Will Greg Stay?
by The Penguin on May 27, 2009 5:35 PM PDT
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PrintSo much of the future planning (trade and draft talk) I see on here seems to be based upon the assumption that Greg Oden will...
1) Realize potential that we see flashes of, but has yet to sustain.
and
2) Will be a Blazer beyond the terms of his rookie contract.
The second point will, no doubt, be misconstrued by some as blasphemy, but think about it. There are a few ways this could go.
1) He could be an all-star and a Blazer for years.
2) He could never live up to his #1 pick expectations and be a Blazer for years.
3) He could be an all-star and seek another team (either a bigger market or a midwestern team).
4) He could never live up to his #1 pick expectations and seek another team.
I should say that I really like Greg Oden, the man and the player, and hope that option #1 becomes reality and that he is the grand-freaking-marshal of many June parades in the near future.
However...
I am of the opinion, based on what I see and hear from him, that he will walk after his rookie contract. I don't hear him talking Portland up (when asked in an interview with an Indiana radio station about what there was to do in PDX, he replied with what amounted to the generic "outdoorsy" answer, and followed that up by telling the interviewer that he wasn't that into outdoor activities) and I don't see him having a blast out on the floor either.
Shortly after being drafted, you'll remember, he appeared with Justin Timberlake at the ESPY's. . It was right after the draft, and he seemed happy in the spotlight. I wonder if he misses that kind of attention and exposure, seeing as the positivity and promise of that moment has given way to a much more negative national image, wherein he is constantly criticized and over-analyzed.
And, of course, he doesn't seem to want to be in Portland unless he is contractually obligated to be during the off season. I get that he is young, and that it's normal to want to go home after a long season, but I would have liked to hear a thing or two from him this year about how hard he was going to work on his footwork, or his bad habit of bringing the ball down low, or his defensive tendencies and fixing the foul problems. He gets paid a lot for his craft and honing it, in my opinion, should be priority 1a, next to getting that degree. I will clarify that I don't think that he won't work hard in the off-season, but it would have been nice, as a fan, to hear it from his mouth.
It'll break my heart if he leaves, and the organization will have gotten little to nothing from the lightning that struck in 2007.
Which brings me around to my point.
Most of my complaints about Greg have been uttered before, but I think the rational fan (and team management, for that matter) has got to look at the possibilities of him either leaving or not being the player we hoped, in moving forward with draft prep and in potential trade scenarios. If he wants to leave, how do we salvage some value from that 2007 draft, and if he had "peaked" as a player (however unlikely) are we OK with that, long term. I'd really like to know what other people think about this, other than that you think I am a jerk for bringing this up.
Here's a poll for pollsake, and post what you thing about his potential, work ethic and commitment to staying in P-Town.
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come on dude
If your gonna make a post like this at least been informed. Greg cant walk after his rookie contract. He is a Restricted Free agent. Even if he signs an offer sheet from another team we can match it which would force him to stay here. This is a non issue, and you shouldn’t spend a second worrying about this or waste a post space with this issue.
Didn't the Bulls think that about Ben Gordon, and then he signed the QO?
Not that I think Greg will do it, but it is a possibility. After five years (2 guaranteed, 2 team options, 1 qualifying offer) even a first round pick can move wherever he wants. It’s also what still many people believe Durant could do.
no
the diffrence is that no one offered Ben Gordon an offer sheet cause he really isnt good enough to demand the salary that he wanted. Thats why he got the one year QO. I really doubt that will happen with greg, and i doubt with his history of injuries that he would take the big risk of signing a QO.
Huh?
Isn’t that the definition of a qualifying offer? I really need Storyteller on this one.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 27, 2009 6:25 PM PDT up reply actions
You can also take back the QO in a certain timeframe (I think 30 days) making the free agent unrestricted, after that it only works if both sides agree. Gordon got long-term offers, said no holding out for a better offer, that never came, and when his agent finally wanted to take it owner Reinsdorf said it was off the table.
hes the only one
that i can remeber that this happened too. Most players of his talent level get a contract (like Martell did) cause the risks are just too big.
