How good will the Blazers be when Greg Oden returns?

[JordansBulls]

Right now they're in the playoff hunt, and although they might not get far in the playoffs (assuming they make it), they're a young team and will get much better. Just imagine Greg Oden in the middle for that team.

PG Steve Blake
SG Brandon Roy
SF Martell Webster
PF LaMarcus Aldridge
C Greg Oden


That's just sick right there. They're not exactly the best rebounding team in the league, so Greg Oden will be a welcome addition in that category. Their defense is already good, just imagine Greg Oden in the post. And imagine LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden owning the defense together down low in the post.

They could very well win 50 games next season. Inexperience might prevent them from going too far, but they've got a bright future over there in Portland.

The future of the West is Portland, Utah, New Orleans and LA. All teams are young and getting better.

[The_Pope]

Portland should try to run for J-Kidd. They have the assets to do so. Not to mention J-Kidd will reinforce thier rebounding woes.

Um... no they shouldn't.

Kidd is 35 and they'd have to give up a few decent young players to get him. They're much better just keeping their roster intact for long-term success.

[MalReyn]

This upcoming draft is important for them, since it'll likely be their last lottery pick in awhile.

Luckily for them, this is a great year to acquire a talented PG later in the lottery. A lot of talent out there available. Plus I think their SF situation isn't too bad. Webster and Outlaw are both still young and improving. Plus they don't need a "star" at SF, just someone who can defend well and hit open 3's.

Next year I fully expect them to be a playoff team, and in two years they should be playing past the first round (possibly well past).

[hkphooey]

This upcoming draft is important for them, since it'll likely be their last lottery pick in awhile.

Luckily for them, this is a great year to acquire a talented PG later in the lottery. A lot of talent out there available. Plus I think their SF situation isn't too bad. Webster and Outlaw are both still young and improving. Plus they don't need a "star" at SF, just someone who can defend well and hit open 3's.

Next year I fully expect them to be a playoff team, and in two years they should be playing past the first round (possibly well past).

I agree. With plenty at SF with Outlaw, Webster and James Jones. Jones especially is way over looked, it's absolutely a coincidence that we are a much better team with him playing than not. Our winning and losing directly coincides with his play time thus far this season - he was out for the first 15 games and he's been out for the last 10.

I'm not sure we really need anything else. Another year of seasoning for all of our players, add in Oden and a scoring machine ni Rudy Fernandez and we'll be able to compete with the best of them. The funny thing about this upcoming draft is that we 4 picks again - 1 first rounder and 3 seconds. I smell some trades brewing there.

Utah is damn scary. NO is equally scary. And those damn Lakers are scray too. Only saving grace about the Lakers however is that Kobe is getting older so he wont be around as long as Deron and CP3 will be to toughen up the west.

[Myth_Breaker]

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Hmm, it must be every Laker homer other than yourself who brings up how bad Oden will be in every Blazer thread then.

Or maybe it must be every Blazers homer including you bragging about Oden certainly becoming the best bigman in the NBA despite the obvious fact he proved nothing to justify this claim so far.

[candy for lunch]

Nope, he never proved anything in college.

[hermes]

he'll be good but i don't think he'll win rookie of the year

[SabasRevenge!]

I don't think Greg Oden will be that great. I mean he had microfracture knee surgery afterall, and he won't get too many shots with all the great ballhandlers and scorers on that team.

The Blazers are in the bottom third of the league in scoring and their PGs aside from Blake turn the ball over quite frequently. Roy is a great ballhandler for a SG. There may be some players aside from Roy who may become great scorers, but they're certainly not there yet. Aside from Aldridge and possibly Outlaw, Fernandez and Webster, who could be a great scorer? IMO Roy's scoring average may decline next year and his APG will rise above 7. Greg Oden will get the ball on offense next year.

Or maybe it must be every Blazers homer including you bragging about Oden certainly becoming the best bigman in the NBA despite the obvious fact he proved nothing to justify this claim so far.

Hi friend! Always the inflammatory one, eh? Certainly? Every? Best? How about "some Blazers homers and say Oden will become the best big man in the NBA." You may be forgetting that Greg Oden was roundly hailed as the best big man prospect in a decade. There were many more people than Blazers homers singing his praises. His surgery sidetracked his first year out of college and the hype has certainly died down, but plenty of people will be tuning in to watch his debut next year.

[Myth_Breaker]

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Hi friend! Always the inflammatory one, eh?

Hark who's talking! Weren't it you known from making idiotic threads like "Bynum vs. Kareem" on PC Board just to annoy Bynum's fans?

Certainly? Every? Best? How about "some Blazers homers and say Oden will become the best big man in the NBA."

Not to mention I was just paraphrasing your friend Farzi who started talking about "every" Lakers fan - yet I didn't see you condemning HIM.

You may be forgetting that Greg Oden was roundly hailed as the best big man prospect in a decade. There were many more people than Blazers homers singing his praises. His surgery sidetracked his first year out of college and the hype has certainly died down, but plenty of people will be tuning in to watch his debut next year.

And this all doesn't mean a jack until Oden proves his talent on the NBA court. Andrew didn't show as much in the league as Dwight or Yao, so until proving otherwise should be ranked below them - but the same concerns Oden compared to Bynum. Is it so hard to understand, or just Blazers homers like to be intentionally dense?

[kookie_819]

I criticize some Lakers fans for their homerism, but Blazers fans shouldn't do that... they were the ones hyping up Oden during the offseason, saying he'll be better than Dwight in his rookie season, saying that a left-handed Oden has better offense than Dwight, etc.

Kind of hypocritical, if you ask me.

[Myth_Breaker]

I criticize some Lakers fans for their homerism, but Blazers fans shouldn't do that... they were the ones hyping up Oden during the offseason, saying he'll be better than Dwight in his rookie season, saying that a left-handed Oden has better offense than Dwight, etc.

Kind of hypocritical, if you ask me.

Exactly: there were Blazers fans voting Oden over Dwight already in the summer, and these are double standards that I'm talking about.

[triplet1984]

I'm going to go against the crowd here and say... they won't be much better next year. in fact they will probably be about as good as they are now. Just a hunch.

Not that I think oden wont be good or anything... he will be, i just think everyone else will be not quite as good as they refocus to make Oden the main offensive force. We'll have half a season of non-gelling.

[Walton'sBeard!]

I'm going to go against the crowd here and say... they won't be much better next year. in fact they will probably be about as good as they are now. Just a hunch.

Not that I think oden wont be good or anything... he will be, i just think everyone else will be not quite as good as they refocus to make Oden the main offensive force. We'll have half a season of non-gelling.

Maybe other teams would need a year for a rookie to fit in, but not this one. There is not one ego on Portland. Yes, Roy or LA might lose a point or two off their average, but the team scoring will be up. And we are talking about Oden, just another consummate team player to throw on our pile.

And one more word: RUDY!

[PrecociousNeoph]

Oden fills all of the blazers major holes. Interior defense and rebounding. 13 or so points his rookie year will still be 10 more (I'm guessing) than Przybilla averages. I can see them winning ~50 games next year.

exactly. i think people are overlooking the fact that his rebounding will right away make a huge contribution.

I think the first question is can he stay out of foul trouble, that was one of his only weaknesses in college

[Spykes]

I think the first question is can he stay out of foul trouble, that was one of his only weaknesses in college

That's a legit concern. I assume there'll be some tough nights for him in the early part of his rookie season. Thats one reason why the Blazers need to keep Joel Przybilla to backup Oden next season.