for real, not really understanding the lack of involvement with trying to get him some looks. Like it’s so much worse than the contested fade away jumpers they played all game. For real.

I don’t care about the pre-season or summer league either…

I mean really, does he deserve it? Is the reason we let teams walk over us at the beginning of games because Greg is there. He was supposed to at least block shots and get rebounds – the offense would come in time, and I was okay with that, everyone was. Right now when an opposing player drives to the hoop they get a big smile when the see Greg there. It worth at least a trip to the line! Yeah!!!

The only games he has done anything except pick up fouls are against teams without any interior defense to speak of and not enough talent to really take it inside. No… Personally right now he deserves to be sitting next to Frye on the bench. I’m sorry but I am getting tired of all the Greg hoopla he should be improving but he isnt. You wouldn’t believe he was the first pick of the draft two years ago if you just just moved here from Afganistan where the only basketball you ever saw was some bootleg copy of the NBA finals 1999.

maybe I am just in a bad mood today and need to take a pill, but man. I’m getting a little frustrated right now.

Dude needs to be on the court.

agree with you. There are countless times in games that Greg posts up with good position down low and he’s started CALLING FOR THE BALL and they still dont get him the ball. Yet anytime Lamarcus does his pick and pop there seems to be no problem with getting him the ball. It’s like they are allergic to the paint. Anything inside of that is too dangerous so jumpshots become the alternative.

Give him more PT, let him foul out if need be, we have Joel to come in and back up. It’s backwards it seems (no knock Joel, you are playing great). The bird dog can’t learn unless you take him hunting, and they will may mistakes, but will learn and get confident. Nothing against Joel, but I would like to see some 2nd half action for Greg. And the more the refs see him, the more he will start getting calls. Duh!

Obviously, many are concerned about Oden’s demeanor—Ben suggests in his recap that Nate has lost confidence in his young big man—and until Oden adjusts (something that would need to occur in practice), he may find himself parked on the pine for extended minutes—even if he isn’t in foul trouble.

Against a donut frontcourt like the Thunder, Oden should be able to throw down left and right.

The good news, I guess—is that this should sound familiar—it’s what we went through with Martell Webster his first two years. Webbie came into the league with a lot of promise, but has a similar personality—hard on himself, isn’t motiviated by criticism and pressure. The summer before last, he was reportedly the throw-in in the Z-bo trade, before the front office figured out that if you make it a 3-2 swap you can get a trade exception back, and offloaded Dickau and Jones instead. But last year, Webster figured it out and became a dependable player. Still not what the Blazers might have hoped when they traded down to get him, passing CP and DW…but nobody worries much about Webster’s psyche any more.

So… there’s hope. Oden’s shown more improvement over his rookie year than Webster did; I’m not sure why he’s been in a funk the past week, after a five-game beast stretch.

He’s a good coach. I don’t think we should fire him. That said, he’s doing a terrible job of bringing Oden along. Terrible. The man doesn’t touch the ball- ever.

If I don’t see dramatic improvements on defense and in terms of Oden’s development by the end of the year, I will lose a lot of faith in Nate. As long as we make the playoffs, though, I won’t advocate for him being fired.

If Oden still isn’t touching the ball and we’re still horrible on defense at this time (ie around midseason) next year, it will be time to fire him.

Oden is unreliable right now. He won’t magically become reliable by putting him out on the court and force feeding him the ball. Nate has to give him opportunities but Oden has to step up and make the most of the ones he gets.

What happened when the Blazers started feeding him in the last two games? He also picked up quick fouls that took him right back out of the game again. When he stops picking up cheap fouls and starts playing with the energy he shows in short stretches the whole time he is out on the court, he will become a reliable player and will stay on the court and get the ball. It doesn’t work the other way around.

Greg Oden was not drafted to dominate offensively or be a monster like Dwight Howard. He was drafted to block shots and defend the paint. We already have two stars in Brandon Roy and Lamarcus Aldridge that score the ball plenty, not to mention Rudy, Travis Outlaw, and the emerging Jerryd Bayless. All Oden needs to do is play his role and the team will be awesome. You don’t care about the playoffs? Isn’t the goal to win? Isn’t the goal to contend for a title? Then why wouldn’t you care about them getting to the playoffs? It would be great experience for our young guys, its rare to go deep into the playoffs on your first attempt, the more they go the better they should get!

I don’t think its Nate. I think its the players. We have at least four guys (Roy, Aldridge, Outlaw, Bayless) who more often than not, if they get the ball, they look to shoot.

Not only can Portland not play defense, but the ball movement is anything but impressive.

I hate it that we end games with him only having 4 fouls. I am at a loss as to why the heck it is so bad to let him foul out

If he is going to be the centerpiece of this team, its time for HIM to step up and demand the ball.

Stop pussyfooting around afraid to upset anybody. This is your team Greg. Start acting like it.

If this team is going to win a championship or get close, its not going to be because of Roy. Its going to be the seven foot Eeyore that gets us there. And in order to do that, he is going to have to man up and make demands.

Of course in order to do that…he will have to lead by example, and stop turning into a retard on defense.

Someone needs to start switching Greg’s gatorade with red bull or something.

and have a riot, with posters that say “GIVE ODEN THE BALL”
with the way we are playing right now, we’re not gonna survive in the playoffs… and we’ll probably look like fools. I’m sorry Portland, I love you and all but PLEASE make yourselfs a worthy opponent in the WEST.