Oh, and for the heck of it, here's a blast from the past by me around that time.
“Yeah, with the Evans’ signing complete, the roster is currently full; Matten (sic) Cleaves signed a one-year, guaranteed contract worth $835,810.
Anyhow, with Evans still here, there is no need on the club for Danny Fortson — and yeah, I have conceeded (sic) to the likelihood that the only green Paul Pierce will be wearing is Celtic — therefore, trading Fortson away for a player with an expiring contract who can be released (e.g., Scot Pollard of the Indiana Pacers) is the best thing that the team can do with him; it would allow for a guy like Tre Simmons to make the roster this upcoming season, as well as save a lot of money ($6,909,091) during the 2006-2007 season.
At any rate, though, with the off-season finished, I give Rick Sund a B+. Hell, the only two moves I disagreed with him on were the re-signing of Vitaly Potapenko to a two-year, $6,315,000 contract — as he deserved nothing more […] than a one-year, $1,035,000 contract — and the matching of the five-year, $14,500,000 contract tender that Damien Wilkins received from the Minnesota Timberwolves; Wilkins could have easily been replaced by a non-drafted rookie free-agent, which is all that he was last season, who would earn $398,762 this upcoming season.
On the other hand, however, Sund’s replacing of Jerome James and Antonio Daniels with Mikki Moore and Rick Brunson, respectively, were smart, cost-efficient moves.
In other news, James is just the ELEVENTH highest-paid player on the New York Knicks — with only youngsters Channing Frye, Nate Robinson, David Lee, and Trevor Ariza, who are all still on their rookie contracts, earning less than him — nonetheless, I’m sure he’ll happily earn $30 million over the next five years as either a backup or third-string center; Isiah Thomas is a complete and utter joke."
http://www.supersonicsoul.com/2005/10/campin.html
Man, I remember how badly I wanted the Seattle SuperSonics to trade Rashard Lewis and Danny Fortson to the Boston Celtics for Paul Pierce — who’d been rumored to be on the trading block at that time — during the summer of 2005. Ironically, though, Pierce and Ray Allen did win a championship together, albeit in Boston rather than Seattle.
On a side note, the one amusing thing looking back at the post was my bullish homerism toward Tre Simmons at that point in time. Rather than Simmons, I should’ve focused my attention on Kelenna Azubuike.
Thanks
I wasn’t sure about the procedure on something like that.
hmmm, hard to tell who blew more in that scenario…
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 27, 2009 6:59 PM PDT up reply actions
OK...
I am not an expert on all things contract related. Your tone is pretty weak sauce though, bro. I am not attacking Greg or suggesting we trade him. If you hate the discussion, move on, but don’t come at me with this “waste of space” rubbish. It’s a valid and one that hasn’t been beaten into the ground a la the next great PG.
If Greg wants out, he’ll get out. Period.
dude
restricted free agents and being one after your rookie contract is as basic as stuff as there is in baseketball. If you are on here regularly or follow basketball you should at least know that. but i guess you do now.
And your point is not valid in any way, it dosent matter if greg wants out,if the blazers want to keep him the can, unless he pulls a Josh Childrees and goes to Europe (which wont happen). To go even further, the way the you came about to your “point” is a little crazy. Just becasue greg dosent tell an indiana radio station that he LOVES portland, or that he seems happier at the ESPYS, dosent mean he dosent like it here. I dont know if you noticed but he hasen’t had the smoothest of starts here, and thanks to people like you who come to ridiculous conclsuions about him based on almost no facts dosent help either.
sorry if you dont like my tone
but im getting tired of these posts that came to riduculous conclusions based on almost nothing.
by ggassen85 on May 27, 2009 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Blazers Edge is a place for all kinds of fans
The ones who know all about the finer points of contracts and cap space, etc. and the kind that just like to see the Blazers kick some butt. I’ve been a Blazer fan since their championship year but I don’t really know the first thing about the stuff you’re talking about. It’s just not that interesting to me. But if I thought, for whatever reason, that a guy like Greg might not stay with the team, I’d probably post something like this fellow did. You really could chill out a bit.
by CatMan2 on May 27, 2009 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions 9 recs
Nice reply
As a BEdger who is somewhere in the middle (I always want my Blazers to kick butt, yet I try and keep an eye on the bottom line) your reply is nicely worded. These sorts of arguments pop up between the Stat Guys and the Homer Guys.
