"People just need to give him the opportunity to develop and stop putting everything on his shoulders," Tim makes a lot of sense regarding Greg Oden. He has a lot on his shoulders and a lot of the pressure is from the media. For it to stop, it starts with the media. Maybe a big trade bringing in a big name player (Jason Kidd? Carmelo Anthony?) will take some of the heat away from Greg, something he really needs.
I wouldn't encourage making a big trade just to make Oden's life easier. I think the best way to take pressure off of Oden is to not have a losing record by the time he returns. If we're 4-7 through this grueling schedule when he comes back (if it takes that long), the media will most likely say things like "Let's see if Oden can make the difference for the Trail Blazers" whereas if we're 7-4, he's just a bonus to our succeeding system.
I think having Roy and Aldridge being the focal points as Greg comes along is a better idea than bringing in Jason Kidd. As Greg progresses, he can become more of the focus on our offense (maybe not THE focus, but a bigger piece).
Y'all trippin...its basketball..just let him get used to it, bring him off the bench for 25 min a game and let him earn the starting role...if he is the player you all think he is then he will eventually earn it
Yep thats the best way get him rolling. Portland fans are not the only ones who think Oden is God. He was drafted in his position for a reason. The whole basketball world knows who he is and want him to be awesome. Its pretty common for guys as big as Greg Oden to have minor injuries as they get used to the big body that has gone through a metamorphosis in the last 5 pr 6 years. Greg Oden is 19 and is still getting accustomed to his huge body. Its not like hes Bargnani.
At the same time, I bet Carmello Anthony could tell you that when AI came to town, the expectations just became worse, because the "bar was raised" yet again.
I think most people in the media realize that even with Greg, this team would likely be flirting with a win total well below .500, even in last night's game Jon Barry was talking about the brutality of Portland's opening schedule and the need to "weather the storm." I look at this stretch like playing with house money -- expectations for success are pretty low. As for trades (and J-Kidd or Melo would be awful ideas) Greg is only going to get better by taking the court and playing and working himself into game shape, plus getting used to the speed and size of NBA big men. Greg is going to be fine as long as he learns to tune out what the media says and instead focuses on what his coaches and teammates have to say.
I'm pretty sure this is the advice most every management in every sport offers to all their players. Dealing with the media is a main PR part of the job, but there is little to be gained by paying attention to their collective speculations. STOMP
With Greg, I thought that we ran the offense too much through Greg, and like LMA and Roy said they changed their game for Greg. I think we should run it very similarly to how we did it last night, and let Greg be the defensive anchor and get cleanups on offense along with the occasional pass down low... I think that is the best way to bring him along, specially offensively.
I don't see us as a 500 team- if that's what u meant Nik- I think even w/o Oden we are pretty good. Not Laker good, but good.
"its basketball..just let him get used to it, bring him off the bench for 25 min a game and let him earn the starting role" I hate to agree with a Laker fan , but this is spot on.
I expressed bot those things here: http://www.nflcentral.net/forums/showthread.php?t=127727 But most posters thought I was bashing him, like they thought I was bashing Outlaw in the TO Fan Club Thread
Let him play. Tell him to shut out everything people are saying. It's hoops. Once he's able to get a few games on the court he'll be fine.
