? Anybody??? Anybody???
and this lamp....yeah....thats all I need.....
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
Classic.......The Jerk
One of my all time favorite movies, I watch it all the time.
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
I heard Oden doesn't scoop up after Charles Barkley McLovin
and feeds him chocolate.
If Quick starts to question a player’s desire or motivation, he better back it up with a credible source or physical evidence. Otherwise, its nothing but speculation.
What a convenient time to bash a player when he gets injured. Did Oden force his knee to swell? Fake a MRI?
My feeling is when Oden comes back, this embarrassing Bedge TMZ moment passes over.
The cake is a lie. Do not bake it.
by blzrfan on Feb 25, 2009 12:54 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
How can Greg be a Oregon Mentor spokesman
and have all this stuff floating around, I would think that an organization like that would have done a serious background check on Odens character and if there was even the slightest hint at there reputation getting tarnished they would not have anything to do with the big fella.
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."
LEAVE GREG ALONE!
Greg Oden needs hugs, not harassment.
I da man!
by Dragline on Feb 25, 2009 12:57 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
so here's what I don't get.
Quick says:
It’s a legitimate injury. His kneecap is chipped. There is some swelling. But I don’t know. I just don’t see him maybe working as hard as he could to get back.
What exactly is Oden not doing in order to reduce swelling in his knee? I am not a doctor, and I’ve never had a knee injury, so am I missing something here? Is there actually some exercise or workout regimen that would reduce swelling, and Greg is slacking off? Or is he recovering from an injury that Quick admitted is legitimate?
My gut read is that Quick is happy to rake the muck a little bit because, as he admitted on his own chat last week, he needs to sell papers. But I could be wrong. Please chime in, knee experts!
by abdelnaby on Feb 25, 2009 1:03 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
I love JQ's work
I think he’s a great beat writer, and nationally prominent sportswriters have drawn positive attention to his work.
But I have been growing steadily more disenchanted with his muckraking. If you have a story, then report it. If you do not, then do not go on a local radio show and fan the rumor mill with unsubstantiated comments about alcohol and drug use by a player on the team you’re paid to cover.
I’m not among those who has been irked in the past by Quick’s Blazers coverage. But I think that this was highly unprofessional.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:16 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Couldn't have said it better
Quick already made it clear he hates being around GO, which was unprofessional in itself…and now this unreliable garbage. Its becoming clear to me that Quick is just trying to start controversy in order to sell papers.
I think your beef is with the radio hosts
They are the ones who brought it up. Quick just acknowledged he heard the rumors and didn’t go much into it.
The cake is a lie. Do not bake it.
by blzrfan on Feb 25, 2009 1:31 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
i think their jobs are different though
radio guys get paid to stir the pot. quick does not. and acknowledging that he’s heard rumors like that and calling into question greg’s desire to rehab (and not on concrete evidence, just on supposition and hearsay) is stirring the pot in my opinion. perhaps my patience with quick has just been worn thin and so i’m being unreasonably irritated by this one instance.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:34 PM PST up reply actions
Quick side-stepped the rumors
and even said, “I don’t know what else you guys want me to say.” He very clearly said he’s heard rumors, but that’s all. There is nothing wrong with answering a yes or no question in the affirmative even if it’s only about rumors.
You are, in fact, simply being irritable, I think.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
yeah, like i said
i didn’t hear how it came up. i’m just tired of quick’s speculation and hearsay in general, i think. and i realize that it’s a complicated issue balancing his role as team reporter (in which he should be as unbiased as possible) and blogger/media personality in which he’s free to express his own thoughts. the line there is blurry, and i wish he would err more on the side of caution.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:38 PM PST up reply actions
Yes, I agree with you about Quick speculating about Oden's desire to play basketball
He tends to speculate too much on the radio.
The cake is a lie. Do not bake it.
Oden
I don’t think there’s any reason for him to want to play. He’s bein paid all that would he? I don’t even think we need him. Pryzbilla does a fine job rebounding and is adequate enough offensively.
by Blazer Fan From Ohio on Feb 25, 2009 1:19 PM PST reply actions
Oden
Few of you are old enough to remember this, but this same kind of chatter from fans and sportwriters occurred when Bill Walton was a rookie, and kept getting injured, and sitting out games. Many wondered if he really wanted to play. That speculation ended when he got healthy and played with a passion few have seen since.