The thing that the stat/contract guys often miss is the human nature of athletes, and, vice versa, the Human Nature guys often overlook/undervalue stats. A wicked problem, for sure.
In the end, both are valid, and both need to be weighed when considering a trade or some sort of move, i.e. trading Travis would shore up a statistical deficiency, yet whould have an unknown effect on team chemistry (especially with Brandon).
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 27, 2009 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Your reply is even better
I like to think of my self as a Stat Guy, but apparently I’m actually a Homer. And that doesn’t even bother me.
"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 May 28, 2009 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Nor should it!
That’s what being a fan is all about.
Also, thanks!
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 28, 2009 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions
+1 for being a HOMER and lovin' IT!!!!!
Eye Heart Blazers
by Portland Dynasty on May 28, 2009 8:29 PM PDT up reply actions
You can take my Homer...
When you pry it from my cold dead statistical fingers.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 28, 2009 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions
And, of course
my post doesn’t come to a conclusion, but rather begs discussion and asks a question.
I was encouraged by someone yesterday to expand on this thought, and I replied to them that I figured a lot of folks might not want to hear it. Apparently, you don’t want to hear it or aren’t ready. Greg’s departure is a possibility and valid for discussion amongst those of us that can be objective.
You are focused waaasy too much on the stuff that precedes my point.
Read from “which brings me to my point” on…
I was trying to take the temperature of other fans about this situation. You don’t agree with my premises, fine. They are casual observations that are personal to me, and cannot be discredited by a contrary opinion.
The point was the discussion about how we proceed if those observations prove valid (of COURSE they may not be, and like I said, I hoe they are not.).
I think this kind of speculation is premature
"You're welcome friend
I love you."
- Tom "Dragline" inHawaii
Probably
But if it is determined that he wants to play elsewhere, the team will try to get some value for him. I am just throwing out scenarios, curious as to what people think.
I don't agree with your implication
that the safe play here is trading him pre-emptively to avoid losing him in free agency like Orlando lost Shaq. It’s the dilemma that every team faces with high potential, low production rookies: what happens if they don’t pan out? My problem is that I think it is premature to address that issue in Greg’s case because there are extenuating circumstances from his microfracture surgery that affected his ability to produce on the court this season. As for your concern that Greg himself will not want to stay here, I think that from the moment he became a blazer we were planning on how to treat the guy so that he would want to stay here. We talk about bringing Mike Conley, wanting him to be happy and having fun on the court. I think we are doing everything we can to hold onto him, and when that is the case turning everything around by trying to preemptively trade him to get some value makes no sense. We are building a championship contender, and I would anticipate that with the talent level on this team as it stands, we would be favorites in the next two years to make it in the West, maybe even win the championship.
"B-Roy is the best shooting guard I have played against"
-Ron Artest
If Artest can say it, so can I. Broy>Kobe.
The Blazers will do what it takes to keep him around if he's worth keeping around.
Most players go home during the offseason. And besides, Greg is working on speed and footwork and will be working with team USA this summer.
And who wouldn’t have fun on the ESPY’s with Justin Timberlake?
Seriosly?!
Okay Why can’t greg get a break? Because no one will let him!
First its he is a bust. But then everyone agrees that he can play, but he will always be injured. But then we say hes not inury prone , but he doesn’t want play. Then we agree that he wants to play , but he wants to go somewhere else!? Just stop talking about him! He hasn’t done anything yet let him be!!
