OT: I'm Glad the Blazers Don't Have Durant

[PapaG]

He is selfish. He had 16 of the last 20 points for the Thunder in the 4th quarter of their game tonight.

He doesn't make his teammates better. Oden was the right pick, because if he becomes Bill Russell, the Blazers will be really good.

 

[OSUBlazerfan]

hahhaa....

Fuckin Blazers....they love fucking up Draft pics

 

[Nikolokolus]

Hehe

 

[VanillaGorilla]

You funny PapaG

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

-----<

 

[PapaG]

You funny PapaG

I still believe in Greggers, but can't we all admit it was a botched pick? I say this as someone who advocated picking Oden, yet defended Durant as well.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

not a botched pick, we just have bad fucking luck.

 

[Minstrel]

I still believe in Greggers, but can't we all admit it was a botched pick? I say this as someone who advocated picking Oden, yet defended Durant as well.

As someone who thinks Durant is awesome and thought the same back at the time of the draft, Oden was the correct pick at the time. With full knowledge of what would happen injury-wise, I'd take Durant.

However, I still think Oden will have more impact if he starts playing full seasons. But Durant is just far more certain and has already logged much more value to date.

 

[RoyToy]

Roy/Aldridge/Oden...all healthy

Just think about that for a second. It's hard to because I'm pretty sure they've played less than 82 games together. In the same starting lineup? Number is even lower. Such a fucking shame.

The Blazers got their one big break for star players and it couldn't have played out any worse. Some shit just isn't fair.

 

[e_blazer]

Well, while we're kicking ourselves, how about fricking ZBo waiting until he gets to Memphis to grow up instead of doing it a few years ago here in Portland? Picture that guy playing alongside Aldridge and you're talking about a title contender even without Oden.

Crap.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Well, while we're kicking ourselves, how about fricking ZBo waiting until he gets to Memphis to grow up instead of doing it a few years ago here in Portland? Picture that guy playing alongside Aldridge and you're talking about a title contender even without Oden.

Crap.

he was the same guy. i was kicking LOUDLY when he got traded. THAT was a major fuckup. I said fire pritchard and I believe the ZBO trade was the root of him getting shitcanned.

 

[Minstrel]

I wish I can be as optimistic as you about GO. Durant is going to be a MVP contender for the next decade. With GO's injuries, I'm thinking his physical ability has got to be diminished at least some. I very much doubt that GO will reach MVP level even if he's able to stay relatively healthy. Also, the fact that he's had to rehab instead of working on his game will pretty much means he'll be at the very early stage of development again.

If he loses athletic ability, then yes, he won't come very close to Durant. The injuries he sustained, unlike Roy's, are not supposed to rob him of athletic ability. But I guess we'll see if that's true.

 

[PapaG]

If he loses athletic ability, then yes, he won't come very close to Durant. The injuries he sustained, unlike Roy's, are not supposed to rob him of athletic ability. But I guess we'll see if that's true.

Greggers could have both legs amputated, and a small faction of Blazer fans will still think he's just about to turn into a once-in-a-generation (tm Ed O.) talent.

 

[jlprk]

he was the same guy. i was kicking LOUDLY when he got traded. THAT was a major fuckup. I said fire pritchard and I believe the ZBO trade was the root of him getting shitcanned.

Correct-O. The main thing he's improved at is that he doesn't have to to put up with the Oregonian hating him for walking into a club, having a group of black friends, etc. In any other NBA city, this is considered normal.

 

[Tince]

he was the same guy. i was kicking LOUDLY when he got traded. THAT was a major fuckup. I said fire pritchard and I believe the ZBO trade was the root of him getting shitcanned.

He's certainly improved his passing. Pete Pranica was on the radio two weeks ago talking about how much he's changed from his days in Portland and even New York, so to say he's the same guy now that he was back then doesn't seem accurate. I'd love to have him now.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

well, he has people to pass to now.

 

[RoyToy]

I'd rather have Oden

 

[Tince]

well, he has people to pass to now.

There is some truth to this. He had talent around him in his first couple seasons, but really played on some crap teams after that.

Considering the perimeter shooting on this team, I'm not sure he would be passing it out much if he were a Blazer.

 

[Minstrel]

There is some truth to this. He had talent around him in his first couple seasons, but really played on some crap teams after that.

And, non-coincidentally, the years when he had talent around him were the years he was the people's hero to Blazers fans and the years that he was on crap teams were the years where he was considered a useless player. No one ever called him a black hole when he had Rasheed Wallace and Scottie Pippen alongside him. Basically, when the team was winning, he was appreciated for his strengths and when the team lost (due largely to the dismantling of the team around him), he was vilified for his weaknesses.

I don't think Randolph was a "loser" who finally discovered how to help teams win. He was a very-good-but-not-great player who, when miscast as a franchise star by inept team managements or unrealistic fans, gets scapegoated.

