Raise expectations for Greg?

[Fez Hammersticks]

19 PPG (55 FG%)
10.5 RPG
25 MPG
84 FT%

He's putting up very good numbers but that's really besides the point - He's playing with confidence. I think this will carry over into the regular season, maybe not the 20/10 player he's been but I think he'll exceed a lot of peoples expectations.

He seriously looks like a totally different player with this new found confidence. Imagine how he'll be when he gets his swag back. Before seeing him in the pre-season I thought he'd be a 13-14/10 this season, now I think he can be an 17/12 player. His rebounding is at an elite level already.

 

[PapaG]

Yes.

Instead of Tim Duncan as a ceiling, it should be Tim Duncan's robotic clone as a ceiling. One that will never get injured and will never miss a shot.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Let's see how he does against Camby, Griffin and Kaman ...

 

[Haakzilla]

Camby, Griffin and Kaman ...

...scrubs

 

[Rodolfo]

...scrubs

Camby won the Defensive player of the year award two years ago. Dude ain't chopped liver.

 

[THE HCP]

No! When he has a game of 9 points and 8 boards then everyone on here will start freaking out.

 

[THE HCP]

Camby won the Defensive player of the year award two years ago. Dude ain't chopped liver.

I have never understood that. Do they sell chopped liver? In a can or what?

 

[Rodolfo]

I have never understood that. Do they sell chopped liver? In a can or what?

Not a liver fan HCP?

 

[LOTBfan]

no, you have to cook it, with onions and eggs and schmaltz

 

[KingSpeed]

No! When he has a game of 9 points and 8 boards then everyone on here will start freaking out.

9 points & 8 boards is a decent game. It's just those horrible games like 4pts/2rebs vs the Thunder that were depressing.

 

[LameR]

Well, we've played two games against the Kings. In preseason. Soooo no.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

9 points & 8 boards is a decent game. It's just those horrible games like 4pts/2rebs vs the Thunder that were depressing.

I don't think those games will happen as long as Steve Blake stays off the court and Andre Miller stays on. With a point guard actually looking for Oden, Greg will have the opportunities he didn't get last season. Long gone are the repeated games of 2 field goal attempts.

 

[PapaG]

I don't think those games will happen as long as Steve Blake stays off the court and Andre Miller stays on. With a point guard actually looking for Oden, Greg will have the opportunities he didn't get last season. Long gone are the repeated games of 2 field goal attempts.

Oden had double-doubles last year with Blake as the PG. Were those in spite of Blake?

 

[RoyIsClutch07]

I'm ready to raise the expectations simply because an important dynamic has changed. Confidence. He might have played with confidence once every five games last year. That effected his game. Now like many have suggested. The confidence problem has been addressed. If he brings the same confidence and fire game in and game out, there is no reason why he can't be consistant and put the numbers up you were referring too.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I would raise my expectations of him, but I heard Greg was gay . . .


Good night all

 

[Haakzilla]

Camby won the Defensive player of the year award two years ago. Dude ain't chopped liver.

36yrs old soon enough...

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Oden had double-doubles last year with Blake as the PG. Were those in spite of Blake?

Absolutely. It isn't like Steve Blake is a very good creator for his teammates. He is what he is, a guy who can shoot the ball and take care of the ball. He doesn't create many opportunities for his teammates at all. I don't think that is something to argue either. There just wasn't an excuse for Greg to be getting 2 or 3 shots in a game repeatedly. Some of it is coaching, and some of it is his teammates not looking for him.

 

[Entity]

I put no stock in pre-season games against teams like Sacramento for numbers, but he's definitely playing better than he was last year. That being said, let's make those numbers per-36 numbers to show us what he'd be doing with Brandon Roy minutes:

Per 36 minutes: 26.3 ppg, 14.5 rpg

 

[KingSpeed]

I don't think those games will happen as long as Steve Blake stays off the court and Andre Miller stays on. With a point guard actually looking for Oden, Greg will have the opportunities he didn't get last season. Long gone are the repeated games of 2 field goal attempts.

Greg was given opportunities last season. But he'd get stripped and turn the ball over. So people stopped looking for him. He was also given opportunities to not commit fouls and stay on the court. But he just couldn't stay on the fucking court.

 

[Rodolfo]

Greg was given opportunities last season. But he'd get stripped and turn the ball over. So people stopped looking for him. He was also given opportunities to not commit fouls and stay on the court. But he just couldn't stay on the fucking court.

