Durant is going to be a phenomenal player. He's showing the ability to slash and shoot at an elite level. He has the tools to be a lock-down NBA defender, even if he isn't right now. Durant could very well be another Tracy McGrady (before the injuries spoiled his career) or Kobe Bryant. Despite thinking that, I still am glad Portland took Oden. Oden may never fulfill the expectations, but nothing so far has led me to believe that he won't. He's been considered an all-time great big man prospect since his sophomore year in high school and he's having a solid rookie season for a 20 year old rookie who's spent a year out of basketball and is still regaining his explosiveness.
As some of the other BBF refugees may recall, I was one of the last folks to jump off the KD bandwagon and onto the Penknife bandwagon. As a result, I don't have the emotional investment in Oden that many of you seem to have. I was seduced by the arguments that "big guys are more valuable than perimeter players", and that "KD might win scoring titles, but GO will win championships." In hindsight, I should have stuck to my guns. The reason I prefered KD, was that he showed more fire in his belly than Penknife. In college, GO seemed content to just be part of a winning program. KD acted like he wasn't content to just win - he wanted to drive a stake in your heart, twist it a few times, bury your body in unconsecrated ground, and deflower a cheerleader on your grave! Even on a baboon-ass-ugly team, KD is *trying*. GO often appears to just be going through the motions. His problems are less about his knee, and more about his heart and head. The cake is not baking, the emperor has no clothes, and some of us are sick of piss flavored kool-aid.
Durant is a pretty good ballhandler and good mid-range jumpshooter, but he's (basically) a skinny Carmelo Anthony. He will almost certainly get better, and he's certainly better than Oden right now, but I remain very confident that Oden was the correct pick. Ed O.
Ha ha ha. Very funny. I am neither. If I was a little, whiny, emo bitch I figure I'd have killed myself following this team by now. Or, you know, made a spontaneous and reactionary thread after a loss, displaying my constant 180 degree changes in attitude. Blazers and emos don't mix, nor do they live very long. Don't mistake big, hairsprayed hair with being emo. There's a difference.
Greg and Joel have nearly identical stats, except Greg has more TO's and PF's. Joel had the same problems a few years ago.
lol yet Durant's team was eliminated in the second round of the tourney, while Oden's made it to the finals. In fact, Texas' tourney results with 'Durant The Chucker' was their second worst in the last seven years. Every other time save once they've advanced further in to the tournament.
HAHAHAHA, I love when knee-jerk threads are made. They are just ripe for bumpin. GO will be FINE..he was a manchild tonight! The key to Greg's success is staying on the court! When he isn't worried about fouls, he is so much more into the game.
Actually it's 11PPG Horford job isn't to be a scorer on the Hawks, with all the offensive talent we have already. If you watch him play you can see he's much better than his numbers suggest.
I loved watching Durant in college and, like many, was torn as to who the correct pick was. The thing I kept coming back to is how Durant couldn't carry a team as well as 'Melo did, despite having arguably better teammates and better individual stats.
Not sure what your point is, since Oden's job isn't to be a scorer yet either. Horford shoots 8.2 times a game, Oden shoots 5.3 FG's a game.
The Blazer players need to get better at getting Oden the ball. They miss him open all the time. Defensivly, he needs to keep his hands off folks and just keep them straight up in the air most the time. That will keep most of his fouls from happening. That will increase the playing time, and get him to effect the game.
I wasn't comparing Oden and Horford, my point waz Horford's number doesn't indicate how valuable he is to the team.
