Just had a brief chat with Blazer assistant coach Maurice Lucas. His thoughts on Lamarcus and Oden:
--Lamarcus is doing well. He's gained weight and strength but is still running the floor with speed.
--Greg will learn the NBA game in time. He has to adjust to playing against guys his size or bigger...also guys who are stronger than he is. That's a big adjustment when you're used to being the biggest guy on the court. In 6-7 months you'll see another Greg Oden. In a year another one yet.
--Lucas doesn't foresee any issues with both bigs needing the low block. Either one can post on either side and they can also go high as well as low. They're not going to simply dump one of them down there to sit. They'll move them around.
--He thinks Oden has the resilience to deal with the huge target on his chest this year but he's still only 19 and that's a hard thing for a 19 year old to deal with.
That last point, especially, could be telling. We'll find out as much about Oden's guts, personality, and commitment this year as we will about his skill level.
--Dave