If both Wall AND Rubio enter the draft, and we get the #2 pick, I think we have to go with Wall. His ceiling is just too high to pass up. But I wouldn't be surprised if neither declare 
and with the #1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft the Kings select...
- Thread starter RiffRaff
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To me Rubio seems to be a little over 50% that he's going into the draft and Wall right now seems maybe 20%. So hopefully at least one enters.
http://slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/04/anatomy-of-a-draft/#comments
The Sacramento Kings, for example, are loaded in the frontcourt with young talent. Believe it or not Spencer Hawes is a legitimate NBA big man. I’ve always been an Ike Diogu fan (and not just because he blew up last night against the Nuggets). Donte Green will be a scorer in this League. And Jason Thompson has a bright future as well, but if the team from California’s capital gets the first pick, they better not screw it up.
Take Blake Griffin.
He is by far the best player in this draft and having him on your team this year, next year and five, 10 years from now will make your team better than any other available player could. Maybe you develop a logjam at the power forward/center position, but maybe you develop a dominating multi-headed force. Maybe one of those already on your team flames out and never meets expectations and you are fortunate to have several viable options down low. Or maybe, two years from now you can package Hawes, Green or Thompson for a veteran guard that can help your burgeoning playoff team.
The Sacramento Kings, for example, are loaded in the frontcourt with young talent. Believe it or not Spencer Hawes is a legitimate NBA big man. I’ve always been an Ike Diogu fan (and not just because he blew up last night against the Nuggets). Donte Green will be a scorer in this League. And Jason Thompson has a bright future as well, but if the team from California’s capital gets the first pick, they better not screw it up.
Take Blake Griffin.
He is by far the best player in this draft and having him on your team this year, next year and five, 10 years from now will make your team better than any other available player could. Maybe you develop a logjam at the power forward/center position, but maybe you develop a dominating multi-headed force. Maybe one of those already on your team flames out and never meets expectations and you are fortunate to have several viable options down low. Or maybe, two years from now you can package Hawes, Green or Thompson for a veteran guard that can help your burgeoning playoff team.
Over on the fan's rap side I gleened some info from one of the articles that was posted. Interesting stuff. Let me start by asking a question. If you had to pick right now between Greg Oden and Thabeet, who would you choose? Let me ask it a different way. Coming out of college, which of the two do you think is the most talented? Anybody remember Stanley Roberts out of LSU. You know, Shaq's running mate there. Lets throw his name out there as well. Of the three, Oden, Thabeet, and Roberts, who is the most talented coming out of college?
First year stats for Oden ( really his second year ):
21.3 MPG - 8.7 PPG - 1.1 BPG - and a whooping 8.9 fouls per 48 MPG
First year stats for Roberts:
20.3 MPG - 10.4 PPG - 1.5 BPG - and an even bigger 9.5 fouls per 48 MPG
As we all know, Roberts had a less than stellar career, and I'm by no means saying that Oden in on the same path. But if I were Portland, I would certainly be concerned.
Getting back to my orginal question of who would you pick coming out of college, Oden or Thabeet, I think most would pick Oden. As you can see, there are no guarantees.
First year stats for Oden ( really his second year ):
21.3 MPG - 8.7 PPG - 1.1 BPG - and a whooping 8.9 fouls per 48 MPG
First year stats for Roberts:
20.3 MPG - 10.4 PPG - 1.5 BPG - and an even bigger 9.5 fouls per 48 MPG
As we all know, Roberts had a less than stellar career, and I'm by no means saying that Oden in on the same path. But if I were Portland, I would certainly be concerned.
Getting back to my orginal question of who would you pick coming out of college, Oden or Thabeet, I think most would pick Oden. As you can see, there are no guarantees.
Definitely Oden, he was/is an elite level athlete with great core strength, quickness, defensive fundamentals, and length. Far better hands and rebounding instincts as well. Thabeet isn't the athlete that Oden is and the difference in length is probably not big enough to offset the much superior overall athleticism.
I don't know the point exactly, and what this has to do with Thabeet. All that proves is that Roberts had a pretty good rookie year (the best year of his career by far). Just because Oden had similar rookie numbers doesn't mean he'll become a fat lazy slob whose drug problems run him out of the league (like Roberts). With Oden as long as he stays healthy even to a minimal degree, he's going to be a good player.
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bajaden is referring to this article:
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/4/15/838619/bill-simmons-mvp-column
If you consider the foul aspect combined with the injuries, Oden starts to look like a bust. We still have to see, but in hindsight, most of us would go with Durant. bajaden's point that there are no guarantees is one that needs to be heeded. No one in this draft is a sure thing. No one in any draft is ever a sure thing.
http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/4/15/838619/bill-simmons-mvp-column
If you consider the foul aspect combined with the injuries, Oden starts to look like a bust. We still have to see, but in hindsight, most of us would go with Durant. bajaden's point that there are no guarantees is one that needs to be heeded. No one in this draft is a sure thing. No one in any draft is ever a sure thing.
except Lebron James
People have been really harsh on Oden, I wouldnt call him a bust because when he gets into the flow of the game without nagging injuries he can put up 20/10 easily. His fouling is probably because he has played so few games, although if his next year is also injury ridden than you can label him as bust.
