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

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Portland 107, Minnesota 84: Greg Oden shows he can run the fast break, too
By Jason Quick, The Oregonian
November 11, 2009

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The Associated Press
Blazers center Greg Oden blocks a shot by Minnesota Timberwolves center Ryan Hollins during the second half of Portland's 107-84 win Wednesday. With 18 points and 11 rebounds, Oden led the Blazers to their fourth win in a row.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Greg Oden has shown a lot in this early season for the Trail Blazers. A new spin move. A smooth and effective jump hook. Quicker feet. Better stamina.

But nobody expected to see what the Blazers center did Wednesday during yet another validation that Oden is on his way to living up to the hype and expectations of being the former No. 1 pick.

Oden led the Blazers in scoring (18 points) and rebounding (11). But the talk of the night was his leading a 2-on-1 fast break with LaMarcus Aldridge, which Oden finished with a two-handed dunk after Aldridge delivered a soft lob pass.
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Portland 107, Minnesota 84: Greg Oden shows he can run the fast break, too | The Blazers Beat - OregonLive.com

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvSCk7wB3xc]YouTube - Trail Blazers vs Timberwolves Game Recap 11/11/09[/ame]
 
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11 points, 7 boards, 1 block, 4 turnovers in last night's OT loss to Atlanta. I caught a bit of the Atlanta radio broadcast during the 2nd quarter and the Hawks broadcasters were calling for Oden to stay on the floor because he was playing so poorly. He committed several turnovers in the couple minutes I heard.
 
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Bucky Katt;1596842; said:
11 points, 7 boards, 1 block, 4 turnovers in last night's OT loss to Atlanta. I caught a bit of the Atlanta radio broadcast during the 2nd quarter and the Hawks broadcasters were calling for Oden to stay on the floor because he was playing so poorly. He committed several turnovers in the couple minutes I heard.
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In addition to the turnovers, the big fella missed two free throws late in regulation. This was the 2nd game where Oden failed to make clutch foul shots. He is a good free throw shooter, so I would expect him to calm down in that regard.

Some of the turnovers that are occurring are understandable, because he is becoming more of an offensive threat. Two of the turnovers were strips by Atlanta point guard Mike Bibby. This is when the chess game begins for Greg, last week he was eating up single coverage. Now teams are beginning to game plan in the form of bringing more doubles and dig downs. It is just another aspect of the game that he will have to adjust to.

Greg Oden currently ranks 2nd in the NBA in field goal percentage (albeit at only about 10 points per game and 25 mpg..he's efficient though :biggrin:). 5th in blocks per game.

The Atlanta Hawks look like the real deal though. This is the 2nd win over Portland, breaking the Trailblazers' winning streak. Their front line is really solid with an improved Josh Smith, Al Horford, Pachulia, and Joe Smith (one of the few front courts to really bother Aldridge & Oden). Plus they have extra scoring off the bench with the acquisition of Jamal Crawford. They are currently #2 in ESPN's overall NBA power rankings. I'm interested to see how the Cavs do against them.
 
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Just got done watching Greg dominate the Bulls on NBATV. Another breakout game.

Season high 24 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks on 7/8 fgs, 10-12 on the foul line. Way too big for Noah, Brad Miller & Taj Gibson. Derrick Rose & Noah each got Oden with posterizing dunks in the first half. That just got Greg angry, dominated the 2nd half with hook shots, dunks, and nice passes out of double teams. The best part was that he was able to play through the foul trouble.

The Portland crowd was chanting his name at the end of the game. :)
 
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Tyler (Portland)
Is it time to get excited about Greg Oden or should I hold off for a little longer?

