Hawes or Oden?

Who would you take?

  • Spencer Hawes

    Votes: 34 41.0%
  • Greg Oden

    Votes: 49 59.0%

  • Total voters
    83

bloom

Starter
source: http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/1428878.html

Leading Off: Hawes or Oden? It's closer than you think

After spending two of the past five nights watching the top centers of the 2007 NBA draft, I ask you to ponder this: Who would you pick now, Spencer Hawes or Greg Oden?

I would take Hawes.

You say I'm crazy? Stay with me. As much hoopla as there was over Oden as the No. 1 overall pick – and yes, he was injured all of last season – he seems to be a one-dimensional player. He is great inside, rebounding and blocking shots. Yet he doesn't have the offensive impact like the big men to whom he was compared, Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone.
 
source: http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/1428878.html

Leading Off: Hawes or Oden? It's closer than you think

After spending two of the past five nights watching the top centers of the 2007 NBA draft, I ask you to ponder this: Who would you pick now, Spencer Hawes or Greg Oden?

I would take Hawes.

You say I'm crazy? Stay with me. As much hoopla as there was over Oden as the No. 1 overall pick – and yes, he was injured all of last season – he seems to be a one-dimensional player. He is great inside, rebounding and blocking shots. Yet he doesn't have the offensive impact like the big men to whom he was compared, Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone.

What Oden does best is what a dominant big man is supposed to do: rebounds, blocks shots, intimidates...just generally changes the tone of the game. Even though he is clearly not yet adjusted to the NBA, when he's in the game..you KNOW he's in the game. His presence is felt. His offensive game will come. Will it ever develop into dominance on the offensive end? Not sure. However, I do know if healthy (and I would put the risk of injury for Hawes and Oden about equal) he will ALWAYS be a beast defensively.

This is not a knock against Hawes who has greatly impressed me, but just trying to be objective.
 
Uhh, I'm probably one of the biggest cheerleaders for Hawes here, but you simply don't pass on a dominating inside presence the likes of which there are only a few of in the league at any given time. You may give up some versatility, but just have to console yourself with 12-14 boards, 4 blocks and a difficult to contain post presence.

No slight on Spencer. I think he'll be a top 5-10 center for years, but Oden will be top 3.
 
You say I'm crazy? Stay with me. As much hoopla as there was over Oden as the No. 1 overall pick – and yes, he was injured all of last season – he seems to be a one-dimensional player. He is great inside, rebounding and blocking shots. Yet he doesn't have the offensive impact like the big men to whom he was compared, Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone.

If you're even gonna make this remotely fair, let them play the same number of games. Oden only has a handful of games under his belt, and yes, he hasn't overly impressed as of yet. And even if he is a "one-dimensional player", Hawes looked awfully like a one-dimensional player at this point last year. So I'm picking Oden until he at least has a year or 2 under his belt. Experience is huge when it comes to rookies.
 
the key to this thread is if Oden can stay healthy cause if he cant... I go wit Hawes
 
I would still take Oden.

Having said that, I was one of the few outspokens critics of the Oden and Durant hysteria that was flying around (and still is) about a year and a half ago. People were talking that these guys were slam dunk HOFs and possibly a couple of the GOAT.

Life is so much more unpredictable than this. There are no slam dunks. Destroyed knees, car accidents and all the rest make everything uncertain. People think that I am out of my head when I say that it would not surprise me if Hawes has a better career than Oden. Mind you, I am not predicting it - but it is well within the realm of possibilities.

I would still take Oden.
 
"In two games against each other, Oden had a combined 10 points (4-of-9 shooting) and 14 rebounds in 38 minutes. Hawes had 30 points (12 of 26) and eight rebounds in 72 minutes.
You get what you get with Oden. It appears the best is to come for Hawes."


If you half Hawe's minutes and production, you get 15 pts, 6/13, and 4 rebs in 32 minutes. Compare this to Oden, who has 10 pts, 4/9, and 14 rebs in 38 minutes.



Hawes took 4 more shots to get 5 points. Whoop-de-do. And gave up 10 boards in 6 more minutes. This is most biased article I've read in a long time.


How does he know what you get with Oden in his first 20 games is what you get for life? This is ludicrous. I cannot believe it actually got published.



comic-book-guy.gif

Worst. Article. Ever.
 
I would still take Oden.
I agree with everything you said. We won't know the answer for at least 5 years barring freak incident. On draft day this was a no brainer. We did well to get the #2 big man at the 10 spot. I had my doubts.

Which raises another issue - win or lose with Greg Oden the hype that came down on this town when he was drafted was monumental. The first two years I lived in Portland I had Blazers tickets given to me all the time, and I frequently couldn't find anyone to go with me leaving at least one ticket unused. Now everybody is going to the games. Quite a few friends with meager incomes became season ticket holders. I don't think Hawes had that kind of impact, if the reaction on the boards was to be believed when he was drafted it may have even cost them a few ticket sales.
 
Ill take the potential of the possible next great center over the potential of a better-version Reaf LaFrentz.

Oden without a doubt.
 
This is ludicrous. I cannot believe it actually got published.

To paraphrase Roman poet Juvenal (via consummate comic book writer Alan Moore): "Who edits the Editor?"

