from the LV R-J article:

“People forget he’s just a kid,” Bayno said. "He’s going to be fine. He’s still maturing, and you can’t rush developing a big man. But he’s one of the best people I’ve ever been around, and he works as hard as anyone I’ve coached.

“Sure, his career hasn’t started as quickly as everyone hoped because of the injuries. But trust me, he’ll be fine.”

While one could easily write this off as Bayno mouthing the company line, I tend to think he’s speaking honestly here. Bayno has an established record of success developing big men (see his work with one Aldridge, LaMarcus two years back) so I think he knows whereof he speaks when it comes to assessing frontcourt talent.

Another subtler aspect to Bayno’s mentoring of Oden is the emotional bond. Bayno just went through a well documented bout with depression last year (that caused him to step down from his head coaching gig at Loyola Marymount) Of all the coaches on the Blazers’ staff, he is probably the one best suited to understanding how the pressures and expectations of a high profile sports job can play havoc with one’s psyche. I have no doubt that Bayno’s own experiences have – at the very least – given him an insight into Oden’s psyche beyond what someone like Nate of KP may have. If Bayno is confident that Oden will ultimately be fine, then I’d say that’s encouraging news.

How did Lopez fare against our Slam dunking Abraham Lincoln?