I’m still a huge fan of Greg; I just really enjoy his game and his attitude. His injuries are very sad but they aren’t his fault, injuries are just an unfortunate part of being an elite athlete. If we can make a run at Deron Williams or another stud free agent then obviously I agree we can’t tie up more then a near minimum level contract for Oden. Outside of the bring in a valuable free agent scenario I want Oden to be a part of this team. Yes there’s a chance Oden will never recover from the injuries, or even if he plays he won’t ever regain enough athleticism to be an average starting center. But I think there’s a realistic chance he does completely recover or at least recovers enough to be a valuable contributor on the court. I want him to stay on the team unless the opportunity cost is a starting level talent like a Wes Matthews. I value Wes as our third most valuable asset after LaMarcus and Gerald. I think right now I’d prefer keeping Oden over either Felton or Batum, as I view those two as somewhat replaceable NBA role players, but Oden could end up being a difference maker. Right now it’s a very close decision in my mind though, if Oden’s health outlook is still bad by the time the offseason rolls around I may prefer keeping Felton and Batum over him.
Face it, money may not even be the driving force here and it probably won't really be the team's choice anyway; Greg likely wants/needs a fresh start, where being the "franchise savior" is off of his back and he can focus just on being a cog in the machine. Something else to keep in the back of your mind. This draft is kind of loaded with NBA big men prospects. With the apparent plan to bring Freeland over and should they draft one of these kids you can pretty much kiss his ass goodbye.
Way too soon to speculate on how much we should pay him. If he comes back healthy before the end of the season you pay him whatever it takes though. It would be idiotic to let a healthy Greg Oden walk.
Yes, if Greg wants to go to another team for a bit less money then obviously he can do that. I don't think the "pressure" is that big of a deal any more. Roy retired and fans are talking about other players, he's became irrelevant to daily Blazer news. I think the Blazers should probably make an offer as large as any other team is offering, but after that the decision is in Gregs hands. If he doesn't want to stay then we shouldn't drastically overspend just to try and keep him. I don't think where the Blazers are drafting there'll be any big men to get excited about. Legit big men go in the lottery, not the end of the first round. Freeland could be interesting but until we see him on an NBA court I'm not going to expect anything out of him. Rudy dominated the euro leagues but plays like crap here. Freeland has a big mountain to climb to be an actual contribtor on an NBA roster. I think its more likely Craig Smith is playing meaninful rotational NBA minutes next year than Joel Freeland. If we can bring Freeland over on a small rookie contract I'd do it. But I suspect he may want an MLE level contract in which case I'd let him stay in Europe.
Next year if Oden is still injured or goes to another team I'd aim to acquire a big man by trade or free agency. I think we could get an overpaid Al Jefferson type of player at a very low cost. Or even sign a Josh McRoberts level big man. I think that would give us a much better return on investment then trying to develope a big man in the draft or hoping that Freeland produces.
If he looks close to the 2008-2009 Oden that played 62 ish games--roll the dice. Aldridge will be the first option and G.O. won't really have that much pressure. But oh man would it be nice to have two serious threats down low. Even a mere phantom Greg would be enough to keep the pressure off LA. Next year would be a championship window if he's somewhat recovered.
Why isn't Oden playing? Why isnt there a timetable for his return? These are the questions we should be asking.
Why is the sky blue? While there maybe a scientific answer, it is what it is. He's simply not ready to rush back. Be patient young grasshopper.
Can be looked at many different ways. If I were in his shoes i'd be silent except when I had to tell management because if anything anything at all gets leaked to the media then they go into a frenzy and will find a way to turn it into something bad.
And then you have tweets like this: Sometimes it's too depressing to even think about the "What if's". I'm still hoping, believing that Oden will be coming back in late March.
Which part, money not being his primary motivation or the Blazers having any say? The first point is just speculation on my part, the second is just the facts of unrestricted free agency.
