What has Oden been doing other than rehabbing?

by dogbert on Mar 9, 2011 10:43 AM PST

I am seeing Greg's face while sitting near the bench much more this year than in past years when he's been out for the season. This seems like a good thing, but I wonder how integrated he is socially with his teammates. It seems like chemistry is more than just playing together. At times he has seemed kind of estranged from the team.

If I ran the zoo, I'd have him attending every single practice at least observing what is being taught and walking through plays with assistant coaches. He should learn all of the Blazers plays and defenses so that when he starts playing next year he won't be starting from square one. When he's sitting by the bench I'd have Camby sitting next to him pointing out all of the defensive calls that Camby would be making on the floor, and pointing out opposing players tendencies and strategies for defending them. After sitting out two full seasons I think Greg should have increased his BBIQ considerably if these measures had been taken. How many more minutes per game next year could he play if he had been learning how to avoid rookie mistakes costing him senseless fouls. I understand that watching film is no replacement for playing, but you'd think his mental understanding of the game could have been improved considerably. One thing I've thought of is a more interactive way of watching file from the perspective of a player playing his position. He could be watching a play unfold in real time, and then choosing how to respond. Help out, or stay with his man. If the game was done well I could see it being a pretty valuable training aid. He could learn how to spot double teams, finding the open man, making the correct play

I doubt whether any of this is being done, but of course I have no idea what Greg does other than rehab exercises.

Of course I have no idea if the Blazers do any of this, but I am doubtful.

Tweet Comment 26 comments | 1 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Greg will not be with us next year, IMO.

by The Penguin on Mar 9, 2011 10:54 AM PST reply actions

I fear this.

Wherever you may be; good night, eeeeeeverybody!

by you'vegottomakeyourfreethrows on Mar 9, 2011 12:49 PM PST up reply actions

I don't.

Not having Greg will be a lot like having Greg has been, without all the false hope.

by The Penguin on Mar 9, 2011 2:15 PM PST up reply actions

unless he can play

in which case not having Greg will be like getting kicked in the junk every time he puts up 15, 12, and 3 for another team.

"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'

by sammymohawk on Mar 9, 2011 2:47 PM PST up reply actions

and if we extend

and he CANT play, and hogties our salary space and prevents us from signing a big who actually take the floor every night, then I guess that would be like getting our “junk” blasted clean off by a .44

by The Penguin on Mar 9, 2011 2:59 PM PST up reply actions

no

I would actually prefer that to the scenario I described

"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'

by sammymohawk on Mar 9, 2011 5:54 PM PST up reply actions

agree

to disagree. i have enough data on greg oden.

by The Penguin on Mar 10, 2011 8:40 AM PST up reply actions

I can understand and respect where people feel differently than I do on this

You’ve given up on Greg, therefore he is of no use to the Blazers. I understand how people have come to that conclusion and why they want the saga to be over. I have not come to that conclusion, considering his age I think he can still be a force in the NBA and I sure don’t want that to be in any other jersey than ours.

"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'

by sammymohawk on Mar 10, 2011 9:50 AM PST up reply actions

No cap space

Our biggest possible problem is Roy’s contract, not an extension for Oden. Barring extreme changes to the CBA (very unlikely in that direction), we won’t have cap space for the next 4-5 seasons either way. Oden’s salary wouldn’t hinder us from signing other players no matter what it’s size, because we’ll be above the cap either way.

Gimmicks don't make dynasties

by WarEaglePDX on Mar 10, 2011 1:36 AM PST up reply actions

Why do you refrer to male genitalia as "junk"?

I’ve heard the term before, and it always strikes me as odd.

Chicks don’t like “junk.” They like jewels, though. So it would be wiser to refer to male genitalia as family jewels, unless you just don’t care about chicks’ opinions.

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.
- Charles Darwin

by Love on Mar 11, 2011 12:22 AM PST up reply actions

flag

fire barrett
start wallace
i don't hate the heat

by thomasikehara on Mar 9, 2011 1:41 PM PST up reply actions

but heres one of the things he’s been “doing”…

by The Penguin on Mar 9, 2011 10:58 AM PST reply actions

Still the same coach

so the time he has played and practiced over the last few years would have been in the same system. I do agree that working w/ Canby and Buck Williams will be a great asset so hopefully the team takes full advantage of those guys.

"What we have here, is a failure to communicate."

by with_a_z on Mar 9, 2011 11:05 AM PST reply actions

"I am seeing Greg's face while sitting near the bench much more this year than in past years when he's been out for the season. This seems like a good thing, but I wonder how integrated he is socially with his teammates."

