Now, why couldn't GO and his handlers do this?

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/090926_olajuwon_works_with_grizzlies_thabeet

I get that he's been working with Bill Bayno and all, but why not learn from one of the best post players in the game?

 

I would be all for giving it a shot, but history tells me that assuming the best players are good teachers of the game, is far from true.

 

Sure, but Hakeem has a (somewhat of a) track record. He mentored Yao early in his career, and Yao is the best offensive big man in the league right now.

 

He was a very good offensive player coming into the league as well.

Like I said, I'm all for trying it, but I wouldn't count on any more productivity coming from Hakeem than Bano.

 

I don't think a 2 day stint with Hakeem is going to make any more of a difference than continuing to work out with BB who has devoted his time to studying Oden and taler a training regiment specifically for Oden. Unless Hakeem was willing to spend a month or so working with Oden, I don't think it would really pay off.

 

Someone show some youtube videos of Hakeem to Greg, at least. Christ.

 

My thoughts exactly. Seems like more of a PR move on Thabeet's agents' part than anything.

 

Let's see what he looks like after a summer with Bill Bayno. Bayno maybe enough for Greg.

 

oden should totally go one on one with russell.

 

Russell would get "Rick Rolled"

 

actually, i'm pretty sure that hakeem didn't workout with yao at all during yao's first few years in the league because their schedules didn't match up. it wasn't until a couple of year ago that they actually worked out together.

 

Thanks for clearing that up. I remember seeing a video of the two working out, and assumed it was from early in Yao's career.

 

Not worth what? Was he going to have to give up his first born child just to ask for a couple workouts?

I think any help, tips, pointers, etc, that Greg can get from one of the all-time greatest centers would be great.

 

This is all window dressing. Either Greg Oden is going to become a very good player or he is going to be pretty good. He has already demonstrated that he can put up numbers when he gets time, and he has probably been through the most difficult part of his career (I hope) due to the major injury he suffered. Working out for a few hours with The Dream is not going to alter his destiny. Greg has met some of the best players in the game all-time, they have given him advice. All he needs to know about being a star is resting in the mind of his team captain.

 

My money says Hasheem Thabeet will still suck ass this year despite his working out with Hakeem, and that Greg will be much improved even though he "only" worked out with Bayno and Brian Grant this summer.

This notion that working out with a former HOFer is somehow going to pay huge dividends in improvement and that somehow being around these guys will transfer their greatness through osmosis doesn't seem very realistic to me. Greg can learn footwork from any competent coach and primarily he needs to be going up against other strong physical players (sort of like he did with Brian Grant over the summer) in one-on-one and game type situations to put that practice to work.

 

+1...

 

If Greg took away one tool fom his time with Hakeem that he didnt already have then it would be worth it.

 

The odds of that happening are pretty much nil