Oden vs Shaq III (w/ Update)

by Devenex on Mar 26, 2009 12:45 AM PDT

This matchup has been pretty one-sided so far as The Big ______ (I can't really keep up anymore, it changes too much) really seems to these games on his calendar. In OvS I he dominated with 19/17 on 75% shooting, but was quieter in OvS II with 19/6 with 64% shooting. Of course the real story of the last matchup was B-Roy going for 52 and showing the world how dominating a slow and unathletic SG can be (j/k).

Unfortunately Oden had more fouls (10) than rebounds (3) in these games. The only positive was he looked to be getting his legs against Shaq in the second matchup until getting saddled with early fouls.

Is tonight the night? Phoenix is still very alive in the playoff race, and the Diesel gets up for games against the young guys who are supposed to dethrone him (in his mind b/c in reality Howard owns him already). Working in Greg's favor is the fact that Shaq logged 34min yesterday in a closely won game against the Utah "make you hurt" Jazz. Greg also played very well in the Philly game as he stayed on the floor with 5 fouls through the 4th quarter and OT, while looking more explosive.

OK, so who do you think gets the better of this matchup?

UPDATE: To help prove my point about him still thinking he's the top center, here's an excerpt from Geoffrey C. Arnold's Oregonian article:

"I'm the CEO of centers in this league," O'Neal said. "I'm the shogun and the rest of the guys must go through the ninjas before they get to me."

He was pretty positive when asked about the young centers and said that Oden was just in need of a "go-to move" and that he should become a "great center."

Link: http://www.oregonlive.com/nba/index.ssf/2009/03/shaquille_oneal_critically_mas.html

Poll

Who gets the better of the matchup

Shaq

66 votes

Oden

71 votes

Przy-BALLA!

75 votes

Stalemate/Amundson <--LOL!

15 votes

227 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Oden will get called for a ton of fouls. A.) Because he's a rookie --- B.) Because it's Shaq.

...

by BR7formvp on Mar 26, 2009 12:58 AM PDT reply actions

Yeah I totally agree. The refs will totally dictate this battle between Oden and the The Big Bowler.

The rest of our team will have to overcome the refs favoring Shaq and calling rook fouls on GO.

It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla

by RenoBlazerFan on Mar 26, 2009 1:08 AM PDT up reply actions

exactly

There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)

My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons

by johnv59 on Mar 26, 2009 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions

To all of those that wanted the suns to beat Utah....`

Watch what you wish for. A blazers loss tonight gives the suns a real shot at beating us out, considering the way they are surging of late. This is a big one. I hope Greg comes to play but its the Billa that needs to man up to shaq…

RUDY > MJ

by myemic23 on Mar 26, 2009 1:06 AM PDT reply actions

GO suns!

I was rooting for the suns tonight. I think the blazers will finish strong down the stretch, the suns are too far out to catch us, and we should be focusing on winning the division, and beating out dallas / NO.

by GoBlaze22 on Mar 26, 2009 1:23 AM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, I just can't agree with rooting for the Suns to lose against a division rival...

We should be more concerned with positioning and trying to get home court then whether or not the Suns make the playoffs. If the Blazers were to be the team to wind up out with the Suns getting in, it would mean a colossal collapse on behalf of the blazers as at the very least they should wind up with a better record than both the Jazz and the Mavs without too much trouble.

Having said that, I do consider tonight’s game to be as close to a must-win as you can get without actually being a must win. The Blazers obviously need to take care of business at home and losing 2 in a row at the RG could be disastrous to the team’s confidence.

I also concur that the Center matchup tonight will be dictated by foul calls on Oden. There is no reason he couldn’t show up and do well against O’neal otherwise. In fact this game is setup for both him and the Blazers to be very successful with the Suns as they are on a back to back after playing a very tough game against Utah last night, and the Blazers having a coupe days off.