If someone actually knows something here, they can share it. Otherwise I’d stop this kind of speculation.
and everyone KNEW he was smoking weed
even if just passively at the Grateful Dead shows
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
I love the Big Redhead
but come on now…weed was the absolute tamest of the substances Walton ingested in the 70s :)
An admission: After the OKC game, I said some things. Stupid things. Things about Nate not knowing how to coach GO. It was only then I realized that I was in danger of becoming that which I most loathe - an uninformed, knee jerk fan who reacts to wins with wild delusions of championships and losses with trade and firing fodder. I will not be that fan. From this point on I will support the Blazers, the coaches and front office wholeheartedly, offering praise and criticism appropriate to the matter at hand. I will never again be "that guy".
Blazeraddict
2/9/2009
by blazeraddict on Feb 25, 2009 9:10 PM PST up reply actions
Funny
I was just at the doctors office reading SI, and in the “remember when” section, they talked about Walton’s injury issues as well.
The Blazers' doctors
shot his feet with cortisone and said “Get back out there”.
Of course he wanted to get right back out there, so he did. Then it took him years to come back again.
These are different doctors, but I think Greg is smart to pursue all his recovery options rather than just the ones the Blazers prescribe. – Elgin
Since when do we need to ponder to froth? - jscot
Non Story, Squares
Who really gives a flying fill in the blank if GO likes to have a good time?
That’s what you call nba lifestyle. If he is out partying, that would be about the only thing besides rebounding and fouls that he’s done that actually resembles an NBA player.
Non issue. Some of the greatest players and coaches of all time have dabbled or even misused substances to help cope with the pressure.
by gavin.dawson@955thegame.com on Feb 25, 2009 1:22 PM PST reply actions
he didn’t bring it up. did you want him to lie? i mean his job is to report facts, and fact is the night club thing gets talked about a lot.
by gavin.dawson@955thegame.com on Feb 25, 2009 1:27 PM PST up reply actions
Why does it get talked about?
What have you heard that makes you want to talk about it on the air?
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
I would prefer
that he said something like So What?—basically, what you said above. Even hemming and hawing makes it into an issue—which I’m sure Quick is fully aware of, since that was basically the whole point of his Will He? Won’t He? injury article.
100% Agreed
What a player in the NBA does on his own time is his business as long as he’s ready to take care of business once the game starts.
Then again, perhaps the pressure wouldn’t be so high if people weren’t saying how disappointed they were that he’s not the second coming of Bill Russell? Just a thought.
Yes! Yes! In the face!
Your just ticked you did not have Quick on your show so you could get the rumor mill started. The morning sports page is the worst sports talk show in Portland. This would be right up Dawsons alley hating on Oden for the sake of hating,,,,,,,,,
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."
Blazers coverage
Many media members are still hanging to the “JailBlazers” moniker that the team did earn. However, those days are over and so they have to try and make a story even if one is not there. News is not the facts anymire, merely it is one person’s opinion or side of what they deem to be an important story. Why can’t we all just focus on who’s actually playing tonight and what we know to be fact.
by Blazer Fan From Ohio on Feb 25, 2009 1:22 PM PST reply actions
Tattle Tales
Some people want extra brownie points from BlazersEdge…
Your telling me Town and Country is the place to get my new ride??...hehuha
Yeah, I heard of them.
maybe
dave will give me a gold star for flagging you! gee, I hope so!
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:31 PM PST up reply actions
We can redeem our Brownie Points for what exactly?
"its tough to play with one eye, unless you're a pirate." Delonte West
"una canasta a Pau en la cara" Rudy
by Honka Playboy on Feb 25, 2009 1:35 PM PST up reply actions
I hear they put pot into soup these days
instead of brownies.
by MiledAnimal on Feb 25, 2009 2:32 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I need those points
if my blog PER drops too much from last year, I might get traded to Fear The S Word.