Not that oversight is any assurance given the drivel from Marty that is regularly approved. Bradley's lame Leading Off feature generally sounds more like a letter TO the editor.
 
Oden because of his size would be the better choice. Not only does his size help him on the inside but he would also probably get a little bit of star treatment for it and be able to abuse people at will (ala shaq). ALTHOUGH! If his current injury streak continues, and i suspect it will, it might be smarter to Hawes for a future run at things. Yes, Oden could turn into a Dwight Howard, but Dwight can't do much on the bench with injuries can he? Oden is just to injury prone and i don't see it changing. I think sooner or later he is going to have a major season ending knee injury, and when he comes back he won't be the same. And im gonna predict it happens right when Portland becomes a major contender in 2-3 years, but unfortunately they can't win it with out their big man present....This is all 100% based on pure speculation thoe, so don't take any of it for truth....until it happens! BWAHAHA
 
Really impossible to say at this point. The obvious choice on paper is Oden. He has all the makings of a big dominate center, who with experience and some added skills could be one of the best. However, his career has not gotten off to the best start. He's already lost a year to injury, and has once again been plagued some injuries again this year.

Could be an abberation, or could be a sign of things to come. One could say the same thing about Hawes, but so far there's been no sign of any reoccurence with him. Don't think there aren't any nervous Nellie's in Portland. Oden carries a lot of weight on those wheels. Check back in a couple of years.
 
I love Hawes. He looks like a steal as the 10th pick. Arguably much closer to Oden than we though and they could have a great rivarly playing against each other a la Vlade and Shaq. However, I take Oden 10 times out of 10. He's a potential franchise center and as someone else said he dominates the paint the way you need a big man too. I think it says something very positive about Hawes that this can even be debated without completley breaking down into laughter, but Oden in a heartbeat.
 
When Oden is fully recovered from the knee surgery (this was microfracture) this will seem a silly question. There are nights when he is still laboring out there. Then you see the nights when he is feeling good, and the potential is scary.
 
Today, the question is: "Hawes or Oden?"

A month ago, it was: "Hawes - Complete Bust or Decent Backup Someday?" :D
 
LeBron James or Jamaal Magloire?

I say Magloire. Sure, Magloire may be the worst player in the NBA, but (stay with me!) LeBron could be disfigured in a horrible escalator accident. When might that happen? Tomorrow? Then wouldn't you rather have Magloire....I bet you would! If you don't believe me, ask Jalen Rose!
 
Hawes

I was the biggest hater on Hawes, but I like what I see from him on so many levels! Crazy as it sounds, I gotta roll with my boy Spencer. I dont think his parents were to nice to him for giving him a name like Spencer though................
 
This is kind of like asking which you would take. In their prime Dirk or Ben Wallace. It all depends on the dynamic of the rest of your team. If you are complete everywhere else and have scorers then you take Ben. If you need a guy that can spread the floor when needed and can post up and isn't a complete liability on defense then you take Dirk. Same with Oden and Hawes. Oden is better than Ben and Hawes is a carbon copy of Dirk.
 
I say Magloire. Sure, Magloire may be the worst player in the NBA, but (stay with me!) LeBron could be disfigured in a horrible escalator accident. When might that happen? Tomorrow? Then wouldn't you rather have Magloire....I bet you would! If you don't believe me, ask Jalen Rose!

Thats not a fair comparison. The only way that would make sense is if Lebron had a habit of riding rusty broken down abandoned escalators and once in a while he broke a limb or pulled a muscle but up until this point has gotten lucky. If that was the case I'd rather have Magloire. And on top of that Oden will never be Lebron, and Hawes will be much better than Magloire.
 
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When Oden is fully recovered from the knee surgery (this was microfracture) this will seem a silly question. There are nights when he is still laboring out there. Then you see the nights when he is feeling good, and the potential is scary.

That is the question, isn't it. Will he be one of those that easily recovers from microfracture. He's young and has that going for him, but he's also heavy, and that works against him.

Personally I'm pulling for him. Portland needs him and the league needs him. Hell, the Kings need him. He's pretty erratic right now. I watched a couple of games (not Kings games) and he looked terrible in one of them, and just decent in the other one. He really needs to improve his skills around the basket. He's a little predictable right now.
 
hawes knees are bad? i wouldnt know about that

but im a big fan of the Versatile player... i dont want my big man to just be a post up bang your way inside guy... i also want him to have the intangibles of shooting and passing.. defensively if he is cerebral too.. because it opens up so many options in the offense if your line up from 1 to 5 have multiple sets of skills...

so i will have to pick hawes on this one.. oden might be a physical specimen but as you said he has bad knees and sooner or later his physical abilities will be diminished by injuries and wear and tear... can he always jump high and fight for every rebound when his knees give out?

skill wise Hawes is already ahead of him... and he has shown how much he can improve.. so im sticking with him
 
hawes knees are bad? i wouldnt know about that

Hawes has had at least 4 knee surgeries, one of which was a microfracture at age 14. I'm not trying to be a downer, but if his knees aren't a problem within the next 5 to 7 years, I'd be shocked. To me, the health issue between the two is an equal concern.
 
well at least hawes has his jumper to rely on when his knees become a problem...

so far if the conditioning coach is good enough im guessing it will not be a problem...
 
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