RedsLakers24
04-09-2009, 02:46 PM
Astute and always sensible NBA writer Charlie Rosen took the time to take apart Portlands Greg Oden today. He was unsparing and honest in his analysis of the deficiencies that plague Portlands putative savior of the pivot.
I talked with several Portland fans after they drafted him. They all said Oden would quickly pass Drew as a superior center in the NBA citing reasons like bigger build, more athleticism and better defensive presence.The also put alot of stock in his college career and reputation versus Drew pretty much being a nobody and a project who slipped down in the draft and was viewed as a risk. They just loved Oden's pedegree and hated Drew's. In otherwords filet mignon vs chopped liver.
I never did agree with this assesment. Oden always seemed to me to be very stiff in his movements and not agile enough to become a dreadnaught center. His offensive game looked even worse. I did not then, nor do I now understand how anyone who has seen both men play think Oden is near Drew when it comes to pure athleticism.
The one thing I always like about Drew, that impressed me even when he couldn't really play ball was how fast and graceful he seemed to move even at his size. It made me think that if this guy had the heart and desire to learn the game then he could be something really good if he worked at it. You have to have good clay in order for it to be molded into something special. With Drew I saw very good clay, with Oden I saw clay you could get at a dollar store. Yeah it is there but it just doesn't have those inherant qualities you need if you are making something unique that will stand out.
It would be very ironic if one of our biggest and longtime rivals was fooled into buying a center made of inferior clay while paying a premium price for it, while we end up with a great center who was drafted as a project...a dollar store bargin who turns out to be top shelf clay.
It is those kind of vississitudes and tricks of fate that can make or break a franchise and cause one to be just a playoff also ran and lead the other to championships.
Injuries aside, If both players were now to come out in the draft, I wonder which would be viewed as the best clay and taken with the first pick and which would slide down the draft as not really all that special.
In my book the Lakers made out like a bandit and Portland fans will end up looking at our center and wistfully wish he wore their colors and not ours. But then, somehow, someway, we always do seem to resign Portland to second best when it matters. It is just how it is when you are the Lakers and they are Porland.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9430598/For-now,-Przybilla-better-than-Oden
I talked with several Portland fans after they drafted him. They all said Oden would quickly pass Drew as a superior center in the NBA citing reasons like bigger build, more athleticism and better defensive presence.The also put alot of stock in his college career and reputation versus Drew pretty much being a nobody and a project who slipped down in the draft and was viewed as a risk. They just loved Oden's pedegree and hated Drew's. In otherwords filet mignon vs chopped liver.
I never did agree with this assesment. Oden always seemed to me to be very stiff in his movements and not agile enough to become a dreadnaught center. His offensive game looked even worse. I did not then, nor do I now understand how anyone who has seen both men play think Oden is near Drew when it comes to pure athleticism.
The one thing I always like about Drew, that impressed me even when he couldn't really play ball was how fast and graceful he seemed to move even at his size. It made me think that if this guy had the heart and desire to learn the game then he could be something really good if he worked at it. You have to have good clay in order for it to be molded into something special. With Drew I saw very good clay, with Oden I saw clay you could get at a dollar store. Yeah it is there but it just doesn't have those inherant qualities you need if you are making something unique that will stand out.
It would be very ironic if one of our biggest and longtime rivals was fooled into buying a center made of inferior clay while paying a premium price for it, while we end up with a great center who was drafted as a project...a dollar store bargin who turns out to be top shelf clay.
It is those kind of vississitudes and tricks of fate that can make or break a franchise and cause one to be just a playoff also ran and lead the other to championships.
Injuries aside, If both players were now to come out in the draft, I wonder which would be viewed as the best clay and taken with the first pick and which would slide down the draft as not really all that special.
In my book the Lakers made out like a bandit and Portland fans will end up looking at our center and wistfully wish he wore their colors and not ours. But then, somehow, someway, we always do seem to resign Portland to second best when it matters. It is just how it is when you are the Lakers and they are Porland.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9430598/For-now,-Przybilla-better-than-Oden