"IF" Oden is a bust,will he be a bigger bust than Kwame?

Chubby Chaser · Post #1 » by **Chubby Chaser** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:20 am

Ok. Let me preface this thread by saying we obviously don't know if Oden is a bust or not. It's early. He's still getting his legs under him and he's coming off surgery. We all know that. BUT if he does turn out to be a bust. Will he surpass Kwame and be known as the biggest bust ever? Because as of now, the name "Kwame" gets thrown around as the Golden boy of busts. Oden is looking like he's thinking too much and it's getting to him. Oden was pretty hyped when coming in. I saw a segment they did on NBA TV where they had a round table discussion and had Oden sitting around with all the great big men of the past: David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Bill Russel, Bill Walton, and some others I can't remember. And all these men were giving Oden advice of how to be a good big man in the league. And the announcers were saying how they are passing the "big man" torch to Oden. So if he turns out to be a bust. Will he replace Kwame as the face of busts? Or is Kwame's lack of skill and cake throwing antics cemented forever as the Busts of all Busts?

Post #2 » by **dockingsched** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:29 am

oden could not improve his game one bit from this point forward and once he gets in better shape he's already a top 5 defensive center with incredible rebounding. he's no bust.

marshmallow · Post #3 » by **marshmallow** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:38 am

I think Oden as he is right now is already better than Kwame. The thing that worries me about Oden though is that he seems to have bad hands as well. It seems like when he catches it down low or rebounds and goes back up he either bobbles it, gets stripped, or puts up a horrible shot that might as well be a TO.

Post #4 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:39 am

I'll play along. If Oden does bust completely, he is a bigger bust than Kwame Brown, because he's more physically gifted, more skilled, smarter, and more instinctive.

Kwame was 1st pick, but if Oden came out that year, he would have been a lock as the top pick.

McGeeNArenas · Post #5 » by **McGeeNArenas** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:45 am

I don't think he'll be a bust...but yes if he were to be a bust, he'd be a bigger one because of the hype surrounding him was much greater than Kwame. There was talk that he's the next Russell.

541Blaza · Post #6 » by **541Blaza** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:45 am

We haven't had a draft since LeBron where Oden wouldn't have been the #1 pick. Even then it would have been a toss up (at the time). So yes, I would say Oden would be a much much bigger bust than Kwame was. Kwame was predicted to be a Chris Webber, Oden was predicted (and still very well could be) the next Bill Russell.

All that being said that's what the MEDIA expected Greg to be, I think the Blazers would be happy with a Dikembe Mutombo. Even though I think he'll be better than that. He's just struggling with his emotions/confidence right now and he's still getting in shape. The Blazers are still trying to learn to play with him too, he's doesn't play or shoot much yet.

Chubby Chaser · Post #7 » by **Chubby Chaser** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:53 am

dcash4 wrote:oden could not improve his game one bit from this point forward and once he gets in better shape he's already a top 5 defensive center with incredible rebounding. he's no bust.

Ya, if you read the thread you'd realize that the question wasn't is he a bust or not. It was if he's a bust will it be a bigger dissapointment than Kwame.

CITYOFANGELSX3 · Post #8 » by **CITYOFANGELSX3** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:55 am

Yes he would be.

Kwame Brown is a bigger bust than michael olowakandi and the guy the blazers picked ahead of jordan?

Chubby Chaser · Post #9 » by **Chubby Chaser** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:57 am

CITYOFANGELSX3 wrote:Yes he would be.

Kwame Brown is a bigger bust than michael olowakandi and the guy the blazers picked ahead of jordan?

Sam Bowie.

SabasRevenge! · Post #10 » by **SabasRevenge!** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:00 am

Chubby Chaser wrote:Ok. Let me preface this thread by saying we obviously don't know if Oden is a bust or not. It's early. He's still getting his legs under him and he's coming off surgery. We all know that. BUT if he does turn out to be a bust. Will he surpass Kwame and be known as the biggest bust ever? Because as of now, the name "Kwame" gets thrown around as the Golden boy of busts. Oden is looking like he's thinking too much and it's getting to him. Oden was pretty hyped when coming in. I saw a segment they did on NBA TV where they had a round table discussion and had Oden sitting around with all the great big men of the past: David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Bill Russel, Bill Walton, and some others I can't remember. And all these men were giving Oden advice of how to be a good big man in the league. And the announcers were saying how they are passing the "big man" torch to Oden. So if he turns out to be a bust. Will he replace Kwame as the face of busts? Or is Kwame's lack of skill and cake throwing antics cemented forever as the Busts of all Busts?

Kind of an embarrassing comparison for the OP to throw out there, but here we go...

Oden's already better than Kwame. He's about doubling Kwame's production in roughly 25% more minutes and he's about tripling Kwame's blocks.

Kwame at 26 should be "in his prime" and he's putting up about 4/4 on an underachieving team.

