Ever since Kevin Durant started raining murder on the Big 12 back in January — 37 points and 16 boards in his first conference game against Colorado — he’s been challenging Greg Oden for the once-undisputed status as the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. The two superfreshmen have been the most talked-about players in college ball this year: Oden is putting up 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game for the Sweet 16-bound Buckeyes, while Durant dropped 25.7 points, 11.2 boards, and just under two steals and two blocks a night before going out in the Big Dance’s second round over the weekend.
Every hoop fan and expert has an opinion in the Oden vs. Durant debate, so we wanna hear from you. If your team landed the No. 1 pick, who would you take and why? Is it Oden? Durant? Or someone else altogether — maybe Joakim Noah or Brandan Wright?
Tell us your answers in the “Comments” section of this post, or you can e-mail them to us right here. We’ll use some of the best responses in an upcoming issue of Dime.
*Dime reserves the right to edit entries for length and clarity*
March 19th, 2007 at 2:17 am
B.A. says:
Durant. He’ll average 30 points a game in the League some day. Oden is good for what? 12 points, 12 boards, 2 or 3 blocks in the NBA? Tyson Chandler can do that.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:24 am
McC says:
Oden. Durant is another (spectacular) perimeter wing, but five years from now we’ll count the number of elite centers on one hand, and Oden will be on the list.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:43 am
Lucky Lester says:
Greg Oden to Tyson Chandler? C’mon, guy.
When you look at the situation as best possible outcome for both player, lets say Bill Russell could be Oden’s future, while a taller and better defensive Tracy McGrady could be Durrant’s upside. In that situation, regardless of the points and overall numbers Kevin would and will put up on a daily basis, Oden, like Bill, understands that you don’t need to score massive amounts of points to dominate and win a basketball game. Because you can find solid small forwards all over the league, I have to go with Oden. I love Kevin’s game, kid is legit, NBA All Star soon, no doubt in my mind. But NBA Champion soon? That’s a different story. Oden is the type of player that makes life easier for everyone else on the court. He’s a rock in the middle that can help defensively and change shots 10 times a game. In our FANTASY sports world that we live in, everyone will look at the numbers and style and say, “How can you pass on Kevin?” While Greg Oden is an old school player who just gets it done. I’d love to have the 2nd pick, because then you could just take the other guy and still be a winner… But if I had #1, I’ve got to roll with Oden, just because there will rarely, if ever, be a center with his skills and size, where a lengthy score first small forward is more likely to be around often. Just my 2 pennies…
March 19th, 2007 at 2:58 am
J.B. says:
Durant.This kid will be averaging 20+ points in his 1st season & barning injury is a can’t miss superstar.
Oden as yet has not shown enough domination offensively, though he is playing lefty this season.However i heard he wasnt that dominant in High school as well.
As far im concerned with the #1 pick you take Durant, only a team with a dynamic wing should consider Oden, otherwise its a no brainer
March 19th, 2007 at 3:49 am
Keith says:
I’m a Longhorns fan, but I’d pick Oden. I don’t think you can win a championship without a post player who draws a constant double-team (unless you got MJ). Big men are scarce right now, and valuable.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:25 am
john says:
depends on the team needs. this is basically offense/defense or inside/outside. but im leaning on oden here, i think he hasn’t shown the total package. give him a good big man coach to polish his post moves and its gonna be game over.
March 19th, 2007 at 6:42 am
db says:
B.A. obviously hasn’t watched any basketball and spends too much time looking at stats. Oden changes any basketball game he steps into on the defensive end, and unlike Chandler has a basketball IQ. He could come into any team in the NBA right now and provide a defensive upgrade (even Miami). His potential on the offensive end is still a question mark, and I think it depends a lot on the team. 12 points is a possibility, but so is 20.
Durant is a 25 and 10 guy no doubt, possibly a 30 and 10 guy. Who can do that? Well, Shaq… or Zach Randolph. Durant’s way better than Randolph, but you can’t judge it on stats….