Chad Ford
I think so. He's got a PER at 22 ... just slightly behind Kevin Durant this year. He's definitely a defensive force. Offensively he's still figuring it out. I know he's had 16, 16, and 24 in his last 3 games, but I don't think he'll keep that up this year. If I'm a Blazers fan I just need 12 to 14 ppg, 10 to12 rpg, 2 bpg and Oden on the floor 25 to 30 min a night. That would be huge. I don't think he'll ever put up the big numbers that Shaq did. But he could be the best big man defender in the league. And frankly, having a 7 footer that can do that will produce more rings than a 6-11 small forward who can score 30 ppg. That was the thinking all along why GMs preferred Oden to Durant. KD is the sexier player and as an offensive player there is just no comparison. KD is great. Oden is aspiring to average. But defensively, Oden could be dominant. KD ... not so much.
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Lance (Pdx )
Which young NBA big man would you rather have? Bynum or Oden

Chad Ford
Oden. But that's not a knock on Bynum. He's been great this year.
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Chat: Chat with Chad Ford - SportsNation - ESPN
 
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West Notebook: Oden's Emergence
By: Travis Heath Last Updated: 11/27/09
The Emergence of Greg Oden

Don't look now, but Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden is in the midst of his best stretch as a professional. In his last four games Oden is averaging 18.5 points, almost eight rebounds, and 2.5 blocked shots per game. Perhaps the most scary aspect of his performance for the rest of the Association is the fact that Oden has made 21 of the 24 free throws he's taken in his last four games, showing that fouling him when he gets near the rim may not be the best option.

Some who haven't looked at the numbers might assume that Oden has played more minutes in the last four games thus accounting for his increased production. However, he's played exactly 24 minutes per contest during this stretch. His season average is 24.4 minutes played.

No, the Blazers haven't exactly played the NBA's elite in the team's last four games, but that's really not the point. For Oden this has always been a process of baby steps, and these last four games are the first time Oden has really looked dominant on a NBA floor for the majority of the time he was in the game.

Confidence is such an important component of success, especially for a young player like Oden who hasn't had much of it throughout his career. A little extra pep in his step could spell trouble for the rest of the Western Conference. Oden's ability around the rim combined with the versatility of fellow big man LaMarcus Aldridge is a potentially lethal one-two punch.

The question now is whether or not Oden can maintain it. Keep your eyes on the Blazers' starting center in the next couple of weeks as we may be smack in the middle of his coming out party.
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http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=14481
 
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I am not a big NBA fan, but I have been following the Trail Blazers because of Oden. It seems to me (the non-expert) that they have placed an emphasis on getting the ball to Greg and he has been scoring. His biggest problem has been picking up too many fouls. However, that coach is too predictable -- Greg gets one foul a quarter and if he gets two he is out. Also, he starts the game and plays about half the first quarter and then Prizbella (sp) plays the remainder of the first quarter and the first half of the second quarter. If that held true last night (I did not see the game), Memphis ran up their big lead during the time Greg was out. Oden is really becoming what most thought he would be, they just need to trust him more.
 
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Oden: Center of better balance
By Scott Boeck, USA TODAY

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Enlarge By Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images
The Trail Blazers' Greg Oden is shooting 63.3% while still being a defensive force.

Greg Oden's emergence as an offensive threat at center has given the Portland Trail Blazers a new look on offense.

The 7-foot, 285-pound center is shooting 63.3% from the field, third in the NBA through Sunday, and is Portland's third leading scorer (11.6 points in 25 minutes a game) behind guard Brandon Roy (19.7) and forward LaMarcus Aldridge (14.9).

The overall No. 1 pick of the 2007 draft remains a deterrent on defense; his 44 blocks are second in the NBA. He missed the entire 2007-08 season because of injuries and did not show much offensively last season.

"His whole demeanor has changed from last year," general manager Kevin Pritchard said.

"What I love about him is he's engaged. He's a big part of the team and he contributes to a good atmosphere. He's interested in winning and being a part of something here."

Despite Oden's revitalized play, the Blazers average 96.5 points, 21st in the league. Last season they averaged 99.4 points (14th).

But it's early, and the Blazers (12-7) are only three games behind the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the Western Conference. Oden is starting to pay dividends and he has improved in every major statistical category:

2008-09 Statistic 2009-10 Improvement

21.5 Minutes 24.6 +3.1
56.4% FG% 63.3% +6.9%
63.7% FT% 78.6% +14.9%
7.0 Rebounds 8.2 +1.2
0.5 Assists 0.9 +0.4
1.1 Blocks 2.3 +1.2
8.9 Points 11.6 +2.7
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Oden: Center of better balance - USATODAY.com
 
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