I just view it as part of his schtick. He's a diehard Celtics fan who feels a weird sense of outrage over losing that lottery still (even though his team got a championship as a result). I remember people saying what a loser Sheed was and how he'd never amount to anything after we traded him. How he'd destroy the Pistons' chemistry. I didn't begrudge people their right to vent. But I did take some quiet satisfaction in seeing him raise the championship trophy that same year. I just knew he could do it. When Oden pulls together a long string of dominating performances, whether in the playoffs this year, next year or the year after (I doubt it'll be that long), I'll get some quiet satisfaction out of reading Simmons fumble for words to explain how he didn't really mean it like people interpreted it. He'll be wrong, I'll be right. I know it'll happen, so why get bothered by this stuff in the meantime?
Yep. I was all for drafting Oden over Durant from the second we won the lottery. I am a firm believer that defense and rebounding wins champsionships. And, even with his injuries and foul problems, Greg gives us those things. He's one of only a couple centers that is playing at least 20 MPG and is in the top 10 in both TRB% (total rebound rate) and DRtg (defensive rating). Even if he scores zero PPG, Greg Oden is already making an impact in the two areas where this teams was weakest last season. And, he has barely scratched the surface. He will get better - a LOT better. BNM
Because it passes the time, and it's fun to point out just how effective Oden has been when you point out his positive statistics instead of just dwelling on fouls. Plus, it doesn't bother me, because Simmons is basically a blogger who was given a forum at ESPN.
If I ever see Bill Simmons I am going to kick him in the gnards as hard as I can. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090415 Greg Oden = Stanley Roberts? That fully calls for a kick in the gnards. You know it would be much better if Simmons just admitted he never watches the Blazers, so he has no input.
Re: If I ever see Bill Simmons Caring what Simmons says about basketball is like caring what Jerry Seinfeld says about nuclear physics.
Actually, Roberts' nickname was Manly Stanley. But hey, I suppose it's funnier if you can just make shit up and pretend it's true. BNM
Well, it's pretty obvious that Simmons has only watched a handful of Blazers games. If he really did watch, he would know that at least half of the fouls called on Oden are ticky tacky bullshit fouls. The playoffs are going to be Oden's coming out party. He's going to dominate. I have a feeling. The Greg we've seen in the last few games is going to continue to emerge, and by the time we tip off our first playoff game, the beast will be unleashed. Simmons will eat his words before the week is out.
He's entitled to his opinon but is more known for being humorous than a serious NBA expert. It is well documented that Bill Simmons was all over Oden before that draft and had he had the chance he would have drafted him on the Celtics. It's easier to say these things when you have access to the results.
Right in the thick of the Jail Blazers' era... he did a draft diary when we drafted Outlaw, making the joke about how we drafted Outlaw. Here, I went to the subject archive and found it. From the 2003 draft diary: I bolded the part that pissed me off. As far as I know, Outlaw was never in trouble when he was a kid. And as far as I know, Simmons literally made that up just to include it, knowing no one would call him on it because nobody cared about Portland or the High Schooler they had just drafted. So, yeah, it's six years later and that still pisses me off. Simmons is fun to read. I read every mailbag, chat, article, about half of his podcasts... but he's not a scout. He never played the game. He's wrong about half the time. When you realize that most of ESPN is now entertainment/comedy/general observations and not the expert opinions we all crave, you'll realize that Simmons is actually the best at it. That said, I don't really care what he says. About anything.
When your dad is a cop, and that cop is Big John Outlaw, you keep your nose clean and stay out of trouble. The only baggage Travis Outlaw has ever had was made by Samsonite. Once agian, Simmons makes up stuff because it's so much funnier than telling the truth. BNM
IIRC, the only "bagage" Outlaw had was his grades. He was nowhere near ready to jump to the NBA, but he wouldn't have been eligible to play if he had gone to school. Personally, I consider that a red flag with a player - but it hardly compares to a crimminal record!