People have been really harsh on Oden, I wouldnt call him a bust because when he gets into the flow of the game without nagging injuries he can put up 20/10 easily. His fouling is probably because he has played so few games, although if his next year is also injury ridden than you can label him as bust.
It's far too soon to call Oden a bust. He's going to have the same problem Shaq had coming in to the league (and still has to a lesser extent) -- obvious fouls on him are ignored because "he's too big to be stopped otherwise" but any time he breathes on someone they're going to call a foul "so as to prevent accidental dismemberment". Bill Simmons is a comedian, not a journalist. He's reading way too much into this or just playing it up for a good punch line. I'd still take Oden over anyone else in this draft, and I'd still consider taking him over Durant (and I'm a huge Durant fan).
Love this Beno quip in this article.. Nailed it..
281. Beno Udrih
The winner of this year's coveted Tim Thomas Award, given annually to the player who comes closest to reaching basketball's VORP potential (in other words, you could sub any replacement-level player for him and that player would put up similar stats). Udrih's '09 season: 31.1 mpg, 11.0 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.0 rpg, 1.1 spg, 46 percent FG, 82 percent FT, 31 percent 3-point FG. Sure, the free-throw shooting is pretty good. But other than that, it's a VORP-worthy season ... which brings me back to my protests last summer when the Kings overpaid him. Why pay Beno $33 million when you can pay a hungry D-leaguer one-tenth as much to give you roughly the same performance? What a stupid league. I can't stand it.
It's pretty true no?
Greg Monroe to Return to Georgetown
Looks like Greg Monroe has decided to opt out of this draft. One less lottery big then...
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4071976&campaign=rss&source=NCBHeadlines
Looks like Greg Monroe has decided to opt out of this draft. One less lottery big then...
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4071976&campaign=rss&source=NCBHeadlines
Oden put up great numbers as a kid in one year of college, all while playing with his OFF hand while displaying good durability. He was what the blazers needed, they were good on the SG/SF swingmen. What can you do? Oden was labeled a no miss prospect, one of those that comes once in a while. Mistakes are made. Nobody thought that Durant would all of a sudden become a dead eye shooter and develop such a mean streak so soon.
First of all that is the mistake most teams make when they pass up on a sure fire superstar. I think its always better to go for the best player available instead of needs. But i am not saying anything bad about oden, i still like him and think he will be decent player. Durant will be so much better though.
Thankyou! I really didn't think my point was that difficult to see. I was by no means implying that Oden was going to be a bust. But if we had drafted him, I guarantee you there would be people whining all over the place right now.
Up to this point, Oden has been a disappointment. One could say that its not all his fault with all of his assorted injuries. Injuries or not, your stuck with your pick if he doesn't pan out for whatever reason. I'm a big proponent of patience with big men. And that certainly applies to Oden. As Kingzrool so succinctly pointed out, my post was simply about being careful. That there are no guarantee's. That sometimes, what you see is not what you get. (that means) What I see, may not be what you see, and what you see, may not be what Kingzrool see's. So don't be shocked if what you see, ends up being instead what I see, or vice versa.
Now I hope all of you are confused, because I know I'am...
Up to this point, Oden has been a disappointment. One could say that its not all his fault with all of his assorted injuries. Injuries or not, your stuck with your pick if he doesn't pan out for whatever reason. I'm a big proponent of patience with big men. And that certainly applies to Oden. As Kingzrool so succinctly pointed out, my post was simply about being careful. That there are no guarantee's. That sometimes, what you see is not what you get. (that means) What I see, may not be what you see, and what you see, may not be what Kingzrool see's. So don't be shocked if what you see, ends up being instead what I see, or vice versa.
Now I hope all of you are confused, because I know I'am...
Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20. If someone put a gun to your head and forced you to choose while they were still in college, would you have said the same thing? Bear in mind, I agree with you. You take the best available unless the need is too drastic. However, Oden was labeled a no miss player by as many as said Durant would be great. Yes, his knees were a worry, but so are Hawes. Oden has just been unlucky... I would wait a couple of years before calling this blazer's draft screw up 2.0
I don't blame Portland one bit for going with Oden. If I were Pritchard, I'd take Oden 100 times out of 100. Not often does such a dominant 7 footer come along with the skillset and IQ that Oden has.
And FTR, Durant is now in his second season, where technically Oden is still in his first. To be honest, I wasn't overly impressed with Durant last year either (this year I am tho).
And FTR, Durant is now in his second season, where technically Oden is still in his first. To be honest, I wasn't overly impressed with Durant last year either (this year I am tho).
I love Oden's defensive instincts; he's already an impact player on that end of the court. And, he's been showing since the All-Star Break that, when he can stay out of foul trouble, he's a tough guard on the other end, too.
Oden's never going to average thirty points a game, but I don't think he needs to in order for him to be a great player. You've got to keep in mind, Portland drafted him, basically, because they think he can be Bill Russell. So, supposing for the sake of argument that he can be, regarding the question of Durant over Oden, it depends on would you take Dominique Wilkins over Bill Russell?
Oden's never going to average thirty points a game, but I don't think he needs to in order for him to be a great player. You've got to keep in mind, Portland drafted him, basically, because they think he can be Bill Russell. So, supposing for the sake of argument that he can be, regarding the question of Durant over Oden, it depends on would you take Dominique Wilkins over Bill Russell?