Usually talent is a much better driver than position in the draft. But really, seeing how had it is to even get a good second banana in free agency, I think each team looks to its needs at some level. If I was Boston, I’d choose Durant, if I was Memphis, I’d choose Oden.
Wright hasn’t shown ability to dominate a game, and Noah is a complementary player. They’re not 1-2 on anyone’s board.
March 19th, 2007 at 7:57 am
Brent Bink says:
Oden’s playing with his left hand though. It’s funny everyone in the league is always complaining about the lack of quality pure centers in the league, and now people are forgetting about him for Durant, who is what the league has a lot of versatile finese big men who haven’t won a championship. While the Shaq’s of the league win championships
But I would pick Durant because he’s just so versatile, and amazing. Greg Oden will also dominate in the league one day.
March 19th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Kevin J says:
Oden. He ain’t a pretty sight, but he’s a beast. He’s more of a sure thing than Durant. Durant is so young, there’s no certainnty he’ll be able to make an immediate impact in the NBA. Oden AT WORST will be tyson chandler
March 19th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Shoefreak says:
Oden, would be my pick…he already has the look of being in the league for years!! Doesn’t he look like he’s 50??? Anyway, there aren’t that many GOOD big men coming into the league. They are a rarity so I would go with him.
March 19th, 2007 at 10:52 am
jnuh says:
As good as Durant is, I don’t think he is physically strong enough to handle the grind of an 82 game schedule. I think you’ve got to weigh the very real possibility that Durant is one hard foul away from snapping like a twig. Oden, on the other hand, is a beast. In a couple of years when his O-game starts to polish it’s lights out.
March 19th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Bron says:
kobe,tmac,carter,francis,ray allen, allen iverson, gilbert arenas, dwade,mike redd,- All scoring guards who can easily put up 50 a night like durant- 4 rings all together
Shaq,duncan,ben wallace,tyson chandler- Legit big men who focus on defense more than offense- 8 rings
you easily pick oden because a wing who can put up 50 a night, isnt that hard to come by. As great as iverson, carter, tmac, etc..are they dont even come close. A game changing center on the other hand can have no offense at all ala ben wallace and still lead his team by blocking and altering shots. Almost any team in the league has a guard who can put up 50 on a given night, screw it, even gerald wallace has gone for 45 this year. How many have game changing centers?
March 19th, 2007 at 11:21 am
funkjam says:
I have to look at long-term impact and say Oden… especially if he leads his team to NCAA finals. Durant is more exciting and explosive player who will be great in NBA… but centers like Oden who can change a game on defense and offense are once a generation… lets see if he rides into NBA on a NCAA championship charm.
March 19th, 2007 at 11:56 am
raro says:
Being a Philadelphia fan, I’ve seen Allen Iverson put on some pretty amazing one-man shows and as much as I love him, I think we’re better off without him. I see Durant in the same light. The offense grinds to a halt because one guy can’t beat five. So I’ll take Oden, who will be able to dominate the game without having the ball in his hands, make his teammates better, and will eventually win championships.
March 19th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Bron says:
put it this way.
MJ- the greatest basketball player of all time, could put 60 on you in a heart beat, durant wont ever be on his level. has 6 rings
Bill Russel- wasn’t 7′0, didnt score much on offense, wasn’t an amazing leaper. but knew how to play D and challenge shots. 11 rings.
