Oden out Friday

[Sinobas]

I don't recall anybody criticizing Oden last season, and I don't care if this is considered his rookie season because the complaints I am reading don't deal with on-court issues.

That makes zero sense, bordering on bizaare?? People critisized him last year for getting injured...and how the hell could they critsize his play before he stepped onto the court? This is Oden's rookie season. He's even eligible for rookie of the year. Did you notice that he was selected to play on the ROOKIE team, not the sophmores?

Many people are calling Oden a bust, saying he won't be nearly as good as Durant, we picked the wrong man blah blah blah, yet you're comparing a rookie Oden to a sophmore Durant. And Durant has made major improvements this season.

And what off-court issues has Oden had? Playing at the hoop with no permission?

 

[maxiep]

Trade Oden to LA for Luke Walton. He can back up Bynum. Walton can be Portland's SF of the future ahead of Outlaw/Batum, be Pippen to Roy's Jordan.

Yes.

I was hoping to trade AmMo for him.

 

[gatorpops]

It's just a matter of time before the Blazer fans rail him out of town, I can tell already. Because the problem can't possibly be Nate and the other players on the team.......

He has always been the focus of a team and now on the Blazers he is a reserve that gets ignored by some of the best players on the team?

The team has been playing outside in for so long now that they are not/will not adapt or are not coached to do so?

Why come back and work for position and get ignored?

The team is not going to him and saying we need you man, or so it seems?

 

[Kaydow]

I will tell you what would happen with Durant. Last year he would have played about 10 minutes a game, maybe 15 on the outside. He had Martell, Outlaw and Jones ahead of him on the rotation. Nate worships his rotation, so no matter how well he played he wouldn't get in the games more then that.

This year, he probably would start. However, he would be at best the third option on the floor, instead of the first option like he is OKC. I would figure he would average about half of what he does now. This isn't a knock against Durant, just more how Nate has worked in the past.

And before you bring up Roy remember that Nate knew him for a long time. Also, there wasn't anyone else on the team to take his place in the rotation so he kind of started by default.

Anyway, Portland would be about 10 more points from the SF position, but worse defense. Maybe 2 more wins? Not much more then that.

One thing I have thought about a bit. Durant SUCKED under PJoke. He only really started to light it up after they kicked that fool to the curb. Perhaps Oden is in the same situation here?

You are way overgeneralizing Nate's "rotation" habits. Durant would have started last year and would have immediately been the 1A or 1B scoring option with B-Roy. KD is one of the best scorers in the league - he was better than Martel, James Jones, last year . . . 10-15 minutes? #3 scoring option BEHIND LA? No way. Don't compare KD with Bayless or other rookies that Nate has had a hard time finding PT for. KD is on another level. If Bayless had a clue on how to get the team into it's offense, and wasn't lost on defensive rotations, he's be playing instead of Sergio right now. It's not his rookie status, it's his weaknesses as a player (at this point)