Perhaps the Longest Year of Greg's Life

[Entity]

Here's Quick's story on Greg today.

Later, Roy emerged from the locker room.

"What did you do to Greg?" he said with a smile.

When I told him what I said to Oden, Roy processed it for a few seconds.

"Maybe that will light a fire under him," Roy said.

As it turns out, I am not alone in my sentiments about Oden's play so far. Roy and coach Nate McMillan have come to a more tactful assessment.

In essence, Roy and McMillan say Oden has been too tight, too tense. As a result, both have implored Oden to try having fun playing basketball, and to remember why he loves the game.

"He is taking it too serious right now," Roy said. "And when you take things too seriously, you are too tense. And you can see it with Greg. He is like, 'ARRRGGGH!' with every little mistake he makes. I felt the same way my first year; I just hid it a little better."

........

"I take this very seriously," Oden said. "I put a lot of pressure on myself to do good and to win, and I guess Coach sees that I keep a straight face when I'm in the gym, but I want him to know I'm not (messing) around.

"I mean, I wish I could (have fun), but I see it as so much more. I've got a lot riding on this," Oden said. "Coach is like, 'Calm down and relax, it's just a game' ... but I'm like 'Look, I've got so many people wanting me to do this and that for this team, and the pressures of this team, the expectations of this team ... I can't relax.'"

If there's one thing I can say about Greg and the media attention, it's that I don't think there's ever been a rookie in the NBA that has ever had to endure a whole year of this kind of build up, and for him to go so long without playing a single game, listening to the same questions over and over, hearing every single thing people are saying about him one way or the other, and not being able to do much about it except try and get back to be what you were supposed to be... I just can't wait for him to get his first 20/10 game under his belt. I don't know if that's enough to help him feel right, but I can't imagine having to sit under that kind of pressure for such a long time. I imagine once he starts playing real games, maybe all this attention can either be justified for him or disappear and take that pressure off.

 

[Entity]

I kind of liked this part:

...the team has carefully guided him through his rehabilitation from microfracture surgery in September 2007. Throughout every step in the process, there have been restrictions.

That appears to be a smart move today -- the team says Oden's knee is fully healed and free of pain or swelling. But, maybe it's time for him to run free, so to speak, and not worry about being held back.

I brought that up with Roy, and the team captain had an interesting take. Eventually, Roy says, Oden has to take the onus upon himself and tell the team "No." No, he doesn't want to sit out the second game of a back-to-back. No, he doesn't want to sit out a practice. No, he doesn't want to have his minutes monitored.

 

[Nikolokolus]

"Underwhelming?" Quick really needs to work on his choice of adjectives, he could have said "Tentative," "Winded," or even "Rusty" but how in the hell do per-40 averages of 22 points and 12 boards equal underwhelming for a rookie center who hasn't played competitive ball in a year and a half?

 

[andalusian]

I think that underwhelming is the wrong word as well. Seeing him putting the opposite tean's big in foul trouble, opening the lanes for Roy/Aldridge, rebounding and being basically unstoppable when he is close to the basket while clearly out of game shape has left me with an understanding that this guy is going to have a lot more impact this year than I anticipated.

If you remember - we had an analysis what a Pryzbilla like production out of Greg would do to this franchise (the analysis brought us to around 48 wins) - it is clear that he will be a lot better than Pryzbilla pretty quickly.

He is going to be something else...

 

[anonymous gambler]

I want to say that I'm in Greg's corner all season regardless. I believe this will be our best player and he can count on most Blazer fan's support during his growing pains as a player.

I agree that he already looks pretty promising.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Greg is feeling the pressure of the whole franchise. Th sad part is that if the Blazers start out slow (Which is a better than 50% chance due to the schedule) people will take shots at him. There are too many idiotic fans and media for that not to happen. I mean even Stern thinks the Blazers will be one of the biggest stories of the year. The hype is huge

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-35-66/Experts-Gaze-into-the-Crystal-Ball-of-2008-2009.html

Other teams fans and media will take pleasure in any Blazer failures because of all the hype. I think it will take 2-3 months for Greg to relax. He can't take on all the burden by himself. His teammates will help him though.

 

[MrJayremmie]

"Underwhelming?" Quick really needs to work on his choice of adjectives, he could have said "Tentative," "Winded," or even "Rusty" but how in the hell do per-40 averages of 22 points and 12 boards equal underwhelming for a rookie center who hasn't played competitive ball in a year and a half?

Great post Nik, i totally agree.

I think my biggest thing with Greg is getting him to lose 10 more pounds and get in EXCELLENT playing shape... like top tier in the NBA good. I think that would really help him, because his new found weight is holding him back in my opinion.

 

[bodyman5001]

Great post Nik, i totally agree.

I think my biggest thing with Greg is getting him to lose 10 more pounds and get in EXCELLENT playing shape... like top tier in the NBA good. I think that would really help him, because his new found weight is holding him back in my opinion.