Russel said it best when asked how his team would of did against jordans bulls. He said “we would of let jordan score 80, and we would of still won by shuttin down the other guys” A dominant center on defense can take down almost any team.
case closed.you go with oden
March 19th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Omagus says:
If both come out THIS year, I’d go with Kevin Durant. Right now Greg Oden’s upside is that in eight or nine years he might be the best center in the NBA. Durant’s upside over the same time-frame is that he might be the best PLAYER in the NBA. I know people keep saying how Oden can become a post presence that is becoming more and more rare. I counter that argument by saying that game is evolving to the point where a post presence isn’t as necessary for success. In recent years the 76ers, Nets, Pistons and Mavericks all made it to the Finals without a dominant, traditional post game. Although only the Pistons were able to actually win the championship, one very significant reason the others were unable is because they ended up meeting a team with Shaquille O’Neal. Once he leaves the game, there won’t be that dominant center anymore. Even Yao Ming, as good as he is, is not a dominant presence in the way Shaq was in his prime. As much as I was and am I fan of Hakeem Olajuwon, I think the 1984 draft proved that you should never pass on the most talented player. That’s why I say go with Kevin Durant.
March 19th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Lucky Lester says:
Oden wins Championships, Durrant sells shoes, takes home All Star game MVP, and brings in boat loads of cash for your organization. Oden will take a while to make his franchise money, but it will come, as soon as he starts taking home the hardware, his squad will pull in big bucks. But, considering the fact that this is a “right now” league, its hard for smaller marker teams to pass on the chance to draft “the greatest show in college - Durrant” because he’ll bring the kind of sales Lebron brought in for Cleveland. If I were the Bobcats, even though Oden is the player you should take, passing on financial success in a league that’s all about the money seems impossible.
March 19th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
brand-houston-tx says:
Lets see, Durant’s main upside is the scoring factor, from what I’ve heard and apparently on this page. Plus you can never just look at college stats and think they will translate perfectly to NBA, so he may not be a 10 rpg or 2 bpg player, but i agree he will probably come close. I’m thinking more shawn marion with a better shooting touch and less bulk. SFs that can score are a plenty in the league right now, basically every team in the NBA has someone that can play the 3 and score big, except for the Bucks (Simmons inj, unless you put Villanueva on 3), or the Spurs (Bruce Bowen not exactly a “force”, but who wouldnt take bowen on their team?). Now name the teams that have a defensive presence that averages around or over 2 bpg, there are 12. Less than 1/2 the league. Everyone can make any argument though, since there is no exact formula to a championship. Jordan knocked the “big man” theory. Detroit, Spurs, and Houston (in 93-94 season before Drexler) knocked the “2 superstars” theory. So none of this will matter until a few years from now when we see what they both have done. But my money’s on Oden, not that Durant would be disappointing.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Alf says:
The way I see it, the ‘07 draft will shape like the ‘04 draft. Leading into ‘04, there was a lot of debate over Emeka vs. Dwight. Even though Dwight ended up being #1; to some it was a surprise, to others it was an obvious choice and to others [like me at the time], it could have gone either way. A large reason why Dwight ended up #1 was because he showed a lot more potential. In hindsight, that has paid off (just look at how many games Emeka has lot due to injury vs. Dwight’s first allstar this year].
That said, if we base it off potential, I really think Durant will take the form of Dwight in ‘07 and be #1. He shows more promising skillsets to flourish at the 3/4 in the NBA then Oden does at the 4/5.
March 19th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Marques says:
Oden. You can’t teach height…
March 19th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
coop says:
I think comparing Oden to Bill Russell or Shaq is a bit premature. If you want to compare him to anyone, the best bet would be Dwight Howard. Similar size and atheleticism, similar potential, and everyone has seen what Howard has developed into an absolute beast, the man-child is all-man these days. But, and here is the “but”, the Magic are still just better than average. Any of the lottery teams that ends up with Oden can expect some improvement, but you will not become an elite team, at least not right away.
Now Durant, on the other hand, is explosive and can dominate a game offensively. He has the size of Chris Bosh but the athleticism of McGrady. I can see him developing into a player along the lines of KG, but with better range. Given the right situation, he becomes a rising star, with Melo/Bron-type impact in his first year and developing into a full blown all-star in year 2.
