Ben from Blazersedge.com interviews Jeffrey Ma

And remember, the small piece of the conversation that was regarding Oden and Durant was just stating a simple fact that due to Oden's injury for a quarter of the season and shooting left-handed for much of the college season, "anyone saying Oden's stats were better is lying" because the stats for Durant based on that tiny sample size of just college stats that included Oden's injury all would obviously point to Durant. Just like taking and stats comparing LaMichael James vs. Kenjon Barner through the first game of the season, anyone who tell you LaMichael has better stat is lying. Of course they're lying because James was suspended in game one and didn't even play a down yet. So Jeff is getting more into the statistical side of it that the numbers would pick Durant, but that it isn't that "cut and dry" because anyone with knowledge of the game knows Oden was injured and likely the better player long-term after basing it on the 10 years of basketball history prior to college.

 

It wasn't advanced stats that made Oden a better choice. While I'm as big a proponent of advanced stats as anyone, I stay away from numbers, even deeper ones, for college performance. Too much of evaluating prospects has to be scouting for statistics to be very guiding. Production matters, but it's far from all that matters (whereas I think production is all that matters for established NBA players).

Oden has had the highest scouting pedigree since his soph year of high school, he's intelligent and hard-working from all accounts, had a great NBA body and exceptional athleticism and he was extremely productive for a freshman big man.

So while Durant had the more impressive statistical season, I never felt that made him the superior NBA prospect (this was true even before the lottery, so before I had any "stake" in it as a Blazers fan). From a talent perspective, I still feel that was right...injuries have a chance to derail it, though.

 

Oden's health is our great white buffalo........ (whispers) great white buffalo.....

 

KD is the black Larry Bird. *IF* Greg can stay healthy I don't think his ceiling is anywhere close to what Durant is already doing.

 

Big men don't win championships! Teams win championships! Healthy teams!

 

Please, he's not that ugly! But it is true that his defense is atrocious.

Remind me what Ohio State has done before and after Oden played for them? Oh that's right, nothing much. And what have Texas done before and after Durant played for them? Recorded a better record both years, you say? Strange that no mathematical formula can capture those fairly significant facts.

It's interesting watching this iteration of the US team. Essentially, Krzhoweveryouspellit has turned them into the Thunder. Only Durant is to score and everybody else is a role player whose job is to play hustling defense (Iguodala is amazing at this). It seems to be working (Durant's scoring skills are incredible) but I'd be interested to see how Durant would be used on a team with Wade, Bryant and LeBron James.

 

Perhaps Durant is after the MVP that was Scola's. He's got 38 with minutes to go. The US offense really is basically either (a) steal followed by fast break layup or dunk (missed, if you're Westbrook) or (b) Durant going one-on-one. And Lithuania aren't even double-teaming him.

 

That was Gordon.

 

MaCho MaCho Man. I want to be, a MaCho Man!

[video=youtube;AO43p2Wqc08]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08[/video]

 

Who's the Oriental who does the stats for the Knicks? His name escapes me for the moment.

 

FWIW....

http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/