"The 7ft center from Ohio State will make $3.885 million as a rookie and $4.176 in 08/09.
In accordance with the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, Portland can exercise an option to sign Oden, the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year for the NCAA tournament runner-up Buckeyes, for a further two years after his initial deal."
I really don't know much about Greg, but I can tell you Portland's love for this guy is unconditional. More proof Portland is drowning in a sea of drugs and booze. There's still a giant Oden #1 jersey hanging on the Rose Garden.
In accordance with the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, Portland can exercise an option to sign Oden, the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year for the NCAA tournament runner-up Buckeyes, for a further two years after his initial deal."
I really don't know much about Greg, but I can tell you Portland's love for this guy is unconditional. More proof Portland is drowning in a sea of drugs and booze. There's still a giant Oden #1 jersey hanging on the Rose Garden.
http://dimemag.com/2009/11/greg-oden-makes-portland-a-contender/
NBA / Nov 24, 2009 / 11:00 am
Greg Oden Makes Portland A Contender
By Jack Jensen
With Portland’s 122-98 beat down of Chicago last night, the Blazers are looking more and more like the team many predicted they’d be this year: a squad that will vie for the Western Conference Finals and possibly beyond.
Do you know who puts this team over the hump? Gregory Wayne Oden Jr.
Signing Andre Miller this off-season and returning Martell Webster from an injury that limited him to five minutes last year are both integral parts of Portland’s success. But their ultimate desire rests in the hands of the big man from Buckeye country. When Oden is playing with confidence - and reassuring the City of Roses they didn’t make the Bowie mistake twice - he is the final piece to the Blazers puzzle.
Brandon Roy has catapulted himself into elite status in the NBA and LaMarcus Aldridge is quietly becoming one of the game’s best young forwards. If West Coast basketball is past your bedtime and you haven’t watched Portland lately, it’s easy to overlook the rest of Portland’s roster past these two. I’ll assure you, the Blazers are solid at every position.
Joel Przybilla might be the best backup center in the NBA - laugh if you will, but it’s true - and having Miller as your backup point guard is one of the best go-to luxuries in the League. Miller is still one of the best in the business and when he gets it going, can orchestrate the Blazer offense much more efficiently than their current starter, Steve Blake. Although, they will have to make up for the loss of Travis Outlaw, who was lost to a stress fracture in his foot in mid-November.
The early exit of Outlaw may prove to be a much bigger obstacle as the playoffs near. Besides Roy, Outlaw is the only other proven clutch performer in the 4th quarter. Look for either Rudy Fernandez or Webster to pick up the slack during Outlaw’s disappearance - which could be all season.
During the Bulls game last night, the Blazers scored across the board. All 11 players that made it into the game were able to mark the scoring column. Oden and Aldridge each added in a double-double 24 points apiece with 12 and 13 rebounds respectively. What’s even better about this performance was that Oden was 7-8 from the field and 10-12 from the charity stripe. Which brings me back to my main point: Oden.
When Portland was struggling last season in the playoffs against Houston, Oden was only able to muster five points and 4.3 boards in 16 minutes a game. He was able to manage 4.5 fouls in that same time. The end result was an early exit from the playoffs to the lower-seeded Rockets.
The major knocks on Oden thus far, beyond his man-of-glass reputation, are fouling due to incorrect post defense and his confidence level. Oden is fouling at a high rate - he’s averaging four fouls a game this season - and is being caught on the wrong end of help side swings. If Oden can keep his fouls down, it will enable him to stay in the game long enough to positively effect it.
He has a defensive prowess that GMs salivate over and if he can become the offensive post target that Portland hopes he will - and that he was against Chicago - he will make a lot of people in Rip City forget about that Texas kid who plays for the Thunder.
More importantly, he will be the missing piece behind a serious playoff run for the Blazers. Portland is an explosive scoring team and is one of the League’s best at running the half-court offense - something Oden can thrive in.
If Oden can play with the same consistency that he showed against the Bulls, then Portland is a top-three team in the League. Right now, I have the Hawks and Lakers ahead of Portland, with Orlando, Denver and Phoenix close behind.
