Oden hopes to return this season

[SlyPokerDog]

For comparison's sake, LMA is 27 years-old, and some hand-wringers are concerned he will soon be past his prime.

That's assuming that LMA ever had a prime.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Imagine if he signs with Miami, makes the playoff squad, plays 5 minutes, gets a ring. He'll have managed to go straight from college to retirement with quick pit stops at Amazingly Rich and Gots Ringz Like Shaq.

 

[PapaG]

That's assuming that LMA ever had a prime.

Or will. He's garbage.

 

[Natebishop3]

Pretty sure Kingspeed has patented the use of the word "garbage".

 

[Nikolokolus]

Man, all of this hand wringing over a guy who has never demonstrated any ability to stay healthy whatsoever. I'd put the odds of a truly successful comeback at somewhere south of 5%. All of those microfracture procedures, and so little actual contact and wear and tear.

God bless him if he can finally manage to stay even moderately healthy and be even semi-reliable as a player for some team.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

He also average 6 fouls per/36, and that was while he was supposted "athletic". The guy is 25 years old right now and has had multiple surgeries since his wonderful per/36 season when he couldn't stay on the court because of fouls. If a team wants a big oaf to wave his arms in the lane and foul people, Oxen would probably be a great fit.

An efficient big oaf with good blocking and rebounding ability who fouls a lot? I'd reckon he'd be a great fit on many playoff teams. He'd never play more than 20 minutes in any game anyways, the 4 fouls he'll probably commit per game aren't really much of a negative.

 

[Natebishop3]

Man, all of this hand wringing over a guy who has never demonstrated any ability to stay healthy whatsoever. I'd put the odds of a truly successful comeback at somewhere south of 5%. All of those microfracture procedures, and so little actual contact and wear and tear.

God bless him if he can finally manage to stay even moderately healthy and be even semi-reliable as a player for some team.

There are still people who, deep down, think that he can be productive if he can stay healthy.

The thing is, he can't stay healthy. Would Brandon Roy have been one of the best shooting guards ever if he could have stayed healthy? Possibly, but he simply couldn't/can't keep playing basketball. Oden is the same way.

I remember debating with Minstrel years ago, and he (as well as others) said that they weren't ready to give up hope on Oden staying healthy. They would say that one injury wasn't related to the other and that his injuries were not career threatening, so he should be able to come back healthy. He never did. It was just one setback after another. I wonder if he truly couldn't stay healthy, or if he simply gave up and stopped putting the effort in.

Either way, I was glad when the team finally cut him. I was tired of the Oden cloud hanging over the team and the fans. Will he come back? Is he worth the extension? It was better to just cut the ties and move on from that part of our history. We blew it, we know it, let's get rid of the ultimate reminder of that blunder.

 

[Sedatedfork]

Imagine if he signs with Miami, makes the playoff squad, plays 5 minutes, gets a ring. He'll have managed to go straight from college to retirement with quick pit stops at Amazingly Rich and Gots Ringz Like Shaq.

Then KP will be vindicated. I believe the quote was "One will win scoring titles, the other will play 5 minutes on a contender and get a ring"

 

[Nikolokolus]

Then KP will be vindicated. I believe the quote was "One will win scoring titles, the other will play 5 minutes on a contender and get a ring"

Now that's just funny

 

[maxiep]

I swear if he goes somewhere and helps them win, I'll freak out!

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/225518/Heat_Remain_Interested_In_Oden

I bet he plays a decade of injury-free basketball for the M'eat.

 

[KingSpeed]

I'm not saying he's not injury prone, or risky at best. I am saying when on the floor he was an absolute difference maker

Big difference between difference-maker and dominant. Oden was a difference maker about 70% of the games he played but he was hardly ever dominant. Look at David Robinson's rookie numbers. Now THAT is dominant.

