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C Greg Oden (All B1G, All-American, Defensive Player of the Year, Butler Assistant Coach)

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Blazers' Oden shows promise in spite of it all
By Sam Amico
Pro Basketball News

CLEVELAND - I attended the Cleveland-Portland game for one reason: to follow the progress of first-year Trail Blazers center Greg Oden. Here is what I saw:

* First of all, Oden looked fairly out of shape. That's not surprising, considering it was only his second game back after (another) lengthy injury, this one to his left kneecap. It caused him to miss 15 games.

* That's not intended to criticize Oden. Just the opposite, actually. The fact he was able to do what he has done in the previous two games, despite coming off the injury, was impressive. Against Cleveland (a 97-92 overtime loss), Oden finished with seven points and nine rebounds in just a little more than 12 minutes.

* That followed up a night in which he grabbed a whopping 12 boards in a mere seven minutes in a win over Indiana.

* None of that may sound very impressive -- but again, you have to consider the circumstances. Oden is playing limited minutes and his knee is still a little sore. He confessed as much about the knee after the game (more on that later).

* If there's one major issue Oden has besides all the injuries, it's the fact he seems to find himself in foul trouble a lot. Part of that has to do with his being out of position, part of it has to do with plain old shoddy officiating. It's obvious he is getting a lot of those "rookie" calls going against him.

* For instance, Oden was whistled for three fouls in the first half against Cleveland, and two could have gone either way. When that's the case, the rookie is rarely given the benefit of the doubt.

* All of that aside, he still doesn?t have very good hands, nor much of a shooting touch. "I'm struggling to get into a rhythm, but it's gonna take time," he told me after the game. "I just have to keep at it and not get frustrated."

* A lot of frustrated Blazers fans have referred to Oden as The Next Sam Bowie. That's unfair, because unlike Bowie, Oden didn't have a history of injuries when he entered the league. Bowie had broken his leg in college and the Blazers took a risk in drafting him -- and knew it. Oden's problems aren't nearly as severe and didn't really start until after he was drafted.

* As for Oden's rebounding, I noticed on this night that it has to do with more than just his size (7-foot-0, 285 pounds). He really does get in good position, box out and leap to the ball.

* He also blocked one shot and altered at least two others. Again, that may not sound all that impressive -- but remember, he isn't in game shape and has barely been getting minutes.

* Also, while it's true Oden is out of rhythm, he has displayed some promising signs on offense. Mostly, he gets to the free-throw line a lot (he made 5 of 8 against the Cavs), simply because he overpowers defenders down low, muscling his way into position and setting himself up for the pass. Once he receives the ball, anyone guarding him is left with little choice but to foul.

* Oden has a pretty decent spin move to the hoop, a must for a throwback-type center who plays with his back to the basket. In other words, he isn't going to face up, put the ball on the floor and use speed to drive around anyone. Nor has he mastered the 10-to-12 foot jump shot. But he can take a dribble and spin toward the hoop fairly quickly for a guy his size.

* Basically, Oden's game doesn't feature an array of post moves -- nor anything much beyond a simple drop step and slam. But you could say the same about the early part of Shaquille O'Neal's career. Either way, Oden is showing signs that he may someday be impossible to defend one-on-one on the low blocks.
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PBN | Oh dear, Oden

The Q with Portland center and former Ohio State star Greg Oden
Friday, March 20, 2009
Q: This is your first game as a pro back in Ohio. Does it seem like a long time since you played here?

A: Yeah. It has been awhile since I played here.

Q: Have you ever played in The Q?

A: No.

Q: How are you feeling?

A: I feel good. My knee is feeling really good lately so I'm ready to play. I'm trying to get my wind back and get in the groove of things.

Q: How do you describe how this season is going for you?

A: It's going all right. There have been a lot of injuries but I've been working through that trying to keep consistent.

Q: Who do you like in the NCAA Tournament?

A: I hope the Buckeyes can do something. You never know.

Q: Did you watch today?

A: I've been watching. I've seen a couple of games.

Q: What's your favorite memory of the Final Four?

A: There's a lot of memories of the Final Four. My best of the tournament was when Ron Lewis hit that shot against Xavier to take us into overtime, where we won.

Q: Are you in touch with anybody at Ohio State?

A: A couple of guys. David Lighty is probably the guy I talk to the most who's still there. I talk to [former OSU teammates] Mike [Conley Jr., now with the Memphis Grizzlies] and Daequan [Cook, who plays for the Miami Heat].
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The Q with Portland center and former Ohio State star Greg Oden - Cleveland.com
 
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Hilarious article from couple days ago

Behind the Blazers Locker Room Door: In Milwaukee - Behind The Blazers Beat - The Oregonian - OregonLive.com

The Ambush

The locker room is quickly emptying. Players grab pieces of pizza as they leave. By now, only four players remain: Roy, Outlaw, Aldridge and Oden.