The real question becomes, do you want the next Dwight Howard or the next KG? And how long are you willing to wait for them to fully develop? Looking at the teams with the most pingpong balls, Memphis needs a TOUGH inside presence which would be perfect fit for Oden. They just drafted Rudy Gay who shares many traits with Durant. But Boston, on the other hand, needs help in so many places that either would be fine. Charlotte would love to have a shot at either player but Oden would most likely fit their team needs as they have two PF types sharing time at PF & center (May & Okafor) and they have Morrison on the wing already). All told, any of the cellar-dwellars would be elated to get either of these players to build on over the next 4(and hopefully 6 more after that) years.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
C Payne says:
I would take Oden but that is not a knock on Durant but more stating the reality in the NBA. Each year more often than not there is a dynamic scorer in the draft. Hell there are times you can get guys like that in the late first round or second round but you can’t teach 7′1″ 260lbs at 19 years old. Oden is athletic and a shot-blocking machine which NBA teams are hurting for. He basically played most of the year with one arm and still more than held his own at the D1 level. He shot free throws left handed and hit over 60%. If anything he’s showed that he has the toughness and heart that he’ll need in the league. He also showed his leadership and that he cares about his teammates by coming back early. Durant is special and will most likely be a really good pro but you can name a bunch of people in the leage with his skill set…Lebron, Paul Pierce, Melo, Lebron, Wade, McrGrady, Ray Allen, VC,etc….how many dominant centers can you name….Shaq(although declining he is a difference maker when healthy), Tim Duncan and Yao….short list huh? The prosecution rest….
March 19th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
bryan says:
ill take oden. durant is just another wing man. there is an excess of those in the nba and none of them can win a title without a good center. Wing men need help. Jordan never won a title until pipen came around. Kobe and Wade had shaq. the celtics won nine championships with russel. oden is the next great center. i would grab him if i had the chance because there are only a handfull of great centers in the nba, and a whole bunch of good wingmen.
March 19th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
pat wheat says:
darant, no question about it
March 19th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
B-DAWG says:
I just don’t see it with Oden. I don’t see fire, passion, and once he gets to the next level, though there aren’t many competent big men, Oden needs a lot of work offensively. And I don’t see him being very physical when he comes up against people who will be as big as him if not bigger. As for KD, yes there are many 6′10″ players with the skill he posseses, but he’s gonna get you the same number of boards as Oden, more of a threat with the rock, looks like he’ll work at being a monster on the “D”
March 19th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
jay says:
i would go with odom for the fact that you can not coach height. i like durant and he will be the better pro i think but you do not get 7 footers that often….that is my theory but what do i know!
March 19th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Bron says:
anyone who said calling oden the next shaq or russel premature? what do you consider calling durant the next tmac? Hes a scorer on a team where EVERY play is called for him. You think hes going to get that many touches in the nba? Plus, the next tmac? hes NO where near as athletic as tmac and on top of that, comparing guys to tmac/kobe is a jinx just like comparing guys to jordan. Gerald green was supposedly the next tmac, travis outlaw was the next Kg, martell webster was the next tmac, shaun livingston was the next magic and dorell wright was the next tmac. How well have any of them compared? Half of them don’t even play. Just cuz at his height he can score doesn’t make it a sure fit on the next level. Look at adam morrison. Teams focus on him as the teams best player and lock him up. You don’t think the same thing will happen to durant if he goes to a bad team? Take away durants offense, what can he do? you can’t say the same thing about Oden.If oden has a terrible offensive game, hes still going to block shots and challenge teams. Best case scenerio oden is russel. Worst case, hes dikembe..Best case with durant is Tmac, worst case? mike miller, maybe rashard lewis. I wish them both the best of luck but you can always stop a offensive player and throw his game off with good defense.
