Rudy Gets Love Oden Gets None

David Thorpe hands out his rookie awards and Oden is nowhere on the list. Though Rudy does make the list.

Is this another case of Oden not getting the national respect he deserves or are we too sensitive?

almost 3 years ago mxpx5678 16 comments 0 recs |

Comments

C (PDX): Hey Thorpe, love the chats. What do you think is the biggest reason for Oden picking up so many fouls? Learning the pro game, refs learning how to call him, Portland’s subpar perimeter D allowing everyone to get inside uncontested, all of the above?

David Thorpe: (12:03 PM ET ) Too eager and just not experienced enough-bouncing in and out of a lineup definitely hurts.

I think Thorpe is also putting a big emphasis on minutes per game in his rookie rankings.

I hope I can get a bunch of championships, like 15. " - Greg Oden

by mxpx5678 on Apr 8, 2009 9:43 AM PDT reply actions

We're too sensitive.

Oden has shown glimpses, but we knew when we drafted him that he would take a little while to show his true potential. The knee injury also slowed his progress. But We’ll be happy with him when he figures this NBA game out. He’s too athletic, and too gifted not to. As always, people have no patience.

Rudy has been great, but I’m really starting to have the opinion that Nicolas Batum may be the Blazers’ Rookie of the Year this year. He doesn’t show up on the stats sheet, but I love his game.

Of all the things that can be expressed in the printed word – love, hate, fear, joy – true humor is the one that is the most difficult of all. Sarcasm, for example, is an art of delicate subtlety. Yet too many people wield it as a bulldozer – loud, smelly, ugly, and destructive – and think they are being funny.

by T Darkstar on Apr 8, 2009 9:46 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Those

Hustle plays where Batum sprints down the court to block a shot are a thing of beauty.

I hope I can get a bunch of championships, like 15. " - Greg Oden

by mxpx5678 on Apr 8, 2009 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions

I believe you are talking about

the “French Prince”

http://thenewenthusiast.com/2009/03/13/sacrebleu-shaka-laka/

by 8volumesthick on Apr 8, 2009 10:09 AM PDT reply actions

I'd take Batum over Mayo on D hands down

by Zaig on Apr 8, 2009 10:12 AM PDT reply actions

Sorry

I would take Mayo overall though no question.

I hope I can get a bunch of championships, like 15. " - Greg Oden

by mxpx5678 on Apr 8, 2009 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions

Umm, that's why I said on D.

All-Defensive Team

Mario Chalmers: First among rookies in steals (1.9) and helped Miami improve greatly on defense.

Courtney Lee: The best perimeter defender on the league’s best defensive team.

O.J. Mayo: Competes hard on this end and has the best defensive rebound rate (12.2) of any rookie guard.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute: Uses length and strength to bother and sometimes smother scorers.

Brook Lopez: See Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Honorable mention: Russell Westbrook
Not at all a shut-down guy (yet) but great at creating chaos. Second to Chalmers in steals, with 1.4 per game.

by Zaig on Apr 8, 2009 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions

Sorry didnt realize you were talking about a piece of the article.

I hope I can get a bunch of championships, like 15. " - Greg Oden

by mxpx5678 on Apr 8, 2009 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions

All good

Mayo is clearly the better player, but his defense isn’t that great. Not bad for a rookie, but not good either. And defensive rebound rate != good defense.

by Zaig on Apr 8, 2009 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions

I 100%

agree with you i think looking at rebounds is a horrible way to measure defense. I think defense is one of the hardest things to measure. Look at Oden, he has a huge presence on Defense, but he doesnt get steals (a stat that is often used), he blocks but usually only 1 or 2 a game, he does get rebounds which is good but doesn’t say anything about how they ignore the post when he is in the game or how many shots he alters. Oden is just an example.

I hope I can get a bunch of championships, like 15. " - Greg Oden

by mxpx5678 on Apr 8, 2009 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions

by DaNoose on Apr 8, 2009 3:04 PM PDT reply actions

Not much love for the Blazers

Oden and Batum both should be at least all-rookie 2nd or 3rd team, and Batum should be on the all-defense team. Instead neither of them are even mentioned in the article at all.

by trk on Apr 8, 2009 3:36 PM PDT reply actions