They'd be champs because Oden would be healthy and the most dominating center in the history of the game! ;-)
Touche. All things considered, I still think Oden would have broken down. His body has not displayed any sort of resilience and I don't think that has anything to do with Portland.
His first injury was getting up off the couch. I don't see how our training staff was at fault for his first two injuries. Then looking at the final injury, a lot had to do with him being out of shape; then trying to stress out and get into playing shape. Oden had some problems that even the best medical and training staffs wouldn't be able to put him back together again. I call oden humpty dumpty
If his body is predisposed to injuries, and can't handle the rigors of the NBA, I don't think it would have mattered where he ended up.
Maybe. Nobody can say for sure unless we can look into some alternate universe where he was picked by OKC.
Well SEA at that time technically but I tend to agree. I think he probably would have still been injury prone but not out for season type stuff.
I'm just excited at the thought that a team may reach on someone like it happens fairly often and then an expected good player could slide to us. On a sidenote: What is the protection on our draft pick for next season again? Is it top 12 or is down to like top 10 or something? I know that next years draft class is said to be good so in case we miss the playoffs.. Honestly unless we improve a lot it seems like the top 8 teams in the west this season along with maybe the Mavs and Jazz are here to stay unless something drastic happens. Only team that may fall out would be the Warriors, but who knows.
True, but you can look at probabilities. Oden's bones are still denser than the normal human's bones (per our doctors, something like 10-20% denser than normal...), and his tendons/ligaments/cartilidge are still normal durability. Ergo, bends, scrapes of bone on tissue, etc, are still going to affect him whether he's playing Dance Dance Revolution in Portland or in OKC. Now, with fewer bars and strip clubs per capita than Portland (pretty much a lock there lol), he might have rehabbed better, but he's still an injury risk regardless of where he ended up.
Seems to me that quite a few players looked after by the Blazers' doctors and trainers ended up seriously hurt. They wouldn't be in the equation in Seattle. Ya know?
I wonder if Charlotte would be interested in taking our pick with the agreement that we trade Freeland and Matthews for Kidd-Gilchrist and Biyombo?
Funny part is the Bobcats just won their last 3 games and went from a 25% chance to 18% chance of getting that #1 pick.
At least they can go out saying they had a 3 game win streak........ hahaha. That's as important and meaningful as our losing streak.