Yeah, you sure gave up on him a couple of times.

 

[Mediocre Man]

We have played a team with no inside presence. Let's hold off on raising expectations until he faces a better post defender, and a better defensive team.

He looks great so far though.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Greg was given opportunities last season. But he'd get stripped and turn the ball over. So people stopped looking for him. He was also given opportunities to not commit fouls and stay on the court. But he just couldn't stay on the fucking court.

He's definitely better, but I agree that the 7 fouls in two games (52 minutes played) is as encouraging a sign as any of the other stats.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I was actually more impressed with the 8 minute stretch of dominance he ran off after picking up 2 quick fouls.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

He's definitely better, but I agree that the 7 fouls in two games (52 minutes played) is as encouraging a sign as any of the other stats.

7 fouls in 52 minutes? So if he played one game straight through, he would have fouled out before the end of the game? How is that encouraging?!

 

[BenDavis503]

No. You cannot change the expectations on a player after every game.

 

[magnifier661]

19 PPG (55 FG%)
10.5 RPG
25 MPG
84 FT%

He's putting up very good numbers but that's really besides the point - He's playing with confidence. I think this will carry over into the regular season, maybe not the 20/10 player he's been but I think he'll exceed a lot of peoples expectations.

He seriously looks like a totally different player with this new found confidence. Imagine how he'll be when he gets his swag back. Before seeing him in the pre-season I thought he'd be a 13-14/10 this season, now I think he can be an 17/12 player. His rebounding is at an elite level already.

Still only "pre-season". I am very anxious to see him during the "Regular Season"

 

[BenDavis503]

I am anxious to see him against someone other than the Kings.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Oden had double-doubles last year with Blake as the PG. Were those in spite of Blake?

Not to be pedantic, but since Blake was starting and Oden was coming off the bench - what % of the time were they actually on the floor together?

Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if Rudy "assisted" on more Oden baskets than Blake did.

 

[STOMP]

my expectations for Greg have been pretty sky high since I first saw him play at OSU... I put him only behind Hakeem in most impressive young Bigs I've seen. Being huge, bright, athletic & coordinated is a solid combination of talents for a player to possess. While he's suffered a few injury setbacks since, none of these setbacks should impact his physical abilities longterm so my expectations are still what they were.

dude has a legitimate chance of being the greatest Blazer ever

STOMP

 

[Boob-No-More]

7 fouls in 52 minutes? So if he played one game straight through, he would have fouled out before the end of the game? How is that encouraging?!

It's extremely encouraging for several reasons.

First, it shows significant progress. At the rate of 7 fouls in 52 minutes, Oden would foul out at about 44.5 minutes - if he played an entire game from start until he fouled out. Last season, for the entire season, he averaged 6.5 fouls/36 minutes. At that rate, he commits his 6th foul about 33.2 minutes into the game - in other words, he fouls out with almost 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. While the sample size is very small, his current PF/36 = 4.8 compared with PF/36 = 6.5 last season. That's significant improvement.

Second, these are replacement refs and they are calling a LOT more fouls in these preseason games than are typically called by real refs during NBA regular season games. So, in spite of the fact that the total number of fouls called per game is way up, Oden's fouls are down - doubly encouraging.

On a related note, in the first game Oden did not pick up his 3rd foul until almost half way through the 4th quarter and his 4th foul with less than a minute and a half left in the game. He was never in serious foul trouble, or in jeopardy of fouling out. And, I thought those last two fouls were questionable. The Blazers had a huge FT advantage in that game and it appeared the replacement refs were trying to even things out a bit late in the game. In any case, if Greg Oden can get halfway through the 4th quarter with only two fouls, that's progress.

Finally, Oden will never play all 48 minutes of a regulation game. We have the best back-up center in basketball. There is no reason for Oden to play an entire game without a break. So, at a rate of 7 PF in 52 minutes, if Joel gives Oden just a 2 minute break in the 1st half and another 2 minute break in the second half, the game will end before Oden commits his 6th foul. A more realistic scenario is that Joel plays at least 6 - 8 minutes per half and at a rate of 7 fouls per 52 minutes, Oden will rarely be in foul trouble - compared to last season when he was constantly battling foul trouble. Again, a significant improvement (based on the limited data).

BNM