Yes. I think it'd be hard to argue against that. BUT (and this is not a "but" against your point) I still think the Oden pick was the right one... and I still think that the Zach trade was the wrong one. I do not believe that Oden's injuries could have been predicted... I'm not all-knowing, so some evidence out there might prove me wrong, but I don't think that the Blazers would have missed that sort of real evidence or would have seen it and selected him, anyway. The Zach deal... we traded low like we did under PatterNash. That was the primary reason I was against it. It is definitely a "what have you done for me lately" league, and every fan buys into that to some extent. There's not a guarantee that Oden will EVER come back from his injury (although he should) nor that he will not miss two of the next three years with injuries even if he does (although he should not). Once Oden's back on the floor and showing improvement and reminding us all why he was picked above Durant, it'll be easier to live with the selection. This is a low point. I don't like to trade low. In the long run, we are all dead, indeed. Ed O.
Once Durant comes off of his rookie contract, the combined salaries of those 4 guys would break the bank for any team in today's NBA.
Call me a horrible cynic, but it wouldn't shock me if the Blazers knew there was a risk with Oden's knees, and drafted him anyway. At the time, drafting Oden seemed like the right choice. Reality has proved that we were all wrong. The only question now, is how (or if) the Blazers are going to deal with it.
Define "better". We wouldn't have our young center out with a busted kneecap (except for Przybilla) because we wouldn't have a young center, Zach would be bitching to Durant that he doesn't pass him the ball enough (because Zach would never have been humbled) and we would still be being called the JailBlazers. We would also have no defense, which, unless you're the seven-seconds-or-less Suns gets demoralizing. Where's the bitching about Deron Williams? He's the guy we screwed up the most in not taking. Anyone see him throwing down in the All-Star game? For the time he was on the floor he looked like the best player.
I definitely think Oden was the correct pick at the time, based on ability. The only thing that has changed that is health. Therefore, if Oden continues to be so injury-prone, I'll definitely wish Portland had selected Durant (obviously). I think if Oden is fairly healthy in the future, Portland will be better off than if they had Durant instead. And I like Durant a lot. I think he's one of the best, most exciting young players in the game. Aesthetically, I actually prefer long, talented wings to big men. But I've felt Oden was the bigger difference-maker, when healthy, since both were in college.
You're a horrible cynic. Why does that make you a horrible cynic? That just makes the Blazers completely irrational. And where was that attitude with Darius Miles and DeJuan Blair? Maybe next year, when Oden comes back strong and Durant gets hit by a meteorite, reality will prove that we were right after all! Reality has a way of changing its mind.
We'd have a lot better options than "cross your fingers and hope Oden recovers fully and injury issues go away." We'd pretty likely have a better record this season. That's my definition of "better." However, like I said, "better" is rather fluid. We'd be better off right now, but it's certainly possible in a year we'd be better off with Oden.
Depends on how guys get their shots/touches. Z-bo gets a ton of shots off of his own misses and offensive boards, Roy is enough of a distributor that his assist totals would probably keep climbing, while his shot attempts would have fallen. To say those guys wouldn't have been able to play together and get their shots, is the same as suggesting that Roy, LMA and Oden can't coexist and get their shots.
This weekend could sum up KP's decision: Durant was playing in the All-Star game. Greg Oden is walking around the mall with a cane.
The last four years he's been injury plagued, actually. Freshman Year: Rookie year: First game back: This year:
It's difficult for me to watch Durant play, because I feel like I want him to fail when he's playing. Not an overt feeling on my part, but something underlying, and it makes me contradict myself because the dude has such a beautiful and fluid game. The whole Oden v. Durant period has taken away some of my ability to appreciate Durant. I wanted Oden at the time, and if he can ever stay healthy, I'd still want him, but Durant has already turned into an elite player. So, I guess I feel ... what? Jealousy? Regret? A feeling that things have turned out unfair since the day we drafted Oden? I'm not the type of person who generally roots against players (a few exceptions include Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone), but I find myself doing it regarding Durant, and I like the guy as a public image and as a player. I also root against Zach Randolph, but only because it kills me to see that he got his shit straight. If he was the guy he is now in Portland, we'd all love him. Then again, Zach had terrible 'role models' during the Jail Blazer era, so I'm starting to give him a pass as time wears on. Young and poor to young and rich, with Ruben Patterson, Bonzi Wells, Rasheed Wallace, Qyntel Woods, etc. to "guide" him. Poor Zach never had a chance.
Durant may break Kareem's record, but he won't break the one LBJ will set. So that is kind of a moot point. Who cares, scoring doesn't win you championships alone. Iverson proved that when he was just a scorer, it got Philly no where. I do agree you should have picked Durant over Oden, but hindsight is 20/20, right?
Yeah, unless of course Durant suffers a serious injury, in which case we were all right. Well, except that KP also passed on Horford. Man, he does suck at this draft pick thingy.
