Please don't. Theo is one of the biggest slackers in the NBA. Great if he wanted to play but milked every injury...real or imagined.
So, bring in a guy to teach Greg how to milk injuries, con fanbases and teams into giving him a huge (undeserved) contract and then play like shit? Yah, brilliant idea.
Personally, I don't think Theo milked injuries. The point is, he inherently knows the practical applications of defensive positioning and strategy. I think he'd be a great teacher. With all due respect to Mo, I'm not sure he's doing what it takes in this regard. OTOH, not to get all caught-up in if Theo is legit, or not.......even if it weren't Ratliff, I'd love to se someone become Oden's full-time mentor. The Blazers have too much invested in him.
There's teaching and then there's application; anybody brought in to school Oden can only do so much. Greg needs floor time and experience and he has to take his lumps. Like most young guys he'll get to take all of those experiences with him into the off-season and work specifically on shoring up weaknesses. Plus, it's extremely difficult to put in extensive one-on-one practice with guys when the team is playing every other day.
Pretty much. We know they've been working with him on how to avoid fouls, but he still has trouble getting out of position or putting his hands up. It just takes time.
Right. what you are describing is extensive off-season instruction. What Greg is getting during the season is a couple of practices a week and a lot of games. There is no way to get lots of one-on-one attention and the intensive repetition that a big man camp (like Pete Newell used to run) offers while he's playing in the regular season and it's no secret that Greg didn't really have the summer to work on his game since he was mostly focused on just getting back into reasonable condition.
When did I ever say this should happen during the season? I'm simply saying that he needs one-on-one attention. I'm also saying that it can effectively be "taught" (hence, the Newell example). I think Greg needs encouragment, as well.
Well, you had said you aren't sure Mo is getting the job done, and since he was sick for all of training camp I can only assume you meant he wasn't getting the job done since he returned to the team in November. But, yes I agree that he can make great strides over the coming off-season if he puts the work in with somebody one-on-one, but that probably won't be Mo any way unless Greg sticks around in PDX during the off-season.
I guess our convo did get a little convoluted. Sorry about that. But, yes, I'm thinking he needs someone for today "and" for the future. Heck, I don't care if this person travels with him - and keeps him company - this season. Probably good, actually. Oh, wait, he turns 21 this month! Nevermind.
Greg hasn't played as well as he did when I was on his team. I'm way better than Mike Conley. The Blazers should sign me. I'll turn his season around!
That's a TERIBLE idea!! That's one of the worst assertions in the history of the NBA and humanity as a whole. And Robert Horry is one of the Greaters Post Season Players of All Time Thanks, Bill Walton
haha. I don't need to see Greg learning to take half the shot clock to throw up 50 pump fakes to eventually get blocked from behind. How about Buck? I bet he could show Greg how to man up in the paint, and play with some fire, and teach him a few tricks of the trade. Buck was a masterful defensive player.
