Lebron: "You knew KD was destined for greatness. Everyone did ... besides Portland. Sorry, Portland.

[0-Our!]

Jabba the Hut owns the Durant Blazer draft jersey? That is so totally random but so cool!

Many other things get lost/can be found in those fat rolls i.e...

 

[HailBlazers]

We'll forgive you LBJ... So long as you sign here.

 

[The Professional Fan]

He had basically two and a half legs...that middle one kept bumping his knees

Damnit, River. I was scrolling through this thread only to see if I could be the first to make a dong joke. So nevermind.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I seem to recall an article stating that 29 of 30 GMs would have taken Oden over Durant at the time of the draft.

So yeah, a whole lot of 20:20 hindsight from LeBron and the rest of the media and general public. For YEARS leading up to the 2007 draft, it was referred to as "The Oden Draft". Never once do I recall anyone referring to it as "The Durant Draft".

Maybe "everyone knew KD was going to be great", but at the time of the draft, most believed Oden would be greater.

BNM

 

[Chris Craig]

Damnit, River. I was scrolling through this thread only to see if I could be the first to make a dong joke. So nevermind.

Make the second one

Blazers couldn't figure out why Odens knees kept getting injured when he wasn't playing...his dick kept nancy kerriganing him.

Ok the third then

 

[e_blazer]

Here’s an interesting take from before the draft:

https://newsok.com/article/3028656/...t-be-easy-choice-if-both-players-turn-prospan

And here’s another (note the last anti-Nostradamus take in the last line).

https://www.google.com/amp/s/hoopshype.com/2007/04/26/oden-or-durant/amp/

 

[THE HCP]

I seem to recall an article stating that 29 of 30 GMs would have taken Oden over Durant at the time of the draft.

So yeah, a whole lot of 20:20 hindsight from LeBron and the rest of the media and general public. For YEARS leading up to the 2007 draft, it was referred to as "The Oden Draft". Never once do I recall anyone referring to it as "The Durant Draft".

Maybe "everyone knew KD was going to be great", but at the time of the draft, most believed Oden would be greater.

BNM

I think it was every team but LA,Orlando and Houston would have gone Greg first. I remember articles about the same thing. Draft is an absolute crapshoot every year. Thats the reason I don't participate in the draft threads on here every year. Nobody here knows what they are talking about when it comes to these guys. Highlight videos don't mean shit. All just guesses, hoping you nail it. Every year 90% of these guys don't pan out.

 

[Chris Craig]

He did get a broken wrist in college. I don't see how that could be a red flag at all.

His hip surgery at 6. He couldn't walk after the final four the year of draft. Blazers knew of the many red flags

 

[Chris Craig]

Please post a link. I don't remember ever hearing this...

I can't find it. I remember hearing Pritchard talk about it after he left portland.

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I can't find it. I remember hearing Pritchard talk about it after he left portland.

Ex-employees with a grudge which KP obviously have are gonna say crap true or not to throw shade, not saying he was lying they very well might’ve known. I’d very much like to find something that says how good they thought his knees were before the draft, there may have been some red flags, but just about every athlete has “red flags”, be it health, attitude, physique, motor, etc.

 

[e_blazer]

I can't find it. I remember hearing Pritchard talk about it after he left portland.

Is this the one you're looking for?

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or...f/2011/07/former_blazers_general_manager.html

 

[Boob-No-More]

He couldn't walk after the final four the year of draft.

Link please.

Seriously, that's the first time I've ever heard this. He certainly didn't look hobbled in any way during the game. He dominated the Florida big men, including fellow lottery picks Al Horford (#3 pick in 2007), Joakim Noah (#9 pick in 2007) and future 1st round pick Marreese Speights (+16 pick in 2008). Oden finished with a game high 25 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. He was clearly the best player on the court that day, but Florida was the better team. Florida just had too much depth and experience.

After watching the way Oden dominated in that game, I'd be surprised to learn he couldn't walk afterward.

BNM

 

[Labinot41]

We should Stop talking about that. It happens

 

[BigGameDamian]

I'm not mad at LeBron for saying such a thing. I remember reading an article about how Paul Allen wanted Kevin Durant in the draft. KP got his way and drafted Oden.

 

[The Professional Fan]

One ring to rule them all

One dong to rule them all

 

[Orion Bailey]

One dong to rule them all

I love Ding Dongs

 

[Chris Craig]

Link please.

Seriously, that's the first time I've ever heard this. He certainly didn't look hobbled in any way during the game. He dominated the Florida big men, including fellow lottery picks Al Horford (#3 pick in 2007), Joakim Noah (#9 pick in 2007) and future 1st round pick Marreese Speights (+16 pick in 2008). Oden finished with a game high 25 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. He was clearly the best player on the court that day, but Florida was the better team. Florida just had too much depth and experience.

After watching the way Oden dominated in that game, I'd be surprised to learn he couldn't walk afterward.

BNM

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...was-blessing-greg-oden-headed-back-ohio-state

 

[riverman]

This thread is getting seriously jinxy

 

[Chris Craig]

This thread is getting seriously jinxy

Nah no jinx, just bad decisions

 

[blue9]

In my book, great players don't leave their very good team to join the most-winningest team ever - let alone their biggest rival that just knocked them out of the Playoffs.