Officer:Why did you kill your husband ?
Crazy Woman: Because I love too much!
by YikesItsCameron on May 27, 2009 5:57 PM PDT reply actions
You are missing the point.
I HOPE he wants to stay, I WANT him to stay. It’s a discussion along the lines of planning for the best but preparing for the worst.
Paul Allen.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."
by GonzoFan on May 27, 2009 6:01 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
If he’s worth it, we’ll keep him. If he’s not, we’ll get something for him. Maybe not Durant, but something pretty good for our already very good team. I am of the opinion that he will be more than worth it.
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."
He might not like it here now.
But I think he’ll start having fun playing here soon, and I also think he’ll start to like Portland once he gets used to being away from home.
That's what I hope too
Right now he sounds much happier in the interview he did for that Indiana radio station than anything I have ever heard him say to the media here. And with improved play comes improved satisfaction with himself (he e.g. was wondering aloud that he should be able to put up 10 ppg as the biggest guy on the floor) and hopefully increased happiness.
Paul Allen=More Money than all of Bedge put together times 50
Oden...Aldridge...Roy.....THE REAL BIG THREE
More than $12.50 and 50 pieces of pocket lint?
Well, that’s my share at least.
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.
I got 200,000 in Debt and am a student
"Knowledge will get you from A to B. Creativity will get you anywhere." Einstein
by Garden of ODEN on May 28, 2009 1:47 AM PDT up reply actions
I would humbly disagree
and reccomend you start selling body fluids.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 28, 2009 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
In that case ...
… I’ll be happy to sell you some piss in a bottle.
I’ll even put it in a beer bottle with a resealable screw cap. You can consider it a novelty item to fool your friends with.
Well, maybe not your friends.
hakkaa päälle !
Just overzealous police officers?
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 28, 2009 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions
there's a difference between body and bodily
Your bottle would contain the latter kind of fluid, which no one wants (presumably).
Bodily fluids have less value (e.g. spit)
GROSS
What job are you going to get to pay off that debt?
Offseason:
Trade For Mike Conley Jr
Sign Antonio McDyess & Othello Hunter
Draft Kevin Seraphin/Rodrigue Beaubois(Eurostash)
by TheGreatDane17 on May 28, 2009 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions
Uh yeah, the Big Guy is definitely not going anywhere...
The reason you don’t see posts like this very often is because we are believers in Greg Oden and Portland wants Greg to stay here. Over 70% of the fans on BEdge are backing G.O., a higher percentage than that is what is walking the streets as Blazer fans…
Portland is and will be embracing Greg Oden for many many years.
by Portland Dynasty on May 27, 2009 8:57 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I love GO
But there is a chance, if he is not happy by the time he is a FA or isn’t getting the good production the team expects… He could go somewhere else. That is why we have to do everything we can to make him happy.
Offseason:
Trade For Mike Conley Jr
Sign Antonio McDyess & Othello Hunter
Draft Kevin Seraphin/Rodrigue Beaubois(Eurostash)
by TheGreatDane17 on May 27, 2009 10:10 PM PDT up reply actions
IF he is not happy...
Man, we all speculate about Oden’s happiness way too much. You see that guy smiling after he drops a dunk or blocks a shot… he knows that he will produce. That clip of Oden where Roy asks him if the Playoff rally was like Oden’s rally and he is all smiles… that guy is happy to be a pro and the best way to keep him happy is to embrace him, believe in him, support his progress and want him to stay.
No way I’d want to work and live in any place where everyone was questioning everything about me (toughness, dedication, durability, etc.) The kid had a “PRE-emptive” micro-fracture surgery and they did it when they did so they wouldn’t mess up things when he is 24 or 25 (like when Amare or Zbo had this done), that ankle roll and the comeback was tough for HIS confidence, why does it need to be tough on ours as fans? I have patience for him. I was an athelete, I had injuries, and the worst thing would have been people NOT believing I could come back. That is all you have, especially as a young man with ALL the pressure that he has. His life is brutal, being rich is no big deal…. being nit-picked about every aspect of your effort and heart is really brutal….
by Portland Dynasty on May 28, 2009 8:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Keeping Greg Happy.