I can show you great players that fouled a hell of a lot more than Greg did in their rookie season....or first 82 games. He would have gotten better at it

No question he would've gotten better at it and become dominant, but he hadn't gotten to that level yet. I mean, Fredette has a good PER but he's not a top ten PG in the league yet.

If that's true, how come his team lost at 24 Hour Fitness?

bingo

 

[KingSpeed]

greg had amazing advanced stats, but he was even better than that really, his strength destroyed the opposition inside

Except when little guys stripped him every time he got the ball in the post his entire rookie year.

 

[KingSpeed]

Imagine if he signs with Miami, makes the playoff squad, plays 5 minutes, gets a ring. He'll have managed to go straight from college to retirement with quick pit stops at Amazingly Rich and Gots Ringz Like Shaq.

So what? Adam Morrison, Darko, and Eddy Curry all have rings.

What no one is mentioning is that in the scheme of things, this guy hasn't really played much of serious organized basketball. 4 years of high school, a year of college with an injured wrist, and then what adds up to one season of pro ball. Even if this guy does come back, he doesn't have much experience playing the game. He's a long term project at this point if you're willing to take that gamble.

 

[BrianFromWA]

...

What upside is that? Well, he’s a historically-great NBA rebounder. His career rebounding percentages (15.7% offensive, 25.5% defensive, 20.5% total) have been eclipsed by only two other players in league history—Earl Williams and Dennis Rodman. (1) Even Dwight Howard doesn’t collect offensive rebounds at the rate Oden does, though he’s also historically-great. Oden’s also in the Top 50 all-time in ability to block a shot. (2) But he’s not just a rebounding and defensive beast, no matter what Coach McMillan tells him about “not want(ing) him concerned so much about the offensive side of the floor.” (3) In his short career he’s averaged a PER of 19.5, a rebounding percentage of 20.5%, and a block percentage of 5.1%. No other person who’s ever started a game in NBA history (or played more than 28 career minutes) can say that. (4) If you reduce the rebounding acumen to 15%, then you get 3 more players on the list—Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Alonzo Mourning. If you reduce the block requirement a bit to 4.5%, you can add Dwight Howard. All of these statistics, by the way, were compiled by a player who had not been able to take a summer off to work on his game, or learned the nuances of how fouls are called in the NBA, or had worked himself into prime playing shape. They’re the statistics of a rookie and second-year player coming off of microfracture surgery.

Endnotes
(1) I set the threshold at “more than 1 win share” in the Player Season Finder at Basketball-Reference.com to weed out the Steven Hills (1 game) Chris Munks (11) and Mirzad Turkcans (17) of the world.
(2) Basketball-reference.com. Limited to 82 games played or more
(3) “I want Greg to establish us on the defensive end of the floor,” McMillan said. “I don’t want him concerned so much about the offensive end of the floor. Last year, we were able to score and we’ll be able to score this year. But I want that (center) position and Greg to focus on establishing our defense — covering that basket, rebounding that ball … really being a monster in the paint.” http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbla...ive_chang.html(4) Basketball-reference.com

 

[PapaG]

Pretty sure Kingspeed has patented the use of the word "garbage".

Pretty sure you PM'd me to say you'd never respond to my posts.

EDIT - didn't even realize you had me in your signature. But you're not a troll...

2nd EDIT - I do agree with what you said about Oxen's injury history, because I was saying the same thing.

3rd EDIT - Oxen are reliable and dependable. Moving back to Oden now.

 

[PapaG]

An efficient big oaf with good blocking and rebounding ability who fouls a lot? I'd reckon he'd be a great fit on many playoff teams. He'd never play more than 20 minutes in any game anyways, the 4 fouls he'll probably commit per game aren't really much of a negative.

OK, I agree.

Didn't know where you were coming from in your per/36. Oxen was a decent player while on the court. I don't see how missing 3 years is going to help him be better than he was at 22, though.

 

[bobf]

I wish him luck wherever he lands

Better wish him luck whenever he lands too.