March 19th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Bron says:
How can you complain about calling Oden the next russel when your calling durant the next tmac? First off, durant is on a team where EVERY play is meant for him, he gets like 40 touches a night. Think thats going to be the same in the pros? On top of that, hes going to go to a bad team and teams will just focus on him like they did adam morrision. You take away durants offense, whats he going to give you? You can’t say that about Oden. If he goes 1-30 on offense, he can still change the game on defense. Best Case scenerio, oden is the next bill russel who has 11 rings (not 9). Worst case, hes Mutumbo. Durants best case scenerio is tmac/amare who has no rings or nba finals or mvps. His worst case scenerios, hes mike miller or rashard lewis. Do the math.
Secondly, Durant isn’t half as athletic as tmac. Just cuz your 6′10 and can dunk, doesn’t make you an amazing athlete, makes you tall. Besides, comparing guys to tmac/kobe is just as bad as calling them the next jordan. Gerald Green, Martell Webester, Rudy gay, Travis Outlaw, Dorell Wright, etc..all supposedly the next TMac when the got drafted..hows that workin for them? Even if oden becomes say, david robinson, its still a hall of famer. Durant could average 50 points and that still doesn’t mean his team will win. All oden has to do is block a few shots and that changes the whole game just because people won’t want to challenge him as much. Scorers come every year in the draft, bigs who can run, block and are mature, not so often. you get your 7′2 stiffs who get dunked on 24/7. So take oden now, and draft next years big scorer.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Dan-oceanside says:
Lets not forget that while you need D, you need O too.
I’m looking your way chicago.
March 19th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Dave B says:
Oden Hands down!!! Durant will be a great player but let me just name a few players…Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter Rashard Lewis, Lebron James….none of them have won Nba championships!!! Big men with the skills oden has comes once a decade. And size wins championships. Unless you are Michael Jordan of course. Oden has been playing with one hand all season and still dominates. He does have a ways to go though!!! But once he polishes his game he will be the next dominate center. If you ask any GM in the NBA today they will laugh at you if you think Oden will be selected after Durant. But its all good. I love Durant too!!
March 19th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Robert says:
Durant will be good, but Oden is the type of player the league has been waiting for. A back to the basket big man who wants to pivot??? Unheard of?? Not anymore. This guy just needs to keep lifting and he’ll be good to go.
March 19th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
brown man revival says:
i know, you rave about durant and oden. but im telling you there’s someone here in our country, who’s 7′4″ 275 lbs., he’s averaging 12 pts, 24 rebs,5 ast, 3 steals and 7 blocks per game in a local pro league. I know the competition pales in comparison to the ones in the US and probably europe. But if this kid is given a chance (he’s 21), he could be one hell of a player.
March 20th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Dan says:
I’m a Bobcats season tickets holder and if we get the first pick, I’m in favor of us taking Greg Oden. I do believe he will become an elite player in the league. He would fit in perfectly with Okafor, Wallace, May, Felton, Carroll, and Morrison. We also have Toronto’s pick in the 1st round, (right now around #20) and with the most cap room in the league don’t be surprised if we get a Vince Carter type free agent. MJ will make all those decisions and bring in a new coach maybe like Mark Ivaroni, Darrell Walker, Terry Porter, etc. Bernie Bickerstaff will continue to be GM and maybe add President to his titles. I think we can make the playoffs with those pieces added to our present group and stay healthy. Either player would make us better, but Oden could help us be a legitiment contender for years to come.
March 20th, 2007 at 2:35 am
Ed says:
it’s very simple guys, if you want a star you choose kevin durant,, but if you want a championship you pick greg oden!!!
March 20th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Skylarbyrne says:
The answer is fairly simple. The first thing you need to do is look at the team you already have.
Charlotte, Boston and Memphis have the worst records in the league.
Charlotte already has an established player for their center in Okafor. While Boston and Memphis are seemingly loaded with potential “types” of power forwards.
So If either of these teams actually gets the 1st pick-
Charlotte will pick Durant, while Boston and Memphis will be leading towards Oden.