A happy Oden, is an Oden who wants to improve. What better way then to bring in his best friend, Mike Conley Jr. Who by the way fills a huge need. He knows where Greg likes it on the post, pick & roll, etc.
Offseason:
Trade For Mike Conley Jr
Sign Antonio McDyess & Othello Hunter
Draft Kevin Seraphin/Rodrigue Beaubois(Eurostash)
by TheGreatDane17 on May 27, 2009 10:09 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Yeah
What is up with the Blazer guards being inept at the simple pass to the post? That’s about as basic a basketball play as you’ll find anywhere out side of “Shoot Ball” or “Dribble Ball”.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 28, 2009 8:57 AM PDT up reply actions
Wow, that's a whole lot of speculation.
Nearly all of this post is chance and probability.
As far as Oden making a statement about Oregon being outdoorsy and not really being into that; from that you can’t logically come to the conclusion that he’s itching to go somewhere without fresh air, water and trees. I think his desire to go home for the off-season is legitimate. His family and friends are back east, he’s attempting to finish his college degree and I’m not at all convinced that he’s lost the desire to play simply because he’s taking a few summer term classes. I’m not saying that you’re making that assumption necessarily, but I see a lot of people complaining about that as if a few classes are going to dominate the entire summer for him and he’s not going to get anything done in the realm of basketball. Unless he’s taking a lot of credits, he’s got plenty of time for pickup games and conditioning along side of his classes.
Greg is a disciplined guy, he’s a smart one too. He got very good grades in school and values education. It seems only logical to me that since he was as dedicated to his studies as he has always been, that he would want to continue and finish what he started. That drive in and of itself – the drive to finish what he started despite all the reasons he could find to put it off – is a huge indication of Greg’s character in my opinion.
People in my generation don’t seem to appreciate that drive and desire to finish well the goals we first set up for ourselves, and so there’s the criticism that he chose to leave college for the NBA and he should focus on the NBA. Well if it is an issue of time management and priorities, I daresay that the members of the team that have children will spend more time with their kids this summer than Greg spends in class or writing papers. Should we badger them in blogs and the media for having misplaced their loyalties and priorities?
My point is, who are we to say what the best use of Greg’s time is at this point in his life and career? Who are we to say that we have full knowledge of all the myriad of components that came together that helped shape his decisions? Do we know what was talked about between Greg and the coaches/team management at his exit interview? Was the injury to his knee cap, which he didn’t seem to fully recover from in the time before they lost to Houston, an issue and perhaps even a determining factor in the decision to take a significant time for rest during this off-season?
We simply don’t know and all we can do is speculate. However, from the information we do have, we can make some educated guesses about Greg’s level of dedication and desire. He’s showing that aspect of his personality by going back to school now, and it bodes well for his future with the Blazers.
"She turned me into a newt!
A newt?
...I got better."
by Seijeff on May 27, 2009 10:52 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
Good points
and my point WAS to be speculative and get a discussion going about what I perceive to be the 400 Lb gorilla in the room. LOTS of people have scattered similar comments across this site.
Your optimism is refreshing, though. It has occurred to me that Greg is a bit more reserved than, say, Brandon and that I can expect less “gung ho” sound bites from him.
Nice
What more need be said?
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 28, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions
no topic is off the table
that’s a good thing. one of the reasons i like blazersedge.
"So, then, I was like, it'd be really dirty if I put up 42. So I did!" -Brandon Roy, post-game comments after game 2 of the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs
I don't think he can leave so easily because Portland will be able to pay him the most or match any offer.
I think he’ll stay because he likes winning and the fans don’t get any better than here in Portland. He’d be walking away from more money, fans, and potential dynasty all for warmer weather. That seems unlikely.
