From Mike Barrett's Blog in the comments section: http://mikebarrettsblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/brutal-back-to-back.html
yeah I hope he doesn't try to much at all either. Honestly his first few games I could care less if he didn't score and played crappy... as long as he played and was healthy. In time the stats will come.
+1 I don't care if he comes off the bench and has 1 block and 3 rebounds, just make it off the court at the end of the game.
I think one small way to lower expectations on Oden would be for MB and Mike Rice to stop saying that Oden will be back sooner than expected. Sheesh. Ed O.
I think the best way to approach this situation is to ease Greg into the system. Bring him off the bench. It seems like he's trying too hard out there and not letting things come to him. When he starts the focus is on him and he just isn't there yet. The focus should be on our best players (Roy and Aldridge.) And I'm sure Greg would agree.
On a related note MB said today that he just had a feeling that Greg would score 64 points and block 27 shots in his first game back. And deliver hotdogs during timeouts.
I read that, too. Blake has been working on his mustard skills and he was clearly the best condiment guy throughout summer pickup lunches. Ed O.
During halftime, he was going to deliver his economics speech to the crowd. I heard he figured out a way to balance the budget, have universal healthcare and abolish taxes.
"Mr. Oden -- I served with Jason Jennings. I knew Jason Jennings. Jason Jennings was a friend of mine. Mr. Oden you are no Jason Jennings."
I wouldn't bring him off the bench, but I wouldn't have him the focus of the O as he seem to be in the Laker game. Start him, but let his role be more like Joels to begin with. Later as he's more comfortable he can become more of a focus naturally.
I wouldn't bring him off of the bench, it is something to be proud of having started every game of your career. I just want there to be many many more games. As for expectations, I did hear that Greg was going to whoop Chuck Norris in a cage match at halftime of an upcoming game.
I actually think that him being the focus would be OK... IF he can stay healthy. He showed a lot of aggressiveness even with his nerves and hurt foot against the Lakers. When he gets back if he's healthy I'm not at all opposed to putting him back in the fire. Ed O.
The real pressure is just staying healthy, and he has no control over that. Coming off the bench would alleviate some pressure. Right now everyone wants him to come in a dominate right away, he's just not there yet because he's not in shape. I just think the best rout to take is to bring him along slowly. Maybe this would change his mindset from 'everything is on my shoulders' to 'I just gotta go in there and rebound and defend, let Brandon and LaMarcus do the heavy lifting.'
I don't mean to me a jerk, but so what if Greg is feeling down? Want to know pressure? Give S. Hill a call. The stock market is in the worst shape of my 44 year-old life, and there are lots of people who are feeling real pressure. What has happened to him is not his fault. He just needs to continue to work smart and hard, and let the chips fall where they may.
Hate to say it 'cause I am a hard-core Blazer fan, but when I see the cat doing TV commercials these days he sure looks like a fraud...
How so? He doesn't have to run/jump, and in most cases, even walk in these commercials. Just sit there and talk.