I interview Roy, then move over to Aldridge, who is especially quiet and terribly behind everyone else. Everyone else is dressed and gathering their belongings, but Aldridge is still in only his towel.

He has a headache, probably lingering from his concussion, and he is upset with his game: 8 points on 4-of-16 shooting. I get some information from him about a new text service he is helping start. As we finish, Roy calls to me from behind.

I look over my shoulder and there is a sudden burst of chaos.
While I was talking to Aldridge, Roy and Outlaw had lured Oden over to the corner of the locker room by Outlaw's locker. When they had him cornered, Roy alerted me.

As I turned, they ambushed Oden. Roy went low to the legs, Outlaw up high.

They were attempting the rookie initiation of Oden, which typically involves one of three treatments: a cold shower, a dunk in a tub of ice water or a dunk in a garbage can.

This season, the team has already given Batum and Bayless the cold tub dunk.

But Oden is a different beast.

The action is violent and frantic, as if an animal is being attacked by lions.
But it lasts for only a couple seconds.

That's how long it took for Oden to not only fend off the 6-foot-9 Outlaw and 6-foor-6 Roy, but get them both in a headlock.

With Roy and Outlaw under his arms like little brothers, Oden parades them in a circle, all while he has a deliberate, ho-hum look on his face.
As if ...

Oden releases them both and straightens his sports coat with a tug at the bottom and a couple of brushes of the sleeves.

Defeated and short of breath, Roy red adjusts his cockeyed stocking cap.
"We need a big man,'' Roy said panting. "Two of us ain't going to do it.''
Oden proudly struts to the pizza table and woofs a piece. It is yet another reminder to everyone what a physical specimen Oden is.

It's not like anyone had forgotten, though. In Cleveland on Thursday, the Blazers players got quite the rise out of watching Oden shove LeBron James to the side and administer a hard foul on "The King". James is quite the physical specimen himself, but Oden was neither fazed nor intimidated.
I asked him about the two incidents at the morning shootaround. On the brushing him aside after his dunk, Oden was matter of fact.

"I turned around and he was right there,'' Oden said. "He was in my way. So I was either going to look like a punk or ... ''
He shrugged and smiled.
James also took exception to a foul by Oden.
"That was just a hard foul,'' Oden said. "Wasn't no big thing to it. I mean, what am I supposed to do, let him score? I'm not going to do that.''

Back in the Milwaukee locker room, Oden surveys his stalkers as he munches his pizza. He is clearly amused.
Roy is still panting, lamenting a plan gone awry. He is convinced it will take three players. At least.

"We need that big man. LaMarcus over there, could have used him, but he would have lost that towel and been naked,'' Roy said. "We don't need that. I think we're going to have to get big Mike Ruffin.''

With that, another road trip had ended. But this wasn't just any trip. It might have been the most important week of the season. I thought the Blazers found an identity - that of a scrappy, don't-take-any-crap team. They also came to fully understand the value of movement on offensive - both with and without the ball.

And it was when Oden not only came back to the team, but once again reminded everyone just how valuable and how missed his was for those 15 games. The stats might not show it, but Oden played great defense - impact defense -for the Blazers.

It was a lot of fun ... and to think, it's only going to get more fun. The playoffs are just around the corner.
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nba_g_oden3_576.jpg


Image from last night's Portland vs Pheonix game. Oden finished with 8 pts, 3 blocks and one board in 17 minutes of play. Playoff time is coming up and the games are definitely getting more intense. Can't wait to see Greg in his first playoff series.
 
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Updated: March 27, 2009
By J.A. Adande
ESPN.com
(Archive)

nba_g_oden5_576.jpg

(Sam Forencich/NBAE/Getty Images )
Greg Oden came off the bench to score eight points and block three shots for the Blazers.

PORTLAND -- The thing about a No. 1 overall pick is he's supposed to be a sure thing. At this point, Greg Oden is still more of a question than a solution, one of many uncertainties as this group of Portland Trail Blazers prepares for its maiden playoff voyage.

Oden is eager to help, but he doesn't always know how. It's like watching a baby deer struggle to stand on its own feet. The Rose Garden fans still greet him warmly when he checks in, explode with pent-up cheers when he makes a good play. Still with only 51 games to his career, the "what if?" outweighs what's happened.