This city grows on you
Portland is not flashy, nor do we have an NFL team, but this city slowly starts to seep into your heart. I’ve been to LA, Vegas, NY, London and other big cities. None of them I could ever call home. I’ve known tons of people who come here to visit and ended up call Portland their place of residence.
A few more years down the road, I’m sure #52 will harbor the same type of unexplainable emotional attachment to our city. ….If not, well……just throw a boat load of cash his way!!!
The magic # is 0!!!
by nuggz503 on May 28, 2009 8:54 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
A boatload of cash is good incentive
Easy to love the one your with then…
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 28, 2009 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions
are you kidding?
You’d be far better.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 28, 2009 9:50 PM PDT up reply actions
Yawns, everyone falling for the decoy.
Why do you think the Government lets the hype for Area 51 keep up? Easy, because there is nothing worth finding at Area 51. Everything secret is at Area 7, but almost nobody knows that it even exists.
Clearly the Blazers are pulling a U.S. Government move here. We are simply saying that Oden is spending all of his time in class so that other teams will think he is a bust who doesn’t care about basketball. Clearly the real reason Oden went back to Ohio is that Paul Allen has spent the last 2 years building an underground lab/workout facility so that Oden can use state of the art, top secret machinery to bring himself to the next level. The rest of the NBA would cry foul, so we let the public think that Oden is simply in college.
Very well played KP/PA.
by Zaig on May 28, 2009 9:26 AM PDT reply actions 5 recs
and well played
Zaig! +1
"Death is not final," Gita says. "If any man thinks that he slays, and if another thinks that he is slain, neither knows the truth. The Eternal in man cannot kill: the Eternal in man cannot die. The soul in man is neither born nor does it die. Weapons cannot cut it; fire cannot burn it; water cannot drown it.
The Bhagavad Gita
Maybe they could just insert the machinery into Oden
That would skip a couple steps and it’s what’s really happening at Area 7
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
Unfortunately they were running his CPU on Windows this year.
Next season, nothing but linux!
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on May 29, 2009 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions
Odens
a different breed of cat. Im not sure the all mighty doller is his persona. He definatly is an east coast type. Then theres the Laker threat look at how Shaq was ultimatly induced into playing in LA. “Movie roles” I think Portland has the inside track for sure, but it has been nationally noted that Portland fans have been hard on Oden or at least the national media is trying to say we are. I think we keep him for a time after his rookie deal but Im not convinced his entire career will be in the red and black. imho.
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."
His stare became blank. It was apparent he was back in that place, on the Rose Garden's logo, picking up Aaron Brooks as the crowd nervously roared.
I think Greg will stay and will be close to an all star or above
I feel like Greg’s attitude toward Portland has been very positive. I think what we’ve seen is Greg being a young guy who has has a rough stretch over the last two years. The media has been hard on him and he hasn’t always seemed upbeat to speak in public. Also, I think he feels that he is disappointed in himself and that the fans are disappointed. That doesn’t mean he isn’t aware that he is in a great situation here in Portland. I think he will become more of a vocal person as he feels more comfortable with his playing.
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice
greg can walk after five years
He doesn’t have to sign a new contract. He doesn’t have to sign a qualifying offer. If he doesn’t, he’s an unrestricted free agent after five years. (Three years to go.)
My guess is that he would walk right now if his time were up. He’s obviously unhappy. He obviously isn’t part of the “in” group on the team. He isn’t close to any of the coaches. All the media pressure is getting to him. He should be rich by the end of the contract. Why stay?
I voted: Never llive up to his #1 pick potential, and stay a Blazer
I think the deck is stacked against Oden ever living up to the hype of being the #1 choice
But that doesn’t mean he’ll be a bust, either
Oden speaks of Portland and his teammates as “his” team. I think the only thing that would drive him away is hostile local fans. And we Oregonians just don’t have it in us (even the “jail-blazers” were cheered when the team was winning—sad but true)
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