I’m still not convinced that Cleveland has the personnel, beyond LBJ and Mo Williams, or the right mindset to bring it every night. Boston is showing its age for the first time, which was evident against Indiana, Orlando and an overtime victory against the Knicks at the buzzer.
Currently, the Blazers are sitting at 11-5 and atop the Northwest division, leading the Denver Nuggets by a half game. If Oden continues to build his confidence level and offense night in and night out, it’s going to be a tight race to decide both division and conference champions.
NBA / Nov 24, 2009 / 11:00 am
Greg Oden Makes Portland A Contender
By Jack Jensen
With Portland’s 122-98 beat down of Chicago last night, the Blazers are looking more and more like the team many predicted they’d be this year: a squad that will vie for the Western Conference Finals and possibly beyond.
Do you know who puts this team over the hump? Gregory Wayne Oden Jr.
Signing Andre Miller this off-season and returning Martell Webster from an injury that limited him to five minutes last year are both integral parts of Portland’s success. But their ultimate desire rests in the hands of the big man from Buckeye country. When Oden is playing with confidence - and reassuring the City of Roses they didn’t make the Bowie mistake twice - he is the final piece to the Blazers puzzle.
Brandon Roy has catapulted himself into elite status in the NBA and LaMarcus Aldridge is quietly becoming one of the game’s best young forwards. If West Coast basketball is past your bedtime and you haven’t watched Portland lately, it’s easy to overlook the rest of Portland’s roster past these two. I’ll assure you, the Blazers are solid at every position.
Joel Przybilla might be the best backup center in the NBA - laugh if you will, but it’s true - and having Miller as your backup point guard is one of the best go-to luxuries in the League. Miller is still one of the best in the business and when he gets it going, can orchestrate the Blazer offense much more efficiently than their current starter, Steve Blake. Although, they will have to make up for the loss of Travis Outlaw, who was lost to a stress fracture in his foot in mid-November.
The early exit of Outlaw may prove to be a much bigger obstacle as the playoffs near. Besides Roy, Outlaw is the only other proven clutch performer in the 4th quarter. Look for either Rudy Fernandez or Webster to pick up the slack during Outlaw’s disappearance - which could be all season.
During the Bulls game last night, the Blazers scored across the board. All 11 players that made it into the game were able to mark the scoring column. Oden and Aldridge each added in a double-double 24 points apiece with 12 and 13 rebounds respectively. What’s even better about this performance was that Oden was 7-8 from the field and 10-12 from the charity stripe. Which brings me back to my main point: Oden.
When Portland was struggling last season in the playoffs against Houston, Oden was only able to muster five points and 4.3 boards in 16 minutes a game. He was able to manage 4.5 fouls in that same time. The end result was an early exit from the playoffs to the lower-seeded Rockets.
The major knocks on Oden thus far, beyond his man-of-glass reputation, are fouling due to incorrect post defense and his confidence level. Oden is fouling at a high rate - he’s averaging four fouls a game this season - and is being caught on the wrong end of help side swings. If Oden can keep his fouls down, it will enable him to stay in the game long enough to positively effect it.
He has a defensive prowess that GMs salivate over and if he can become the offensive post target that Portland hopes he will - and that he was against Chicago - he will make a lot of people in Rip City forget about that Texas kid who plays for the Thunder.
More importantly, he will be the missing piece behind a serious playoff run for the Blazers. Portland is an explosive scoring team and is one of the League’s best at running the half-court offense - something Oden can thrive in.
If Oden can play with the same consistency that he showed against the Bulls, then Portland is a top-three team in the League. Right now, I have the Hawks and Lakers ahead of Portland, with Orlando, Denver and Phoenix close behind.
I’m still not convinced that Cleveland has the personnel, beyond LBJ and Mo Williams, or the right mindset to bring it every night. Boston is showing its age for the first time, which was evident against Indiana, Orlando and an overtime victory against the Knicks at the buzzer.
Currently, the Blazers are sitting at 11-5 and atop the Northwest division, leading the Denver Nuggets by a half game. If Oden continues to build his confidence level and offense night in and night out, it’s going to be a tight race to decide both division and conference champions.
