Greg Oden Visited A Sports Psychologist

last year wasnt what greg oden expected it to be. He had a rough time and often got into foul troble. His face told it all sometimes he looked like he was going to cry walking out of the game. His mental toughness took a hit. This offseason if he gets his mental toughness back and he conditions watch out Andrew I have two good weeks and now I’m awesome Bynum .

biggest concern is that he actually tries to guard penetrators instead of just waiting to stuff their shots

It actually made me wonder if he is happy to be there, on the other coast. I hope a successful and healthy season makes him want to play for and re-sign with the Blazers, and not just because he feels he has to prove something.

The mental and physical aspects of the game will eventually come naturally to Greg, and he’s a smart enough and balanced enough kid (with enough talent) that the pressure/confidence issues will fade away, too.

But he has never shown any consistent ability to stay on the court. You can attribute that to being a step slow, or to mental breakdowns, but he’s been the same way since college and he made absolutely no progress over the course of last year. His foul rate was almost exactly constant over the course of the season.

That will be his biggest hurdle next year.

Greg Oden is a beast of a man, ready to unleash hell on the rest of the NBA. He’s a rebounding vacuum. He’s a shot-blocking, missile defense system that the Pentagon would be envious of.

Ben, your ability to write a genuine piece devoid of cynicism and statistical analysis is wonderful.

Oden’s admission to Spears of seeing a “little shrink” is bigger, better news to me than 10,000 words about his workout routine. For anyone, seeking psychological help is a difficult process; for Oden, given his level of fame, the daily pressure placed upon him as a city’s supposed savior, and the stigma that many professional athletes feel about asking for help, it’s only that much more difficult.

Could be your best and most honest piece this year.

Sophia

He got alot of help by seeing a “little shrink”.

There isn’t the stigma associated with seeking professional help for mental/emotional issues that we have in the states. If you have a problem with your car, you see a mechanic. Problem with your body? See a doctor. Problem with your head? See a psychologist / psychiatrist. You’re just trying to fix something that isn’t working the way you want.

I think the American culture value of individuality gets taken too far when it comes to mental health. There seems to be an assumption that everyone should just be able to fix all of their mental problems on their own. That’s about as smart as expecting everyone to be their own GP physician.

Getting GO in the right mental space is step 1 in his development. We all agree he needs to learn to get better. It’s really hard to learn, especially physical skills, if you’re worried about this that and the other. You need to just focus on you, the ball and the guy you’re trying to beat / defend. Everything else just gets in the way.

I think this is great news for GO. I know I’d be a basket case if I had to go through the kind of scrutiny and expectations he has at his age. I hope this is something he feels like he can go back to whenever he needs it.

GREG IS GOING TO BE A )(@#&$^(&#^(%& MONSTER NEXT SEASON! Oh man I can’t wait. Greg kicking donkey’s and taking names is exactly what is going to bring us up to 65 wins next season. WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE OCTOBER??

Oh and when you watch the highlight reel, we need a guy like Sergio. Half the highlights are Sergio giving some crazy dish to Greg.

(and yea I realize that this post looks like it was written by a teenager, but man watching Greg highlights just gets me pumped up)

The rest will fall into place. He’ll feel more confident, which will improve his play on the court, and being in shape enables him to stay on the court and gain much needed experience.

Once he is in shape, it’ll be like dominoes.

Mortimer

but I think that will be closely tied to his “physical/conditioning”. I’d love to see him enjoy playing the game again. If he is indeed working hard to get in condition this summer and it leads to better success on the game floor, the mental/emotional mindset will improve as well.

physical second

but I voted portland media because frankly they’ve been annoying me of late to the point i won’t read them or listen to them.

We all know the stats on Greg. If a portland fan thinks greg is a bust, they’re uneducated. If they worry about injury, i think that’s fair but the evidence supports that we don’t have a yao ming in the making. If portland fans want to keep comparing him to the girlfriend that got away, they need to just let go. Durant is good, he also was NOT a good fit when you declare that what you need from the team is toughness.

This brings me to Greg. He needs that mental toughness more than anything because that helps you weather the ups and downs and keeps you sharp.