But rest assured, with either of the players being taken first, the other will most definitely be taken next.
I would hate to have the 3rd selection this year since the talent drop is so tremendous. So Charlotte, Boston, Memphis, Philly and Milwaukee…here’s to losing as many games as you can!
March 20th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Davon says:
STRATE Up I say foget both durant and oden with numba one pick because they aint even the top perimeter and post players in college ball this year anyway. Those honors go to AL HORFORD and ALANDO TUCKER…..but if u wuld debate between durant and oden… I say take durant( with no insults to oden.. remeber 84draft SAM BOWIE/MICHAEL JORDAN) im not sayin that oden wuld b a sam bowie.. nor am i sayin the durant wuld b jordan but its just an interesting situation. ODEN is pretty special knowin that he is a right handed playert playing left handed!!! but the kid durant gat mad skills….and oden still seems a bit soft to me =!! i dont no y…..but hey Look at Dwight howard…he looks soft as ahell but doesnt play soft at all…..when its all said and den… we will look bak at the draft and say that neither was the best player of the draft because HORFORD or TUCKER will be….
March 20th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Kerry says:
if your team is in the Lottery than you go for the scorer the guy that can create on his own. if you have this covered than you go for a big guy in the middle. i’m from indy and i ‘ve watched Oden since the 10th grade and he does not have enough moves on offense yet- now would i say that if the right hand was 100% yes i would. Greg needs the work on the O fantstic on the D.
So i would go with Durant 1st pick.
March 20th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Dave B says:
Horford and Tucker. Thats funny. Okafor always gets injured and he is not a center. He is better at the power forward position. Imagine Oden at center and okafor at power forward. Felton at the point and wallace and morrison rounding out the rest of the starting five. Sounds good to me!!! Go Oden!! But Durant will be a star. But where does that get you Vince Carter?
March 20th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Davon says:
Dave B says “durant will be a star but where does that get you Vince Carter?”……..well i can say oden will b a good big man but where will that get you? DIKEMBE MUTUMBO!!!!1
March 20th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Matt L says:
Oden. You can’t teach size. Also, Durant has all the makings of another KG. Talent, but ultimately not a winner.
March 20th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Eric says:
I personally think that niether one of them is ready for the NBA. They are both to young and to inexpierenced to play that level of ball. Both of them are great ball players and have a spot in the NBA but need to stay in college longer and mature. The longer time spent in college the better chance of becoming a big time winner in the NBA. Kobe came right from high school to the NBA and won but not without Shaq and wont be able to without Shaq. Stay in school and learn the game and be the next star when you have matured and can handle it.
March 20th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Brian says:
I’d take Oden in a heartbeat. Durant is a prolific scorer, but Oden will be a franchise cornerstone for whomever is lucky enough to get him. Like others have said, Durant will score a lot of points, but Oden will most likely get his team more rings because of his eraser-like ability to block shots and rebound. His scoring will come around as his right hand heals and he gets more experience.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
LB says:
If Oden is such a beast why does skinny Durant still get more boards. To compare Oden to Russell is a insult to Russell. Russell could grab 20 boards a game. Also don’t forget Russell also played with 10 future Hall of Famers so he didn’t have to score. Oden is no better than Bynum of the Lakers. I haven’t seen him make one move that would work against another 7 footer. Durant scores like a pro now.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
SP says:
You got to pick Durant,I mean who would you want a kid that can carry his team like Durant or my oppinion a show off for just going lefty an entire season.
March 21st, 2007 at 12:34 am
Piero says:
this could be one of the the best drafts ever … with all those guys at 3,4,5,6 that nobody’s talking about like brandan and julian wright, noah, jeff green and all the rest … on potential, i’d compare it to the top of the ‘89(?) NFL draft that bought out Aikman, Barry and Deion Sanders, Derrick Thomas and the immortal tony manderich, or the lebron / carmelo / wade draft (yes somebody will probably be a disaster)
my thoughts on the top 2, i’d take either of them and be happy. Maybe you might have a Jordan v Olajuwon situation .. that didn’t work out bad for either of them did it? I love Durant, the kid is sick. Oden is the sensible pick. he’s a monster. the clincher for me though is intangibes and maturity. Look at oden, the kid breaks his wrist, so he goes out and learns to play left handed. to me that means alot.