Sooo
If Greg was smoking wont he get caught and suspended by the NBA soon? They test rookies regularly, right?
you need
like three or four positive tests for weed before you get suspended.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 1:55 PM PST up reply actions
wow
that’s a nice policy. Can you imagine YOUR job being that lenient?
The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.
my job is More lenient - - no testing
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
unfortunately
i cannot. i had to drop the whacky weed entirely because i want to work for the fbi/dea/state department one day and they frown sternly at drug use.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 2:01 PM PST up reply actions
and you some how think fbi/dea/state department employees don't smoke weed?
don't fight the feeling.....
No.
I think they polygraph you and interview everybody you know to see if your drug use surpasses a certain threshold. If it does, they won’t hire you.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 2:45 PM PST up reply actions
hope they don't check this site
you just admitted to using drugs.
Quick
will never live up to his name.
This is all total speculation with no proof. I would imagine that Oden is smart enough to realize how sensative the fanbase is to these sorts of issues, as much as Quick is sensative to the exploitation of them.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
This was not Quick's story
“Isaac and Suke” brought it up on their radio program – whoever that is – and he just admitted he heard rumors without confirming anything.
Brandon is one of those quiet assassins. - Chris Paul
If he had class
he wouldn’t have speculated at all, or confirmed rumors with no evidence to their foundation.
Isaac and Suke do a three-hour show on 1080 AM The Fan. They compete with Canzano’s time slot.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
confirmed the existence of rumors
not the substance of them.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
My take is the same as it has been
His knee is swelling because its bruised under the kneecap….those are closed compartment areas where fluid can easily build up and have trouble draining through…throw some ice on it….take a few motrin….get back on the court if its stable nothing else can/will happen….ice it on timeouts….get over it…wear knee pads…if you want to have a pain free life, don’t play basketball, NBA or otherwise – but NBA life hurts most the time – - so what…the adrenaline will override it…
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
very rarely in the knee cap because the whole thing is encased in the tendon from the rectus femoris (quadricep)
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
Hey thanks
I always thought that tendon ran across the patella; I didn’t realize until now that it actually encases the kneecap (guess I didn’t read the fine print in the coloring book). Ya learn something new every day around here!
I'm actually reviewing a book on the Mgt of musculoskeletal disorders so I don't pass on half-baked info
16 years in and you start just fixing by feel in a sense so I’m making sure I’m sharp in case the phone rings
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
Wouldn't you still have the arthroscopic "surgery" to remove the chip when it constantly causes pain?
Now, or latest after the season.
Brandon is one of those quiet assassins. - Chris Paul
Too little info is hindering me here
technically there is no such animal as a “chip” fracture….so I can’t really tell you what they mean….
If they are talking about a Osteochondral fracture, a piece of the underside of the patellae, bone and cartilege, would be under the kneecap and detached…
I have assumed they were talking about a Marginal fracture, where a corner or edge of the bone is cracked, since the ostechondral type usually immediately will disrupt the ability to extend the leg all the way…
If it is a marginal fracture – - nothing to do but let it heal…the bruising underneath effects the fat pad and bursa there, and the mending of that soft tissue will lead to pain and swelling, but no instability or risk going forward…In the Osteochondral fracture, the fragment can migrate back into the knee joint causing discomfort and some catching, but this is generally obvious immediately with the inability to straighten the leg the whole way…
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
I can't wait for the time
5, maybe 10 years from now, when pot is completely legal and this country can start worrying about real problems.
This comment has nothing to do with G.O. Any time these media clowns start talking about pot, someday they are going to wish some of these comments weren’t recorded, because they will sound incredibly foolish. I’m thinking of the Michael Phelps situation, especially.
Thank you for listening.
by chnews on Feb 25, 2009 2:02 PM PST reply actions 7 recs
rec
Though patience be a tired mare, yet she will plod. - William Shakespeare
Roses are red
violets in bloom
Sophia’s in love
with Nicholas Batum
-Bow4Meow
Same with prostitution...
I can’t wait until a 7 foot prostitute can play in the NBA without everyone poopooing what he does off the basketball court.
