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Yeah, and Mayo won those kinds of HS awards, too.
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Oden wasn't the most talented player.
Oden was naismith prep player of the year, indiana mr. basketball, AP All american first team, big ten defensive player of the year and big ten first team. Nope, he didn't win Durant's awards, but he won many awards, and was just as talented.
Oden was a two-time Parade and Gatorade National Player of the Year and he also led his team to three straight Indiana state championships.
Regarded in Sports Illustrated in 2004 as “The Next One”, Oden was a hot recruit as early as his freshman year and was considered a potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft as a junior in high school.
Pretty sure LeBron and Oden are the only two players to ever win high school player of the years two years in a row. I think I heard that before.
Also
In your opinion, which you have every right to. From my perception, the scouting community largely felt Oden was the slightly more talented of the two phenoms.
Pretty sure Mayo was HS player of the year back to back years.
And Mayo was projected to go from HS to first overall draft pick, but the NBA changed the rule, requiring him to attend college for a year.
Oden was labeled a "franchise center.". In the ~30 games I saw him play, he looked more like Mutombo than he did a David Robinson, Hakeem, et al (actual franchise centers). He blocked a lot of shots, which is good (so does Joakim Noah). He rarely took a shot that wasn't a dunk (never used the glass, a hook shot, a short range jumper).
There's a big difference between being big and strong and having actual talent.
The guy had 50 career assists. Shaq had 152 as a 20 year old raw rookie. And 23/14. I bring up Shaq because he was just as young, scored mostly on dunks, and talent was there from the first time he stepped on the court.
Oden was labeled a "franchise center.". In the ~30 games I saw him play, he looked more like Mutombo than he did a David Robinson, Hakeem, et al (actual franchise centers). He blocked a lot of shots, which is good (so does Joakim Noah). He rarely took a shot that wasn't a dunk (never used the glass, a hook shot, a short range jumper).
He blocked a lot of shots, which is good (so does Joakim Noah)
There's a big difference between being big and strong and having actual talent.
The guy had 50 career assists. Shaq had 152 as a 20 year old raw rookie. And 23/14. I bring up Shaq because he was just as young, scored mostly on dunks, and talent was there from the first time he stepped on the court.
so what he did in his NBA career helped you label him the next bowie on draft night?