It is holding him back and that is scary. The good thing is that he seems to have put it on easily which often means you can take it off easily too.

 

[alex42083]

"Underwhelming?" Quick really needs to work on his choice of adjectives, he could have said "Tentative," "Winded," or even "Rusty" but how in the hell do per-40 averages of 22 points and 12 boards equal underwhelming for a rookie center who hasn't played competitive ball in a year and a half?

Agreed, probably the wrong use of words by Quick, who probably meant tentative and winded like you said.
I think so many people are expecting Shaq, Russell and Robinson all rolled into one in Greg, and he hasn't even played an officlal NBA game yet. It's kind of worrisome that the guy seems mentally drained from it all before the season even starts, and it's going to get even worse as he travels around the country and going into each NBA town with writers constantly asking him about how he's feeling.

I think Oden's played well so far in the preseason, and has shown he can change the game in a big way. It's a good thing he's not considered the 'only' franchise player, when we've got Roy, Aldridge and Rudy to take the load off.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

I can't wait for a month to go by and bump posts like these just to see how silly all of this is. If you really take a look at him, you can tell that he is going to dominate at both ends of the floor and all of this cautious pessimism / optimism is going to wash away once he's had his time to adjust.

I have no worries at all about him right now.

 

[THE HCP]

I think the last person we need to be worrying about on this roster is Greg! Guy hasn't played for a year and a half.

 

[ABM]

Sound reply by Ben @ Blazer's Edge to Oden's, "I mean, I wish I could (have fun), but I see it as so much more. I've got a lot riding on this," Oden said. "Coach is like, 'Calm down and relax, it's just a game' ... but I'm like 'Look, I've got so many people wanting me to do this and that for this team, and the pressures of this team, the expectations of this team ... I can't relax.'"

Welcome to the NBA.

I hate to be blunt here but I will be.

Deal with it, Greg.

Last year Kevin Durant:

was playing for a coach that hadn't been a head coach in a decade,
was playing for a brand new, untested management team,
was playing for a franchise that was engaged in a bitter war with its own city and fanbase,
served as the advertising face of multiple major international brands,
witnessed his veteran teammates traded one after another, and
was asked to play multiple positions, deal with double-teams and carry the load offensively as the youngest player in the NBA.
KD went out and played. He played in 80 out of 82 games. He hit a game-winning shot. He won Rookie of the Year. He often did it with a smile, despite his burning, competitive desire to win. Despite never having tasted defeat like this in his lifetime.

One thing you absolutely did not hear from Kevin Durant was whining.

On the day the Sonics traded Wally Szczerbiak last spring, I sat with Kevin in the Sonics locker room in the Rose Garden. He wasn't happy. It was another bad day in a year-long string of bad days. But he handled the questions respectfully and said all the right things. He even said thank you.

Now, he's dealing with his franchise's move halfway across the country at the whim of an egomaniacal owner.

Again, KD is handling it without any whining. Just today, he was bowling on TV for Chris Paul's charity. Seriously.

I often ask myself when confronted by difficult life situations: what would Kevin Durant do?

If you gave Kevin Durant the best owner in professional sports, a top 5 coach in the league, a top 2 GM in the league, an all-star for a teammate, one of the best international players in the game for a teammate, a rising power forward star for a teammate, a steady veteran point guard for a teammate, and a fanbase that absolutely, without question, adores you, I think Kevin Durant would be thanking his lucky stars.

I mean, just look how happy he was when his team drafted Russell Westbrook. Russell Freaking Westbrook. That dude would be our third string point guard and it was fiesta time for KD.

If Greg is really getting down, he should seriously consider some role reversal. Perspective will do wonders.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

This is the NBA. This is what you signed up for.

 

[mgb]

But during Oden's first four exhibition games, anything outside of a dunk has looked awkward, hurried or forced. Most of his rebounds have been caught flat-footed, not snared out of the air. And for the most part he has often lumbered up and down the court. From everything I had heard, I thought I would be more "wowed."

At the same time, I can see why so many people on the Blazers are excited about him: When he gets the ball down low, it's almost a guaranteed dunk. On defense, he changes shots. And as Roy is happy to announce, the attention Oden gets from opponents' defenses has already created more open shots for Roy and Aldridge than both saw all of last season.

Wasn't Oden's O suppose to be the part of his game that was behind the rest? From what I've seen he's done as well or better than anticipated. Especially considering he hasn't played in a game in over a year after a season ending injury. If he wasn't injured last year and had the same exact preseason the only thing that would worry me is his not getting up and down the court quickly, but since he's been out so long that is not surprising.

 

[Uther TheGardener]

but sadly its quick being the writer that he is...he just cant have too many positive stories....

 

[mgb]

Sound reply by Ben @ Blazer's Edge to Oden's, "I mean, I wish I could (have fun), but I see it as so much more. I've got a lot riding on this," Oden said. "Coach is like, 'Calm down and relax, it's just a game' ... but I'm like 'Look, I've got so many people wanting me to do this and that for this team, and the pressures of this team, the expectations of this team ... I can't relax.'"

