How would you rank Oden as a starting C as of today?

[noknobs]

What should a "starting center" be producing?

Well, more than 23 minutes per game would be a start.

We all know Oden is productive when he's actually on the court, but he's on the court less than half a game so far and that has to be factored in whenever you're comparing him to other players. I'm a huge Oden homer and even I know the Blazers can't really rely on him until he finds a way to cut down on fouls. It's frustrating because I see how dominate he could be.

 

[andalusian]

This is an area where I suspect stat-rats and coaches are *not* on the same page. I have no doubt that most coaches would prefer having Nene on the court, to having Oden on the bench. If nothing else, having a guy you can rely on for big minutes every night gives the team more consistency and continuity.

The Blazers are very lucky to have Joel around to step in! Otherwise, people wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the issue.

You really think the Blazers would prefer to have Nene with his nice but not elite production over Oden just because of the extra 12 minutes per game he plays? I doubt it in this day and age - when most teams do not have great centers. Maybe in the 90s.

Given that I am not an NBA coach - I can not tell you what they would prefer. But, we are lucky that we have Joel - and on the other side of the coin - I suspect that if we did not - Nate would have allowed Greg to play more and foul out more often - so he would have more than 22 MPG...

Right now Greg is averaging 6.3 fouls per 36, so he could easily have averaged 30 MPG instead of 22 if we did not have Joel.

I am guessing Nate is using a reward system and will give him more minutes when he fouls less often - but it's not as if he could not play him more.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

What should a "starting center" be producing?

I would say that a starting center should be averaging 32-35 mpg. After that, I would expect a minimum of 9 rebounds, 1-2 blocks and points are iffy depending on their role.

But, to me, it starts with being on the floor.

 

[LittleAlex]

His biggest contribution is on the defensive end.

That is where Portland has made the biggest strides and Oden is a HUGE part of that improvement.

Having Oden out there allows Joel to be way more aggressive on defense when Joel gets in the game. They both are playing defense at a very high level right now.

Holding teams to under 40% shooting is very nice.

You can tell guys stop attacking the rim once Oden blocks a shot or two. He is just a pressence on the court.

That's the only way I can say it. Hard to quantify, though.

 

[Further]

I would say that a starting center should be averaging 32-35 mpg. After that, I would expect a minimum of 9 rebounds, 1-2 blocks and points are iffy depending on their role.

But, to me, it starts with being on the floor.

So would you rather have Brendan Haywood cause he is on the floor for 34mpg and pulls down 9 rebounds?

 

[BrianFromWA]

Well, more than 23 minutes per game would be a start.

We all know Oden is productive when he's actually on the court, but he's on the court less than half a game so far and that has to be factored in whenever you're comparing him to other players. I'm a huge Oden homer and even I know the Blazers can't really rely on him until he finds a way to cut down on fouls. It's frustrating because I see how dominate he could be.

I wouldn't say that "we all know" that.

 

[Harry's Raincoat]

I'd rank him really high on whatever scale you have. He's 21 years old and playing with the best in the league despite foul trouble.

He'll continue to get better and play longer in games. Did I mention he's only 21 years old??

Howard, Duncan, Shaq, Perkins, Okur, Kaman, and maybe Bynum are better now night in and night out. But, Greg is gaining speed on them. It won't be long IMO and he'll have them in his dust, except Howard. I hope he can be even better than Howard someday - but it'll take a while.

 

[PapaG]

So would you rather have Brendan Haywood cause he is on the floor for 34mpg and pulls down 9 rebounds?

No, that's not what blazerprophet said. He was answering what is expected out of a starting center.

I'd prefer Oden for 34 mpg over Oden for 23 mpg, and I imagine blazerprophet would as well.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Defense: A+
Offense: C+
Fouls: F

Overall I'd rate him at about a B-; great contributions and a game changer when he's on the court, not being able to stay on the court really blunts his overall effectiveness. No Pryzbilla backing him up and I doubt we'd be able to cover the gap if we had a normal NBA quality backup 5 (ie. a 6'8" converted power forward or a 7' stiff).

 

[noknobs]

I wouldn't say that "we all know" that.

Well, all of the intelligent ones.

 

[KingSpeed]

Well so far, Oden outplayed Duncan on their head to head match-up. Also, Oden has beat up on Okafor and Chandler too. I would say he is getting much better. I am still holding on to my prediction of 15 points/12.6 rebounds/2.1 blocks a game. By mid season, it should be around 12 points, 10 rebounds and 2.6 blocks a game, but as the season ends, I suspect his blocks to go down a bit, since he will be more of an offensive presence.

I don't think he's going to average 15 ppg. His role on our team isn't going to suddenly change. If he averages 10 ppg for half a season, he has to average 20 ppg for the rest of the season. That ain't happening. LMA and Roy are our top 2 scoring options and Joel is a very effective center who will share minutes with Oden. I don't expect Oden's stats to improve much this season. What you see is what you get. About 10/10/2.5. MIGHT reach 12/10/3 but that's probably it.