But seriously though, if I were the Blazers organization I would be uneasy about a guy I am paying millions of dollars to, to be in top physical and mental condition, smoking pot. If its just once in awhile, then that is no big deal. However, if it turned into something that was habitual I would be a little worried.
rec
I know we have a sensationalist media and live in a sensationalist country, but I am appalled and embarrassed at the lengths people have gone to in order to bring down Michael Phelps. This kid’s life and achievements are getting torn down because of a transgression roughly on par with underage drinking or speeding—i.e. a minor infraction that countless Americans are guilty of, even those who point fingers at Phelps. I hope ten years from now, Michael is still proud of himself, and we are all ashamed.
by abdelnaby on Feb 25, 2009 2:26 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah - - I take the contrarian approach...
he can kick major swimming butt and still huff major bong hits…
don’t let partyin be an excuse for being a slacker…
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
Besides
there are lots of boring slackers in the world.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 2:48 PM PST up reply actions
agreed
but people have higher expectations for celebrity athletes…who are supposed to be “role models.” It comes with the territory….fair or not. Athletes are one type of celebrity that is held to a higher standard. If its a musician or actor no one bats an eye. But athletes do not get that pass.
the problem, therefore....
…is the expectations. And the media self righteousness.
Here’s a baller who is my role model: Barack Obama. Here’s hoping kids look in that direction for inspiration, and just let Greg, Durant, et al., entertain you.
Phelps gets a pass
for holding a bong. Barkley does not get a pass for getting a DUII and persuing oral sex. – Elgin
Since when do we need to ponder to froth? - jscot
More to the point
I care about what Barkley blows (on the brethalyzer); I care far less about… never mind.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 3:29 PM PST up reply actions
I care about neither one, actually. I, however, am admittedly biased on the first matter.
The absurd amount of money I paid out in lawyer fees and court costs due to committing a victimless crime, negligent driving in the first degree, upsets me to this very day. Of course, I’m a civil libertarian who believes that people should have the right do whatever ever they want, whenever they want, however they want — so long as nobody is hurt physically in the process — although that’s just my own personal philosophy on life. I guess my point here is that if you can effectively operate a motor vehicle while mildly intoxicated, then so be it.
I’m dead serious about the “victimless crime” part, too, since the only form of victimization from that ordeal was the ridiculous penalty I received for harming not one single person. I could’ve potentially injured an innocent person, sure; yet, that wasn’t the case. Rather than look at things in black and white, the government should tint its proverbial glasses to view shades of gray.
I totally understand that a lot of y’all won’t be too fond of my free-for-all philosophy of limited government concerning several big-time civic issues — such as reducing restrictions on drinking and driving, lowering both the drinking and smoking age to 16, lowering the age of consent to 16, legalization of marijuana to individuals at or over the age of 16, legalization of prostitution, removal of restrictions on gambling, et cetera — but it’s no big deal, y’know.
Whaaaa.......You can't be serious
Are you really arguing that you should be able to drive drunk and only be punished if you hurt or kill somebody?
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
it's funny, i worked in an ER for 7 years
at least 90% of all MVAs (motor vehicle accidents) involved alcohol. so too almost every late-night act of violence.
oh god i dont want to think about that stuff.
ignacio
Just a note on this...
I was out in Charlotte with Shavlik and friends and he wouldn’t even have a non-alcoholic drink in a glass that would LOOK like it was alcohol…soda in a bottle water in a bottle OJ in its container – - – not because he thought drinking was so very bad – - but the night before a game, he didn’t even want to give the appearance of being out of “training” mode…
The role model thing comes with the territory – - – there are plenty of private places to do whatever you choose – - -but little kids idolize these guys (not that there were any in the club)..so you gotta assume you are being watched all the time
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
+1
Not a smoker myself, but it’s a plant. There are probably worse things in terms of health available in the vending machine/at the bar on Friday night. A stinking plant is the least of our worries
An admission: After the OKC game, I said some things. Stupid things. Things about Nate not knowing how to coach GO. It was only then I realized that I was in danger of becoming that which I most loathe - an uninformed, knee jerk fan who reacts to wins with wild delusions of championships and losses with trade and firing fodder. I will not be that fan. From this point on I will support the Blazers, the coaches and front office wholeheartedly, offering praise and criticism appropriate to the matter at hand. I will never again be "that guy".