 

[Chris Craig]

In my book, great players don't leave their very good team to join the most-winningest team ever - let alone their biggest rival that just knocked them out of the Playoffs.

One word, Durant

 

[PtldPlatypus]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...was-blessing-greg-oden-headed-back-ohio-state

Unless perhaps you're misinterpreting the section in the second paragraph that said:

He remembers returning to Columbus after a Final Four run ended in a national championship loss to Florida in 2007. Most assumed he would leave for the NBA, but he came back to go to class. "I never planned on leaving," he says. Students waited for him outside his dorm. Cars stopped on the street to stare. It took him 45 minutes to walk one block. Oden called his coach, Thad Matta, and said, "I can't get to class,"

I'm not exactly sure where you see anything in there saying he couldn't walk after the final four.

 

[Chris Craig]

Unless perhaps you're misinterpreting the section in the second paragraph that said:


I'm not exactly sure where you see anything in there saying he couldn't walk after the final four.

Oh I thought it was because he was hurting. Its because there were so many people? Thanks for pointing that out. I misread it.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Oh I thought it was because he was hurting. Its because there were so many people? Thanks for pointing that out. I misread it.

Yep--he was an unparalleled superstar in Columbus. In a crowd instantly the moment he went outside.

 

[Chris Craig]

http://blog.oregonlive.com/blazers/2007/09/the_greg_oden_surgery_reaction.html

Adrian Wojnarowski reminds everyone that at least a few teams expressed serious concerns about Oden's physical condition before the draft. Pritchard said during the presser today that his pre-draft MRIs looked good, but Wojnarowski's league sources would indicate otherwise.

Several NBA executives conceded that the revelation that an MRI showed a need for exploratory surgery on Thursday didn't completely surprise them. Some medical staffs who studied Oden's pre-draft physicals expressed differing levels of concern, on different parts of his body.
"Our trainers did say they thought he had somewhat of an issue (with the right knee), but they weren't sure to what extent," one Western Conference executive said. "I guess we're starting to see now that it's more serious than some people thought."

As one high-ranking basketball official with access to several trainers at the Orlando pre-draft camps remembered being told, "There were some things about (Oden's knee) that were interesting and that if they had a chance (to draft) him, they would have to look a lot closer."

All in all, one Eastern Conference personnel man said, "It was not a good physical."



(Thanks to Rudy for the link.)

-- Ian Thomsen at SI.com assess the Oden-is-out blow back. He also brings up the same issues regarding Oden's pre-draft test results.

"Our doctors saw some early signs of arthritis in his knees,'' an executive with that franchise recalled Thursday after news of Oden's microfracture had come out. "They were also really concerned with his hip and his back as well. The way they explained it, all of those problems are linked: The knee hurts because the back is doing this, and the back hurts because the hip is doing that. The doctors thought there was some inter-connectivity between each issue, so that basically his body was working against itself.''

 

[Boob-No-More]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...was-blessing-greg-oden-headed-back-ohio-state

Seriously, is this what you're referring to:

"He remembers returning to Columbus after a Final Four run ended in a national championship loss to Florida in 2007. Most assumed he would leave for the NBA, but he came back to go to class. "I never planned on leaving," he says. Students waited for him outside his dorm. Cars stopped on the street to stare. It took him 45 minutes to walk one block. Oden called his coach, Thad Matta, and said, "I can't get to class.""

It wasn't because he was injured or in pain, it took him 45 minutes to walk one block because he was mobbed by fellow students who wanted him to stay another year at Ohio State.

For the same article:

"Before the NBA, Oden never had a serious knee injury. Not at Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he first worked hard at basketball. Not at Lawrence North in Indianapolis, where he won three consecutive championships and was a two-time Parade All-American. And not during his single season at Ohio State, where he was a first-team All-American."

BNM

 

[Chris Craig]

Seriously, is this what you're referring to:

"He remembers returning to Columbus after a Final Four run ended in a national championship loss to Florida in 2007. Most assumed he would leave for the NBA, but he came back to go to class. "I never planned on leaving," he says. Students waited for him outside his dorm. Cars stopped on the street to stare. It took him 45 minutes to walk one block. Oden called his coach, Thad Matta, and said, "I can't get to class.""

It wasn't because he was injured or in pain, it took him 45 minutes to walk one block because he was mobbed by fellow students who wanted him to stay another year at Ohio State.

For the same article:

"Before the NBA, Oden never had a serious knee injury. Not at Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he first worked hard at basketball. Not at Lawrence North in Indianapolis, where he won three consecutive championships and was a two-time Parade All-American. And not during his single season at Ohio State, where he was a first-team All-American."

BNM

I got that.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Yet another reason to root against that nitwit.

 

[BBert]

According to Oden, the Blazers immediately had him wear a shoe that was bigger to compensate for one leg being longer than the other. There were definitely flags.

What if Oden's body and body mechanics were acclimated to the difference in his gait, and it was the platform shoe that fucked his knee up? So depressing either way.

 

[Hoopguru]

I remember when KD worked out for the Blazers and one of the assistant coaches commented on the radio that KD had a great work-out but what impressed him the most was "he had the eye of the tiger" and was locked in mentally. Then everyone called in and complained that he was to weak to be an NBA player.