I'm trying to remember who it was that said if he got 40+ minutes his efficiency and effectiveness would go down.
It's only a 5 game sample size, but in the 5 games Oden has played 30 or more minutes he's had double doubles in 4/5, and is averaging 13.8pts 11.6rebs and 1.6blks in 33.2minutes. I really think it just comes down to consistency, and when he starts being able to bring at least his B game everynight the doubters will back off.
It would be - if the Blazers actually ran the pick and roll. The way they run it, it's either the pick and pop, the pick and drive or the pick and pass it to the guy in the corner for the 3-point attempt. They don't even look for the big man rolling down the lane. Perhaps it's years of playing with Joel and his hands of stone (although he did fine when we had Damon and NVE running the pick and roll with him), but our guards don't even look to pass the ball to the big man on the pick and roll. Last night there were several occasions where Oden was wide open rolling down the lane, or had a guard on him after a switch as the result of the pick and roll, but our guards didn't even look for him. If they couldn't get their own shot, they would pass out to a teammate behind the 3-point line rather than try to get it to the big man. The pick and roll is a two-man play - like the give and go. The way the Blazers run it, it's become a one-man play with an added obstacle for the defense to get around to. The role of our big men is to simply set the screen to try to get the guard a shot. Ironically, that would also be more effective if they would hit the big man once in a while. As it is, the defense is free to switch, or even double the ball, without consequence. When they do that, the Blazers need to make them pay. BNM