Blazeraddict
2/9/2009
by blazeraddict on Feb 25, 2009 9:14 PM PST up reply actions
I could not care less about the pot....
BUT I do care if Nate, the trainers and the rest of the team don’t think Oden is willing to play through a bit of pain.
by antediluvian on Feb 25, 2009 2:23 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Quick is really good at making a story out of nothing.
by Nick Van Excellent on Feb 25, 2009 2:27 PM PST reply actions
We have had a very bad run of media sanctimony lately
Both locally and nationally. And it’s getting very tiresome. I wish, as a consumer of sports media, that I could do something about it.
and he's supposed
to be the savior by most of you people,geez you guys really know how to pick em.
On the contrary - I can pick them with the best.
And to prove it, I’m sending my latest pick to you by mail.
(Although it might not have quite the impact as if you saw it fresh. And hopefully it won’t stick to badly to the inside of the envelope – it has one of those classic long gobbery tails.)
hakkaa päälle !
You should roll it between your fingers for a while
until it has the consistency of rubber cement.
Then look for fatty and flick it in his direction. Tell him its an asterisk so he can use it in his next post.
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 2:50 PM PST up reply actions
I assume then
that this is a replica Buck Williams jersey, then?
There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 25, 2009 2:51 PM PST up reply actions 5 recs
fatty will always score points with me as a fan of Buck.
I’m looking forward to the day when they retire #52, with both Williams and Greg being honored.
What I’d really like to see is Buck getting added to the coaching staff.
hakkaa päälle !
you're just
being inflammatory at this point. your post accomplishes absolutely nothing.
and tim, not a half-bad idea.
by BlazersOrBust on Feb 25, 2009 2:52 PM PST up reply actions
you people should
be ashamed of yourselves,it;‘s because of you people this poor kid is’nt thriving under the pressure.you people made him the messiah,and he’s just a 20.yr.old big kid.he wanted to have fun and enjoy himself.instead the poor kid is very miserable why because of all you dillusional oden worshipers,who unrealistically put this poor kid on a pedastal.i can’t imagine this kid trying to have a quiet dinner,and yet the cronies come out of the woodwork.following his every move around town chasing him down for photos*autos.i hope for the young man’s sake that in 2 years the pressure of you fans will be off of him.so he can finally relax and play up to his potential.
Portland is amazingly cool about how they treat the players
and several people here have detailed their non-in-his-face encounters with Greg around town here…if he was feeling papparazzi’ed he would keep a lower profile…his “pressure” comes with the territory…screaming about it here changes nothing.
I spent time with him after the game in Charlotte – - – where he fouled out and we lost in overtime – - -and he was relaxed smiling and enjoying the company of the people that were there…
The media created the problems – - stop yelling at fans for being fans
"..[Travis Outlaw] could jump, grab a rafter, eat a sandwich, and then dunk.."
tmundal 12/30/07
by LetsBlaze on Feb 25, 2009 5:05 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
why not wear knee pads and get back on the court?
if he is mainly worried about reinjuring his knee, why not just wear a kneepad?
Maybe wearing kneepads in your line of work helps
but they don’t do much for injuries to bone, ligaments and deep tissue.
hakkaa päälle !
oden and msp
dragonage’s comment about the msp is on the money… I am done with those idiots. Gavin Dawson has an axe to grind for some reason. Any reasonable basketball fan with any knowledge whatsoever gives any rookie basketball player more than half of a season to prove himself. I have listened to this idiot day after day rip on a young man who has played in 46 games in his career after MF surgery. He’s either too stupid to realize the facts or ignores them and just makes comments for effect. Greg Oden has done more than just “rebound and foul”. 9pts and 7 rebs in 22minutes per game are excellent averages. Leads his team in double doubles and has a great FG. Oden has improved throughout the season and has played in over 80 of the games this year which is far more several big men in the league who have been injured . Dawson doesn’t know anything about what goes on beind the locker room doors and in the huddles yet he makes assumptions about the guy’s desire. I have no problem with a rookie who is inconsistent. His career will last more than 46 games and I realize, unlike the retards on the MSP that the longer players play, the better they get. All of this crap about G.O. is all speculation. My issue is that d-bags like the the MSP boys have a platform to spew their crap and they have the power to cut off anyone who wants to challenge them. They are lucky they are a local based show or they wouldn’t be on the air because they are garbage. I used to listen when they were at 1080 but now I can’t stand them because they just stir the pot. They are not talented enough or know enough about their topics to carry a show show they say stupid crap to stir the pot. My happeist day will be when these idiots are off of the air. Worst radio show in town.
