Greg Oden Needs To Step His Game Up
That’s right, I said it. Greg Oden needs to step his game up, and I’m sure Blazer fans agree with me. If Portland has any delusions of grandeur, then they need to hire a retired NBA big man (like the Magic have done with Patrick Ewing) and teach this 7-foot, 285-pound center a thing or two.
Kareem, Hakeem, David, Moses or even Bill Walton, find someone to work with this kid. Heck, I’d even take Shawn Bradley at this point. While many believe that Joel Przybilla should be starting, the fact is that Oden needs to learn how not to foul.
Take a look at this last four games:
1/2 vs. Hornets - 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1 block in 16 minutes
1/4 at Lakers - 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 fouls, 0 blocks in 35 minutes
1/7 vs. Pistons - 4 points, 1 rebound, 4 fouls, 0 blocks in 13 minutes
1/10 vs. Warriors - 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 fouls, 0 blocks in 26 minutes
The minutes are there for the taking as long as Oden can stay on the floor. If he can figure that out, this Blazers team is going to be dangerous in the playoffs.
What does Oden need to do to become the Odenator?
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January 12th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Chris says:
Attend McHale’s big man camp
January 12th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Scott says:
Stay on the floor, hold on to the ball, and keep focusing on the defensive end. We’ve located his weakness, and I guarantee he’ll spend all of next off-season on it. It’s simply a fact, you can’t vastly improve a skill during the season, so as fans, we need to be patient till next season.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Banga says:
He needs to let the dame to come to him. On the court he seems very awkward. A la Andrew Bynum a few years ago.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
K Dizzle says:
Dude just needs to watch his contemporaries.(that’s a word) Bynum, Okafor, Dwight, Chandler, Bogut, Kaman and see how thry play each other without gettin into foul trouble(see how I snuck AB in there - the timin of this story is money after the night Bynum had last night)
Let’s do it again : AB or Oden lol
for real tho, kid just needs time. Bynum sucked his first year too
One more thing Kobe or Wade? For the last shot? Kobe
January 12th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Nathan Mathews says:
They do have Marice Lucas working with him, while he is not on the list that you have in your post, he was the enforcer on the Blazer Championship team along side Mr. Walton that you did mention.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Ross says:
Go back to college.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Scott says:
Doesn’t seem like Lucas is getting much accomplished. Maybe thats because he was an enforcer and not a dominant big like Oden is expected to be.
Film, Practice and a Mentor is what he needs. And that Mentor should be in the top class of big men ever, whomever it ends up being.
Ideally they could let Bill Russell loose on the kid. But thats just my preference.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Phillyfanatic says:
I mean, to play devil’s advocate, it’s only his first “real” season of ball. College ball aside, this is the first time he’s playing with skilled players in his life probably. While he’s killing my fantasy numbers, he’s still learning the game. However, he needs to stp it up and get with somebody this off season
January 12th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Oden says:
He’s 20 years old, played one year of college and is coming off of microfracture surgery. He’s not perfect, but he has a large impact on the game off of the stat sheet. Look at the teams offensive boards, opponents field goal percentage and most impportantly THEIR RECORD!!!
January 12th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
GEE...got a little light under the sun! says:
Is that another new picture? I haven’t seen that one. Lil corny but still new lol.
I think it will take a lot of undoing to get the doing.
Dude came in the wrong way for what he was suppose to be.
See I never did see the offensive juggernaut that many saw. Defensively he was really good but that was college.
So he came in on an much more undeserved hype than actual. Sure he played well and there were hopes of what he could do without injury.
Still what you basically have is a shot blocker and presence. Seriously and honestly at this point that is about it.
The truth shall come to light and it has. He admits himself he is better on D than O, and he is not comfortable on O. Plus when you know you got to do something and you know you can block shots, you often get more fouls than not.
In time he may do more, but not much more. I would say you got to take him from almost ground zero and have him in offensive and team and individual D drills repeatedly.