This quote sums up everything that’s absurd about the Oden saga.

by dulcamara on Mar 9, 2011 11:35 AM PST reply actions

Really? another negative Oden post?

The guy is working harder( and has been through all these injuries) than any healthy teammate would ever have to. Anyone who has every suffered such an injury and rehab would be able to tell you that. In my humble opinion he will be back and it is a bloody good thing. See My oden post to see why.

by Odenrising on Mar 9, 2011 11:40 AM PST reply actions

Wow. I really don't see how this post is negative at all.

It isn’t super positive, but it does bring up some real issues and some real solutions. A very far cry from the negative “he is doing nothing, he will be broken forever, get rid of him, raaarrrgghhh”

I like the idea of a visual training program to keep him sharp. Might cost a bit of money, but why not try and invest in some sort of virtual reality training. I don’t see how it could hurt his game decisions at all, and in fact I think it could be more helpful than anyone realizes. Oden should still be living and breathing basketball, he should be asked to watch more game tape than usual and practice on non-athletic exercises like shooting FT’s. He has so much time in the world to improve his skills and mentality, the Blazers should be insisting on him following through.

by Sir.Ludo on Mar 9, 2011 12:47 PM PST up reply actions

I didn't intend

this to be a negative post on Oden. It’s more about the Blazer coaching/management and how they are making use of his time away from the game.

by dogbert on Mar 9, 2011 1:01 PM PST up reply actions

Your post isn't negative at all.

It asks a question.

We have a lot of Oden coddlers in Blazer nation who protect him from the big bad world, and all of it’s rational opinions.

by The Penguin on Mar 9, 2011 2:18 PM PST up reply actions

Poor Greg. This is getting ridiculous. Leave the guy alone.

#52--------I believe in Greg Oden

by annthefan on Mar 9, 2011 11:44 AM PST reply actions

Rightly said, Anne.

What is about Greg Oden that inspires so much (unprofessional) psychoanalysis?

by Stryder9 on Mar 9, 2011 12:16 PM PST up reply actions

Again, I don't see the psychoanalysis here (though I know the phenom. your talking about)

This post seems to be saying, with all the time Greg has to devote to recovery, why not try and improve every aspect about his game possible. He cannot compete in too many physical trials, but the mental aspects of the game are just as important. He might be an athletic 7 footer, but if he doesn’t stay sharp he is going to be eaten alive when he plays again.

by Sir.Ludo on Mar 9, 2011 12:49 PM PST up reply actions

what (unprofessional) psychoanalysis? where?

by The Penguin on Mar 9, 2011 2:40 PM PST up reply actions

I'm not saying anything

about what Greg is personally doing or not doing. I assume he is just doing what the coaches/trainers have told him to do. No criticism here. I just think that the Blazers could be doing so much more to help him with the mental aspects of the game. For example, if he knew the playbook backward and forward he wouldn’t have to even think about where he should be on certain plays or defenses; it would be automatic. For all I know he is already doing that. I’m just thinking back to last year after his injury he just seemed kind of not really involved in the team. I didn’t even get the impression that he interacted with the team much at all.

by dogbert on Mar 9, 2011 1:10 PM PST up reply actions

Imagine if Sonic the Hedgehog spun on the ground for 4 years

revvin and revvin and revvin and revvin and then finally BOOM! (Laser sounds) There he goes!

Ok, that’s probably not realistic, but if you add a contributing Greg Oden to the team we have now, I really truly think we can contend for a title.

"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'

by sammymohawk on Mar 9, 2011 12:11 PM PST reply actions

No matter how...

much instruction you give him to improve his BBIQ, it will not replace the practice needed to reinforce said instruction. Unless he’s got an intel pentium lodged in his cranium relaying all this learned knowledge, it will be forgotten when he steps back on the court.

It would be akin to studying music theory for years without picking up an instrument then expecting to play confidently after picking it up for the first time.

As Malcom Gladwell points out in Outliers, it takes thousands of hours of dedicated practice to excel at an endeavor. Oden has a lot of catching up to do in terms of being out on the floor practicing. Maybe somebody should’ve given a copy to Allen Iverson.

Pinching One Off, Peace

by p1nch3dLoaf on Mar 9, 2011 1:55 PM PST reply actions

Or in Iverson's case...

…learning the guitar and playing in your basement for years then jumping onstage and clicking with Led Zeppelin – you may shine in your own way…but is the BAND making music?

Oden is our bassman, and hopefully when he comes back healthy, the time needed for him to get on the same page as the BAND is a relatively short one.

Pinching One Off, Peace

by p1nch3dLoaf on Mar 9, 2011 2:11 PM PST up reply actions