There are only three rookie cards that I was willing to purchase last year, because I don’t want cards of people that won’t be blazers. Oden, Roy, and Aldridge. The man will be a beast, and it’s just a matter of time.

and i think he will eventually

So he can get away with the sort of stuff top NBA centers do all the time (such as Yao) without getting called for fouls.

I see this as part of Greg’s overall development. Much like Bayno helps with the ‘physical’ aspects of learning the game, this ‘shrink’ can help develop the ‘psychological’ aspect of the game for Greg.

I hope people don’t see this as a bad thing; some personality types just need some ‘tinkering’ to unlock their potential. If Greg can get his physical and mental games together..he’s going to unleash the beast!

I expect to see more from Oden this year, but even if it’s not leaps and bounds, like some will expect, it would be too soon to give up on the big man. He’s entering what would be his Senior year in college. There’s ample time for him to improve and develop.

The greatest thing to be taken away from this summer is Greg has shown that he wants to develop and improve and he is taking the steps to achieve it. This is why Portland drafted him because this is the kind of man he really is.

He does NOT have to be THE MAN on the Blazers, in fact he shouldn’t. The pressure goes on B-Roy, who can clearly handle it.

includes you Ben. Doesn’t it? It’s going to be a little awkward that first Steve Blake interview, isn’t it?

Greg will be fine. Nothing last year sprang from the void. It was all obviously at the eye of the recovery and hype storm. People had to jerk the guy around even while saying out the side of their mouths that he’d be better off left alone. Now you’re tickled and surprised that he’s getting mental therapy? Not so much the physical therapy though. Maybe that’s just the continued stigma on any kind of mental disorder that pervades our culture. Do we need to play all cavalier and continue that trope? Nope.

Haven’t heard much about him this summer, which is good for him, but it left the question of what’s going on with him wide open from the fan perspective.
I am glad he is directly dealing with the stress issues, and generally, when someone is “open” about getting help, that is because it is working. Past problems are much easier to talk about than present/existing ones. Sounds like he is adapting and “growing” through this transition to NBA star. And, it is great he has Brian working in his corner with him, very nice.
This has given me some good reason to expect that we may well finally see the ODEN so many have been looking for this comming season. I’m loving his attitude. This guy is the opposite of “not caring”.

The moodiness was there whether or not he saw one. I hope the psychologist is a good one—if he/she is it can make a big difference.

It just made me feel so good to hear Brian Grant is connecting with G.Od. Grant was my favorite Blazer of his era, and although it made me sad to see him go all those years ago I always wished great things for him. Of course he’s still involved in the world and always had a big heart, but just hearing that he’s offering his support and guidance to a player in need, and a Blazer at that :c), just makes it so much better. As far as G.Od’s sophomore year, watch out—it’ll be a monster. All year I said this year didn’t count, it’s next year that will finally show us Greg’s real potential. I’ve always heard that this type of surgery requires a full two years before the patient is fully recovered, not just physically, but in mentally trusting the knee and being able to comfortably play full-out. I expect we’ll hear great things this weekend about how Greg’s playing and how athletic and ready he looks and can not wait for the season to come. Watch out!

“Oden said he wouldn’t change anything about his freshman season, but that came right after he said that if he were 5-9, he probably wouldn’t play basketball. ‘I would be a brainiac,’ he said. ’I’m not really that athletic.’”

(From The Washington Post)

You can’t blame him for it. Just because someone happens to be born with NBA center genetics doesn’t mean they’re going to love basketball. Being a 7-foot black guy in this country levels an enormous amount of expectation, and I’d imagine a smart kid like Oden would grow to resent that. Forget “mental toughness” or “lateral quickness”, this is more a question of his identity as a human being. And identity issues don’t always get worked out when you’re just 21 years old.

I suppose the real question for him is whether or not he’ll want to capitalize on his opportunity. For a bookish person it might not be worth it to be on the national spotlight 24/7. I just hope he realizes how much he can do with an NBA All Star’s salary (especially if he invests smartly, which he appears to already be doing).

I can’t imagine being 21 years old and having the pressures GO has. That he has sought clarity, and has B. Grant in his ear, shows he is maturing. When someone has problems and asks for help, I admire them. Admitting he sought help from a sports psychologist makes me very confident Greg will make it. He will be what he will be, I just hope he does it and his happy.

by helping with the athlete’s self-actualization. I remember reading years ago about a young John Smoltz going to a sports psychologist when he struggled early in his career, and crediting the doctor’s work with helping get him on the road to Cooperstown.