What is Roy Hibb doing these days? LOL
January 12th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
calvin brodus says:
Oden and Bill Russell look the same age too, so it’s one more thing they would have in common.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Chaos says:
they need to get bill russell on oden to work on his defensive game and the admirla on his ass to improve his offensive game.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
GEE...got a little light under the sun! says:
Honestly given the same amount of minutes I think Roy Hibbert could have the same numbers as Oden.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Kudabeen says:
Instead of sitting at a round table and talking to Bill Russell, Bill Walton, etc…He should have been on the court getting a workout with them cats…
January 12th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
QQ says:
@ Gee:
I honestly think that Roy Hibbert is better that Oden right now.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
isotope says:
He has Pryzbilla on the bench itching to get in the game. And at this point, he does everything Oden does. Maybe even a lil better. Both are good for the rebounds, blocks, and put-backs. Not much else. As long as Pryzbilla is there, Oden gets yanked soon as he messes up.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Jayo says:
I think Oden is fine. He’s 20 years old & this is basically his “rookie” season. Example A: Does anybody remember how raw & awkward Dwight Howard looked his first year in the L. We can look at a lot of the bigs that spent a year or less in college & they all needed a little time. Amare, KG, Al Jefferson, Bynum, & Zach Randolph. They’re all guys who it took some times for them to get used to playing in the L. Most of them made a huge jump from year 1 to year 2. Oden will probably look like a beast this time next year.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
AY says:
They can hire robert parish to help oden; the two can speak in their native tongue, dendroid-ese.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Ric Hardwood says:
Bill Russell ain’t helping him until he finds his way to the Celtics roster… lol
January 12th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Pig says:
Yup I agree that Mchale would be great for him
January 12th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Prof. TX says:
Olajuwon gives a clinic for NBA centers in the summer. I know Yao and Okafor have gone in the past, not sure who else. There is no reason for Oden to sit at home this year when a legend like Hakeem is willing to give him 1v1 instruction.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
the cynic says:
How does a project player pick up his game?
January 12th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
frankie says:
So let me get this straight. You want to bring in a specialist to help your backup center? Why don’t they pay more attention to Przybilla, who’s better than Oden anyway?
January 12th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
BEdger says:
@ Scott - Coach Lucas was out for a few months when the man nearly died of pneumonia, so he hasn’t had a ton of time to work with Oden.
Can anyone tell me what rookie big man doesn’t struggle with foul trouble in his first year?
Lastly, I know this is against the Warriors, but check out the dribble move Oden makes at the 1:21 mark of this video and tell me the guy isn’t improving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRu60GuKZLM
January 12th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
dukesman2000 says:
Say after me O L A W A K A N D I!
January 12th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
dapro says:
Confidence is his problem
He’s overthinking on the court hence the foul trouble
He’s so afraid to make a mistake he ends up making them anyway
Bigs take the most time to adjust with the exception of the pg. The team doesn’t need him to have huge games as of right now so his development is much slower
Just play within the game and work with Ewing, Hakeem or Deke
January 12th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Shouldve taken Durant.. Even if he didnt fit..
Blake @ PG
B-Roy @ SG
Durant @ SF
L.A. @ PF
PRyz @ C
That would be plain nasty.. Well scoring wise lol
But why is someone even callin out Oden? Its dudes first year on the court!
January 12th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
GEE...got a little light under the sun! says:
Yea I can’t even think of how it would have been had they got Durant. Wheeew!
No offense to Nate fans, cause he is a great coach so far, but you give D’Anthony that squad and they gonna score like 125 per I would imagine.
You gotta think Roy, Durant and L.A. gonna give you 25 a piece. The bench plus other startes give you bout 50.
Boom 125 and an ill squad.
Oh well just have to hope dude gets out of his mold and stops playin scurred.
January 12th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
dave says:
you have no idea what you are talking about. He is coming along just fine. you do a nice job typing out stat lines, however.
January 12th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
snook says:
@25
I’d rather spell after you O L O W O K A N D I!
January 12th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
rodnets says:
hire pryzbila’s grandma and make her teach GO some moves
January 13th, 2009 at 1:28 am
david1978pdx says:
CONTGRATULATIONS!!! You all know nothing! For a guy who missed a full year with injury while at the same time making the jump from college, he’s doing pretty dang well.
Did you see Oden dominate against the Bulls? 17 point, 13 boards! In 26 minutes!
You fools let your over-inflated expectation deceive you!
January 13th, 2009 at 2:55 am
dennis says:
not only did he have those stats at the end, he had 13 and9 2;00minutes till the half.!!!
January 13th, 2009 at 2:56 am
dennis says:
i think he might have read this article and taken offense
January 13th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
yallareidiots says:
People set the kid up with completely unrealistic expectations and then when he fails to meet them, it’s his fault? Good call
January 14th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Aron says:
@frankie
Regardless of who you think should start, Oden is the starting center. He’s a franchise building block and a face of the franchise alongside B-Roy. Przybilla is nice, and might end up getting more minutes, but they’d rather get more from Oden.