Rooo-D!

by truls on Mar 26, 2009 6:39 AM PDT up reply actions

Plus a suns/lakers first round matchup would not be a gimme for the yellow team.

by GoBlaze22 on Mar 26, 2009 1:24 AM PDT reply actions

Dallas ends up 9th

….or at least that’s what I was thinking 2 months ago.

GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The rancor reflected in that remark I won't dignify with comment. But I'll address your general attitude of hopeless negativism." – Everett "O Brother, where art Thou?"

by Blazer1342 on Mar 26, 2009 2:45 AM PDT up reply actions

Shaq is the BIG PREGAME these days.

Bedge or go home.

by Ojala John on Mar 26, 2009 1:56 AM PDT reply actions

Shaq is tired.

I’m telling ya, I watched Pho-Utah last night. Dude is gassed.

Blazer Fan

by leeroyjenkins on Mar 26, 2009 7:14 AM PDT reply actions

Concur

and I think we’re gonna run roughshod over the Suns tonight. I didn’t have a great feeling about the Philly game and my sentiments now are the polar opposite.

The Suns’ starters played big minutes at altitude last night against a team that lays the wood to you more than any other squad in the league; Nash, Hill, and Shaq are all geezers. The Blazers have had two days of rest; they’ll have been stewing about that home loss to Philly, knowing they could have made up ground on the Nuggets; and they’ll want to come out and send a message tonight. That is not a good combination for Los Soles. We’ll be up double digits after one and win comfortably going away.

The Michael Ruffin of BlazersEdge, cuz Amlmart said so.

by BlazersOrBust on Mar 26, 2009 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions

The game last night was in Phoenix

by BlazerFanFromDenver on Mar 26, 2009 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions

my sails =

windless. wah wah wah.

The Michael Ruffin of BlazersEdge, cuz Amlmart said so.

by BlazersOrBust on Mar 26, 2009 6:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Not a match-up

Oden will most likely only play against Shaq a few minutes each half. Greg is coming off the bench about the 6-7 minute mark and as noted Shaq is playing in the second game of a back to back which should limit his minutes considerably.
Portland laid an egg monday I think the entire team shows up with there A game tonight.

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

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

by Dragonage on Mar 26, 2009 8:15 AM PDT reply actions

not really it was a well fought game.

we screwed up on few things but we do that every game

"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "

best one liner i ever heard.

by bowdown on Mar 26, 2009 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions

I picked Oden

I have to believe even though doubt gnaws at me. So I shall believe.

The goal is not to be better, the goal is to be the best.

by ratbastird on Mar 26, 2009 9:53 AM PDT reply actions

Oden dunk on shaq real hard and the blazer crowd will blow the TNT microphones outwith their cheering

"shaq and zach randolph have the same trainer... "

best one liner i ever heard.

by bowdown on Mar 26, 2009 10:45 AM PDT reply actions

any wagers on who's going to hit amundson next?

"There are a few teams you have to watch out for in the fourth quarter."
"Yeah, but Portland definitely is not one of them."

-New Orleans Hornets broadcasters at the end of the third quarter with the Hornets leading 74-59. Portland later ends up winning 97-89.

"They don't mind him shooting that shot at all. Rudy Fernandez is not that great of a 3pt shooter."

-New Orleans Hornets broadcasters right after a Rudy Fernandez missed 3pter. Rudy Fernandez finished the game with three 3pters on six attempts.

by Tofu Anonymous on Mar 26, 2009 10:57 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Any wagers on who Admundson will knee in the groin tonight?

by Corvid on Mar 26, 2009 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions

I bet $1 it's Przybilla

and he’ll throw him to the ground like he did Evans in the 76ers game. – Elgin

Blazers win BDL 2 on 2 tournament!
Skeets: i’ll close it down now … congrats. you bastards

by 22baylor on Mar 26, 2009 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions

oden spiking admundsen FTW

"Sergio and I obtained chalupas to understand their power. Then Sergio showed that each one has 427 calories and 27 grams of fat. Leaping upwards, we reviled the accursed chalupa and its pressure. – Rudy Fernandez

by LetsBlaze on Mar 26, 2009 4:16 PM PDT up reply actions

One of these days

GO is going to own Shaq in a game, hoping for tonight, but probably not. But if it does then I will be in heaven.