For example, the Trail Blazers put up 129 points in a blowout victory over Phoenix on Thursday night, and Oden wasn't one of the six Portland players to score in double-figures. So imagine how much damage the Blazers could inflict if Oden turned into a double-double machine, if he contributed more than the eight points and one rebound he did in this outing.

For now it's still flashes. Backing in for a dunk, spinning for a hook, elevating to block a shot, leaving the rest up to the mind's ability to project.

"I know he can do it," said Brandon Roy, the Blazers' team leader. "We're just kind of waiting for him to realize what he can do. Things he was doing out there tonight, I've seen that the first time I played with him. I'm like, 'This dude can dominate a game.'"

"Can" -- a word of possibility. Kind of like "if." With Oden, the most familiar usage is "if he can stay healthy." He lost an entire season to injury after he was drafted, and 21 games so far this season. His body hasn't allowed him to have an extensive body of work. We don't know how good he can be, we don't even know where he will be. Portland coach Nate McMillan is debating whether to return him to the starting lineup. Joel Przybilla can provide the same things as Oden at this stage -- defense and rebounding -- and with more regularity. On Thursday, he even gave some back talk to Shaquille O'Neal.
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Daily Dime: Oden is still learning - NBA - ESPN
 
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Will Greg Oden return to the starting lineup?
Posted by Jason Quick, The Oregonian March 30, 2009

Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said he has reached a comfort level with his rotation as the team heads down the stretch and toward the playoffs.

However, there is one small, er, rather large decision to be made as the team completes its final nine games ...Greg Oden.


"Right now, the only thing we have to look at is Greg,'' McMillan said. "Will I go back to Greg in that starting lineup? Probably. Probably. But for right now, until he gets his rhythm and does some good things, we are going to stay here (with Joel Przybilla).''

McMillan's revelation that Oden will "probably" end up as the starter for the playoffs came unprompted. We were talking about how this team has done a good job accepting roles and refraining from drama.

"I've always said (the rotation) will work itself out,'' McMillan said. "The bottom line for me and for this team is to win games. I said guys will get their opportunities to play, and that's what happened, and it has worked itself out. They can see clearly who should be out there.''
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Will Greg Oden return to the starting lineup? - Behind The Blazers Beat
 
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Everytime I turn it to the game Oden is getting fouls called on him. He just basically got punched in the face. and called for a foul. It's hard to improve when the refs make a point to "teach you a lesson" your rookie season.
 
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PtownBuckeye;1446323; said:
Everytime I turn it to the game Oden is getting fouls called on him. He just basically got punched in the face. and called for a foul. It's hard to improve when the refs make a point to "teach you a lesson" your rookie season.
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At least half of the fouls called against him are bs. Hopefully next year the refs will get off his jock and he improves his awareness on the court.
 
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OregonBuckeye;1446328; said:
At least half of the fouls called against him are bs. Hopefully next year the refs will get off his jock and he improves his awareness on the court.
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I think his court awareness is almost a direct result of the ridiculous fouls called against him. It also doesn't help when hes defending tony parker on the perimeter.
 
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I have to disagree somewhat.. I watch pretty much every game, and he deserves many of the fouls called on him.. He just really commits alot of careless and boneheaded fouls.. plays were guys have already gone by him, and instead of just conceding the basket, he shoves them.. Tonight, with 1 second to go in the first quarter he leaves his feet 19 feet out on the floor carelessly and the shooter jumps into him, drawing the foul..

I will say that he usually gets 1 BS foul called on him each night, where guys flop, or he's fighting for position and the refs whistle him for some garbage..

However, I'd say 80 percent of the calls are warranted.. He just has to learn this isn't High School or College, and he can't leave his feet every single time somebody goes up for a shot.. NBA players are too smart, and will consistently jump into you and get the contact.
 
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I've watched a lot of games and I have to disagree with you there. I can't tell you how many times I've seen blatent offensive fouls called defensive fouls on him. Then there is the flopping where someone grabs his arm into his face. There is also the foul where he stands straight up the guy runs into him and flails as he shoots and gets a foul call. Sure he makes dumb fouls like the one you referenced but I'd say 40-50% of his fouls are crap. There were 2 sonright bad calls on him and one questionable one yesterday.
 
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I think I should watch every Portland game because whenever I do Greg holds his own and or has a good game.

Oden uses Andrew Bynum with an ill drop step from last night's win vs the Lakers.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTwBnO6m2io"]YouTube - oden great post[/ame]
 
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That game annoyed the hell out of me. Riy was shotting fade aways at 18 ft when Oden had his guy sealed and showed the ability to back his man down with ease all night. Roy I know you are the go to man and made a lot of those shots but I 5ft shot or a dunk is always better then fadaway 18 footers.
 
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