If there will be any video or coverage from the USA Basketball minicamp that Greg Oden is attending today? I think it is possibly a 3 day event with a scrimmage. I would love to see some video of BIG GO’s performance there.

It gave me hope for next season. Hope that Greg is going to be leaps and bounds better than he was this year. Hope that Greg is going to be not just a good player, but a good friend to his teammates, and a good role model in the community.

However, after reading that article, I am now inspired. Not by Greg Oden, though. By Brian Grant. The man has every reason to be out getting his affairs in order, taking his family on vacations, spending all the time he can with them. But, instead he is choosing to help a young man who is struggling. The fact that he is unwilling to go quietly, and is using however long he has left to spread his legacy (whether he knows it or not) through kindness, is an inspiration to me, and I hope that maybe, just maybe, I can meet him and shake his hand. That is, in my mind, the definition of a great man. Because he’s getting overlooked in this all, when I think he is probably the most important part of Greg’s new mindset.

Mmmmm…sorry but I’m hungry. Looks like I’ll be dining on delicious helpings of “I told you so’s” all next year courtesy of the Oden Haters Club….MMrrhsh, grphumph, mmm. SO tasty…

 the stigma of needing to talk to a shrink about the war was admitting weakness,my foolish pride would not let me do it and its one of the few things in my life I wish I would have done different.

He barely even likes being interviewed by trailblazers.com now. I don’t blame him.

Yes, you’re right: a lot of GO’s problem last season was mental. His seeking help from a sports psychologist confirms that. Wow, kudos to you. But don’t be so quick to pat yourself on the back, because the hypercritical sports media played an obvious role in GO’s mental difficulties.

This is a kid who’d gotten thru an injury-plagued freshman season at Ohio State in good shape, both physically and mentally. At GO’s early Portland appearances—at Pioneer Square and his press conferences—he was a breath of fresh air: positive, humorous, optimistic—this despite his enduring a schedule and media blitz few teenagers have ever been subjected to.

It was when GO injured his knee during training camp and underwent microfracture surgery that things began to go south. From that point on, the media attention became negative. As someone who’s been there, I can say that undergoing major knee surgery and rehab is a nightmarish experience for everyone. For one moment, try imagining what it’s like for a 19-year-old athlete, whose career is suddenly in doubt. Then imagine, at this extremely painful and stressful time, having the media pile on! This is BEYOND nightmarish. I truly can’t imagine what a drag it became to be Greg Oden.

Forget the East coast media, who wanted GO to be a bust from Day 1. Look how the local guys behaved. Here was a 20-year-old coming off of microfracture surgery—a process that routinely takes at least two years—and he was being called a head case & a bust even by the local press. Instead of educating the public about the difficulties of recovery from microfracture surgery, including the effects of a loss of conditioning (always a challenge for big men under the best of circumstances), the media chose to pile on this poor kid.It got to the point where, after GO busted his knee cap in a collision with Cory Maggette, your idol Jason Quick asked GO to his face whether he wanted to play. Even the Blazers’ organization threw GO under the bus by saying his return from that injury was day to day, when—as it later came out—they knew better.

Now you act like it’s headline news that GO sought out the help of a sports psychologist. Did the “annoying local media” cause GO’s problems? No: without the initial training camp knee injury, GO would probably have been fine. But did the media contribute to GO’s difficulties? Sorry, but there’s simply no question about that.

My hunch is that a considerable amount of GO’s time with the sports psychologist was spent learning how to tune out the ignorant, ratings-obsessed jabbering of the media. If what we hear from GO in the future is a lot of, “Both teams played hard,” who can blame him? There’s a reason many athletes become cynical about the media, and GO’s experience is a case in point.

Failure to do so hurts your performance in many of the rolls we have to take on each day. Not being able to live in the moment and purely focus on the task at hand degrades your performance and can make live very overwhelming – leading to depression. Perhaps Greg is affected by this.

As much as I’ve criticized G.O.‘s performance on the basketball court, I’ve never doubted his quality of character. And it’s his character that makes me optimistic about his basketball future.

Now please acquire a PG with the creativity to get him the ball in non set play situations. It will make his star shine that much brighter. :D