March 21st, 2007 at 1:02 am
blackmagic says:
Remember guys…in many cases the best player is not always picked first…like Calvin Johnson. Anyhoo, Durant is certainly a better player by far, but like many people have said, it’s been done. He’ll contribute right away and win ROY, but he’ll be like the rest eventually. Don’t get me wrong; he will soon get to the Kobe/DWade/LeBron/AgentZero level, but that doesn’t mean WINNING.
Oden needs to stay in college for a year or two to harness his skills and get more physical. And then, yes, he will be able to become an elite center in the game. I’m not guaranteeing he will win a championship, but he will definitely be a rare center that can play well, with his agility, etc.
Most teams have a KD-type player, and in the end it will depend on which team wins the lottery and what kind of player they need. But I would give it a 70% chance that if they go to the NBA the same year (no guarantees on that either), Oden will get picked first.
Look at the potential teams: Celtics, Bobcats, 76ers, Grizzlies. Only Memphis has a bona-fide center (Emeka is not a real center) and he’ll get traded away perhaps. So all these teams need a center. They need a swingman, but they do have a go-to guy (that’s not a center) as a point scorer (PP, Wallace, Iguodala, _)
All in all…Oden, then Durant.
March 21st, 2007 at 1:08 am
blackmagic says:
and just for fun…here’s how it’s going to go down:
1. DAEQUAN COOK
2. THADDEUS YOUNG
3. TAVARIS CRITTENDON
4. JON SCHEYER
5. ROBIN LOPEZ
6. DJ AUGUSTIN
7. DEREK RAIVIO
8. GREG PAULUS
9. TIAGO SPLITTER! AGAIN!
10. YI JIANLIAN! LIKE WE NEED ANOTHER LURPY YAO!
11. oden
12. kd
jkjk don’t take this seriously @ all…
March 21st, 2007 at 1:27 am
AJ says:
I want to say Durant. But if Oden’s best case scenario is in the mold of Russell/D.Robinson those guys have about 13 championships between them, while Durant is often compared to McGrady/Garnett/Nowitzki…and we all know how many rings those guys have. Now, I know Durant has the potential to be one of the best ever, but matter of fact is that except for Jordan’s Bulls championship teams most of the time have a great center - and Oden could be just that.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:53 am
Lawrence D. says:
The real question is, is this history giving us a second chance to get it right. Sam Bowie or Michael Jordan. Portland Trailblazers took Sam and the Bulls took Mike. Take Durant number one and get it right this time. How many Championships did Sam win vs Michael. Try Mike 6 and Sam ZERO!
March 21st, 2007 at 7:46 am
skabunk says:
the celtics need oden but any other team should pick durant
March 29th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Hitman says:
I would take Durant over Oden…right now granted that they both go into the draft this…they might pull a jo noah and stay enjoying the college life. what is more important: future potential or nba readiness? durant looks to be the most nba ready because he leads his team and has the killer instinct. he works on his defense and he will be a prime player in the L. Oden on the other hand is about half as deadly as he could be because he is really only using one hand but we dont know that. he got the body but does he know the game. i have seen him get into major foul trouble during the season and has almost costed his team games but on of the other players has stepped up big time. he needs to take another year to develop his post moves, think the game and not get four fouls in 6 minutes of play. is he ready to be a centerpiece on a contender? tell me that
April 9th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Dan says:
Teams that need a center, Oden.
Teams that need a sure shot go-to-scorer, Durant.
Teams that need both, Oden and trade/pick-up a free agent.