There is probably no more terrible instance of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man — with human flesh.
Paul Muad'Dib - Dune (Frank Herbert)

My Translation: My Dad is a dude just like me, and my sons are dudes like me also. I love that.
Season Tix: Section 315, with my sons

by johnv59 on Mar 26, 2009 11:33 AM PDT reply actions

The Big Bowler will strike out tonight

Tweet me!

by prezofdeath on Mar 26, 2009 12:38 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

throw a gutter ball?

It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla

by RenoBlazerFan on Mar 26, 2009 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions

i figured

the mixed analogy would cover all my bases

if he is a bust tonight, i can say “he sure stuck out” and explain that i was talking “three strikes and yerrr out!”

if he rocks out with 50 points, I can say he “struck out” like 300 points in a bowling game.

either way, i should be safe.

Tweet me!

by prezofdeath on Mar 26, 2009 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

But what if he strikes out with three strikes,

then the catcher drops the ball and he gets on base?

by Jerb on Mar 26, 2009 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions

shaq

will be loaded for bear tonight,the refs will give him all the calls.as for oden just stay on the floor tonight geez.the crickets will be wacthing.other than pdx*pho the rest of the usa will be wacthing the ncaa’s.

by fatty on Mar 26, 2009 2:59 PM PDT reply actions

This is the day that Oden stakes his claim!

He will punish Shaq.

by tominhawaii on Mar 26, 2009 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions

then after the game

they will go to Ruth’s Chris and claim a couple of steaks. – Elgin

Blazers win BDL 2 on 2 tournament!
Skeets: i’ll close it down now … congrats. you bastards

by 22baylor on Mar 26, 2009 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree with the Shaq getting calls part.

However, we do have 2 starter centers. What am I saying, knowing refs favoratism, Shaq will probably foul both of our bigs out. If the refs call the game equal on both sides I would have to give the edge to Oden with the way he has been playing the last couple of games.

by JmarcL4 on Mar 26, 2009 3:16 PM PDT reply actions

dude

you really have’nt seen shaq this season dude.

by fatty on Mar 26, 2009 3:20 PM PDT reply actions

me?

Honestly I haven’t caught a lot of PHX games (my gf puts the kabosh to any non-Blazer game on the tv). I’ve seen everytime we played them this season, and caught their game last night.

That said, Oden has become Shaq’s new Yao. I DID catch those games back when Yao was a fresh face in the NBA, and I’m seeing the same sort of things again in terms of the energy level he brings to these matchups.

In addition, Shaq is guaranteed more minutes in this game, as Greg’s ceiling right now is 25, and he will almost certainly play less due to fouls. Now let me add that a Blazer win is second to this matchup, Greg can collect 8 fouls in 30 sec as long as we get the W. Now, Greg is almost certainly going to get outplayed, but I’ll be happy if he just holds his own and uses his 6 fouls to send a message for the team.

"I don’t have the first clue who he is talking about, because all I worry about is Jerome." – Jerome James, on comments by coach Nate McMillan about Seattle SuperSonics players being selfish.

by Devenex on Mar 26, 2009 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Shaq said he was the "CEO of centers" before the season began. The author just used an old quote in a new article.

...

by BR7formvp on Mar 26, 2009 3:31 PM PDT reply actions

I've been had!

Or he might have just given the same soundbite again

“CAN YOU DIIIIG IT?!”

because he tends to do that.

"I don’t have the first clue who he is talking about, because all I worry about is Jerome." – Jerome James, on comments by coach Nate McMillan about Seattle SuperSonics players being selfish.

by Devenex on Mar 26, 2009 3:36 PM PDT up reply actions