What BS. First I don't consider Oden whining. Second did Durant have a season ending injury and trying to come back from a injury that has ended some players careers? See how he would have reacted if he sat on the bench his first year. The two are not even comparable.

 

[mgb]

I was going to post a comment at Blazer's Edge, but I see others have pointed out what I said so no point.

 

[THE HCP]

Comparing Durant's situation with Greg's is a garbage argument! Kevin had and still has NO expectations placed upon him! They just rolled the ball out and said, "Alright Durant, shoot the ball!"

 

[The Sebastian Express]

Ben's reply was not sound at all. It was dramatic and his attempt to compare Durant and Oden's situations made no sense. In addition he is trying to make it seem like Greg is unappreciative which has no basis.

 

[ABM]

What BS. First I don't consider Oden whining. Second did Durant have a season ending injury and trying to come back from a injury that has ended some players careers? See how he would have reacted if he sat on the bench his first year. The two are not even comparable.

I didn't see it as whining, per se, as much as I saw it as Greg's immaturity (age). And, I'm not saying that in a bad way as much as I'm saying it is what it is.

Sooner or later Greg will grab the proverbial bull by the ___s and not let Quick - or anyone else for that matter - get inside his head. I'm confident he'll do just that......play.

 

[maxiep]

"Underwhelming?" Quick really needs to work on his choice of adjectives, he could have said "Tentative," "Winded," or even "Rusty" but how in the hell do per-40 averages of 22 points and 12 boards equal underwhelming for a rookie center who hasn't played competitive ball in a year and a half?

That's just how good he's going to be

Seriously, the Greg Oden we've seen so far is likely the worst we'll ever see--and he's dominated at times. Man, the 28th can't get here soon enough.

 

[ABM]

You guys.

 

[maxiep]

I want to say that I'm in Greg's corner all season regardless. I believe this will be our best player and he can count on most Blazer fan's support during his growing pains as a player.

I agree that he already looks pretty promising.

and repped.

 

[maxiep]

Great post Nik, i totally agree.

I think my biggest thing with Greg is getting him to lose 10 more pounds and get in EXCELLENT playing shape... like top tier in the NBA good. I think that would really help him, because his new found weight is holding him back in my opinion.

A hopeful sign is that he's already dropped at least 12 lbs from the beginning of camp. According to GO, he's not dieting at all or trying to lose weight. The weight loss has come from playing hoops. By the end of the season he could be below 260, which IMO is too skinny. Mel "Dinner Bell" Turpin he ain't.

 

[The Sebastian Express]

I don't think he was whining or showing immaturity at all. I think he was showing frustration which is understandable. He was also being honest that he was not happy with Quick's comments.

 

[maxiep]

Sound reply by Ben @ Blazer's Edge to Oden's, "I mean, I wish I could (have fun), but I see it as so much more. I've got a lot riding on this," Oden said. "Coach is like, 'Calm down and relax, it's just a game' ... but I'm like 'Look, I've got so many people wanting me to do this and that for this team, and the pressures of this team, the expectations of this team ... I can't relax.'"

No offense to Ben, but Kevin Durant isn't thought to be the final piece for a dynasty. He also doesn't have to prove himself after a year off because of injury.

 

[ABM]

I don't think he was whining or showing immaturity at all. I think he was showing frustration which is understandable. He was also being honest that he was not happy with Quick's comments.

That was exactly my earlier point. Greg will need to develop a tougher skin. Hey, Quick will always continue to be Quick.

As I also mentioned, I believe Greg will indeed mature (effectively disregarding Quick in these types of pieces), accordingly.

 

[The Sebastian Express]

Ah I see.

 

[dreamcloud]

I don't know why, but Ben from Blazersedge just seems like a class A jack ass to me. I mean, not even Quick's article bugged me that much. And it's not just that piece, seems like Ben a douche bag in almost all his 'articles', there all so ridiculous and seem to always have the intent of pissing off the community there. It was a much better place when he wasn't there

 

[ABM]

I don't know why, but Ben from Blazersedge just seems like a class A jack ass to me. I mean, not even Quick's article bugged me that much. And it's not just that piece, seems like Ben a douche bag in almost all his 'articles', there all so ridiculous and seem to always have the intent of pissing off the community there. It was a much better place when he wasn't there

Perhaps, but I'm still somewhat indebted to him for writing this piece at my behest. I suppose, that's why I stick up for him so much:

Blazers Fans Hit the Jackpot

 

[mook]

I actually enjoyed the Blazers Edge piece. I didn't take it as a criticism of Oden. Guy is just pointing out that as much as the last 12 months has sucked for Oden, it beats the hell out of being a healthy Kevin Durant. At least there's a very fast-approaching light at the end of the tunnel for Oden.