 

[KingSpeed]

It does sting that Durant made it, and Zach ALMOST made it, to the second round before we ever did. Hopefully, we win these next two games. Otherwise, I don't know where we're headed. I won't get my hopes up about Greg anymore. What we have is what we have. Gerald Wallace needs to step the fuck up.

 

[KingSpeed]

Well, while we're kicking ourselves, how about fricking ZBo waiting until he gets to Memphis to grow up instead of doing it a few years ago here in Portland? Picture that guy playing alongside Aldridge and you're talking about a title contender even without Oden.

Crap.

Zach was pretty great when he was with us. But his teammates sucked. We finally got him a good supporting cast and then traded him for nothing. I wanted a top flight SF for him. Like Shawn Marion. Otherwise, we should've kept him.

 

[KingSpeed]

He's certainly improved his passing. Pete Pranica was on the radio two weeks ago talking about how much he's changed from his days in Portland and even New York, so to say he's the same guy now that he was back then doesn't seem accurate. I'd love to have him now.

So maybe patience should be practiced around here. Jack looks pretty good too. Maybe KP was right about letting the cake bake. Except he should've left ZBo in the ingredients.

 

[Rhal]

Durant is a stone cold Killer. The guy is one of the best scorers around and has the ability to go into the post, be one of the best defenders at his position. You can list this guys strengths all day long. The big problem I have with his game is one of the same ones I have with Carmelo Anthony game which is he doesn't pass the ball and make his team better. If he can really start to get his teammates involved more by creating for them he really will be the next Jordan.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Greggers could have both legs amputated, and a small faction of Blazer fans will still think he's just about to turn into a once-in-a-generation (tm Ed O.) talent.

If there's anyone who can play like Bill Russell with two artificial legs, it's Greg Oden!

 

[Mediocre Man]

I still believe in Greggers, but can't we all admit it was a botched pick? I say this as someone who advocated picking Oden, yet defended Durant as well.

If the reports are correct that the Blazers were warned about his knees and such from the beginning but ignored it, then yes, a miserable pick.

 

[Denny Crane]

Durant was a sure thing and filled a big hole in the Blazers' lineup at the time. I would have kept the 26 year old ZBo at PF and played LMA at C with Durante at SG. Add Roy at SG and the core 4 players are elite.

 

[RoyToy]

Durant was a sure thing and filled a big hole in the Blazers' lineup at the time. I would have kept the 26 year old ZBo at PF and played LMA at C with Durante at SG. Add Roy at SG and the core 4 players are elite.

As much as some people want him to be, Aldridge isn't a center. He is a power forward.

Odeon, otoh, is a true game changing center. When healthy, probably top 5 in rebounding and blocking shots. He probably would have averaged at least 15pts/G as well. IMO he wouldn't have been far off from Dwight Howard.

A healthy Oden is clearly the right choice at #1 all things considered.

 

[e_blazer]

Zach was pretty great when he was with us. But his teammates sucked. We finally got him a good supporting cast and then traded him for nothing. I wanted a top flight SF for him. Like Shawn Marion. Otherwise, we should've kept him.

he was the same guy. i was kicking LOUDLY when he got traded. THAT was a major fuckup. I said fire pritchard and I believe the ZBO trade was the root of him getting shitcanned.

I'm somewhat sorry that I opened this can of worms again, but I'll just say a couple of things that I think are true. First, from a basketball standpoint, Zach certainly had all of the skills necessary to become a terrific PF when he was here in Portland. I think he's matured a bit and isn't quite the black hole on offense that he was here, but that isn't the reason he got traded. He was traded because: A. His off-court antics were viewed as being part of the whole Jail-Blazer mess that the community as a whole had gotten sick of; and B. Because the drafting of Greg Oden looked like it would force him to become a bench player as the Blazers were going to build around Aldridge, Oden and Roy (ah, remember that sweet dream that went poof in the night). The Blazers didn't get squat for Zach in trade because his contract was viewed as being bloated and his off-court antics had soured the league on him, at least in terms of being willing to give up much for him. The Knicks had the same problems when they decided to dump him.

While I understand the love by some for players like Sheed and Zach, I wish more would recognize that the off-court stuff that some of you think shouldn't be considered prominently in making basketball roster moves, does impact what the player is worth. I blame these guys for much of the fall-off the Blazers experienced as the roster was reworked.

 

[Draco]

I admit I was 100% for the Oden pick over Durant.

I did however say at the draft I would've traded Roy and Aldridge for the Durant pick. That sure would have been interesting.

 

[Draco]

If the reports are correct that the Blazers were warned about his knees and such from the beginning but ignored it, then yes, a miserable pick.

What reports? Or are you just pulling shit out of your ass.

Every team in the league viewed his medical information at predraft camps and basically every GM said they would take Oden #1. The Blazers MRI showed his knees were "prestine" then he developed a defect months AFTER the draft.