they need a moderator
Not only do they not quite know what to say, they also don’t have the trained skills to say it. Their level of discourse is profane – they’d have a lot more flow if they didn’t have to live up to FCC regulations. I think they should go back to community college and get an English degree. – Elgin
Since when do we need to ponder to froth? - jscot
by 22baylor on Feb 25, 2009 3:35 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Epic line
they’d have a lot more flow if they didn’t have to live up to FCC regulations.
LOL, recd
An admission: After the OKC game, I said some things. Stupid things. Things about Nate not knowing how to coach GO. It was only then I realized that I was in danger of becoming that which I most loathe - an uninformed, knee jerk fan who reacts to wins with wild delusions of championships and losses with trade and firing fodder. I will not be that fan. From this point on I will support the Blazers, the coaches and front office wholeheartedly, offering praise and criticism appropriate to the matter at hand. I will never again be "that guy".
Blazeraddict
2/9/2009
by blazeraddict on Feb 25, 2009 9:21 PM PST up reply actions
I agree with your sentiments
Because I feel similarly about the MSP. I periodically catch a minute or two of it before Rome starts, and have my opinion confirmed about the host. Garbage.
don't fight the feeling.....
I see this non-story is on the biglead now.
I’m sure that makes someone happy.
Tim Duncan is "hard to read" also
Come on: all great players don’t have rah-rah personalities.
If GO smokes too much weed, that could be an issue. But I haven’t seen convincing evidence of it. What IS clear to me is that Oden badly wants to get on the court and dominate. The guy is obviously VERY frustrated at this latest injury.
If Nate is angry, I think it’s at the doctors—or at fate. I don’t believe for a second that Nate thinks GO is dogging it.
"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla
#52
Come on now, I’m not calling the guy a stoner/party boy based on some insipid rumors. Truly unfair. And like others have said, considering Oden’s injury history/the Webster and Blake early attempts at returning that ended badly, I’d rather err on the side of caution.
An admission: After the OKC game, I said some things. Stupid things. Things about Nate not knowing how to coach GO. It was only then I realized that I was in danger of becoming that which I most loathe - an uninformed, knee jerk fan who reacts to wins with wild delusions of championships and losses with trade and firing fodder. I will not be that fan. From this point on I will support the Blazers, the coaches and front office wholeheartedly, offering praise and criticism appropriate to the matter at hand. I will never again be "that guy".
Blazeraddict
2/9/2009
Could've had Durant and Lopez...
Then made a trade for a top PG. All I’ve heard people say for two years is, “We didn’t need Kevin Durant. So we wouldn’t have taken him anyway.” Really???? KP screwed up BIG TIME! Face it. Oden’s a bust.
MSP & Oden
Gavin and his little man-slave CIP are the WORST.
I cant lie, I’m pretty disappointed in Oden at this point, but I also realize that I we need to give him 3-4 years before we can make any real judgements about what he is.
The MSP turds seem to think he will never be good and we should trade him now, and thats just retarded.
We could have had Durant ( I really wish we did), but we were not high enough to get Lopez. But man that would be sweet.
Your telling me Town and Country is the place to get my new ride??...hehuha
Yeah, I heard of them.
I have been warned
Apparently you can’t call general people names on this site. I’m going to go into the corner now and think about my transgressions.
don't fight the feeling.....
I was warned as well
although I was actually guilty of an offense as I typed words that resemble swear words.
I feel terrible. I think about those poor souls that had to watch in horror as they read words that looked like potty language
Your telling me Town and Country is the place to get my new ride??...hehuha
Yeah, I heard of them.
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