Oden has played a handful of games after coming back from microfracture surgery and he's getting his legs, timing, and confidence back. He's already having quite an effect on the game (Rivers was just gushing about him) when he's in there and he's pretty much a fraction of what he'll likely become.

If Oden somehow got worse over the next couple of years and was a 4/4 borderline backup when he is 26, I guess he'd be a bigger bust. Does anyone really see that happening?

IMO it's pretty obvious to people who have any sort of an eye for basketball that these Oden/Kwame/Kandi comparisons are laughable.

Buckeye-NBAFan · Post #11 » by **Buckeye-NBAFan** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:01 am

CITYOFANGELSX3 wrote:Yes he would be.

Kwame Brown is a bigger bust than michael olowakandi and the guy the blazers picked ahead of jordan?

Bowie wasn't a #1 pick, and its hard to label players who have shorted careers due to injury busts. Was Len Bias a bust? A career ending injury is the same thing in terms of preventing you from playing basketball.

Bowie had some pretty damn solid PER36 numbers. If he had been healthy, he would have made a couple AS games.

Clangus · Post #12 » by **Clangus** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:09 am

Kwame isn't even one of the all time worst busts

http://www.realgm.com/src_feature/158/2 ... t_history/

to say teh least.

But sure if oden flops he will definatley be a bigger bust that Kwame, Because with the kwame pick alot of people were like: "why did they pick him?'

With Oden it was more like I wonder who is going third (Everyone knew he was going first and Durant was going second)

SabasRevenge! · Post #13 » by **SabasRevenge!** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:10 am

Chubby Chaser wrote:
CITYOFANGELSX3 wrote:Yes he would be.

Kwame Brown is a bigger bust than michael olowakandi and the guy the blazers picked ahead of jordan?

Sam Bowie.

You don't really know anything about Bowie, do you?

Sam Bowie is a monumental disappointment because of his injuries, not because he was a bad basketball player. Being picked above Jordan only compounded things. If he were picked in a poor draft, he would simply be a really talented guy who couldn't get healthy. Bowie was a very promising player who had a history of injury problems coming into the league. Portland took a risk on him and it didn't pay off, but the guy was very, very good before he broke his leg in college and he was a good pro when semi-healthy (he was never really healthy). We never saw what Bowie could have been because he was never healthy.

slamdunk · Post #14 » by **slamdunk** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:15 am

Andrea Bargnani is the bigger bust.

MagicFan32 · Post #15 » by **MagicFan32** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:29 am

Chubby Chaser wrote:Ok. Let me preface this thread by saying we obviously don't know if Oden is a bust or not. It's early. He's still getting his legs under him and he's coming off surgery. We all know that. BUT if he does turn out to be a bust. Will he surpass Kwame and be known as the biggest bust ever? Because as of now, the name "Kwame" gets thrown around as the Golden boy of busts. Oden is looking like he's thinking too much and it's getting to him. Oden was pretty hyped when coming in. I saw a segment they did on NBA TV where they had a round table discussion and had Oden sitting around with all the great big men of the past: David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Bill Russel, Bill Walton, and some others I can't remember. And all these men were giving Oden advice of how to be a good big man in the league. And the announcers were saying how they are passing the "big man" torch to Oden. So if he turns out to be a bust. Will he replace Kwame as the face of busts? Or is Kwame's lack of skill and cake throwing antics cemented forever as the Busts of all Busts?

Just give Oden time, though I laugh at Blazer fans that think he's ever going to be as good as Dwight and therefore wouldn't trade him straight up

NapoleonII · Post #16 » by **NapoleonII** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:36 am

He's. A. Rookie.

Showtime:Part2 · Post #17 » by **Showtime:Part2** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:02 am

when dwight was a rookie he was good. when shaq was a rookie he was dominant.... the trend goes on. being a rookie doesn't preclude you from sucking.

Chubby Chaser · Post #18 » by **Chubby Chaser** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:04 am

Showtime:Part2 wrote:when dwight was a rookie he was good. when shaq was a rookie he was dominant.... the trend goes on. being a rookie doesn't preclude you from sucking.

Ya but in his defense. Microfracture surgery is pretty serious. Especially for a 7 footer.

JackFinn · Post #19 » by **JackFinn** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:06 am

The hypothetical question doesn't include how average or poor Oden ends up being, so it depends on that. But I think he'd rank up there with any all-time bust, on account of his physical gifts and hype.

not in bust order:
Bargnani
Morrison
T. Thomas
Livingston
Milicic
J. Williams
7 years of Dunleavy Jr.
Skitishvilli
K. Brown
E. Curry
Swift
Miles
Fizer
Bender
Olowakandi
S. Bradley
Ok I don't care anymore

Agenda42 · Post #20 » by **Agenda42** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:22 am

Showtime:Part2 wrote:when dwight was a rookie he was good. when shaq was a rookie he was dominant.... the trend goes on. being a rookie doesn't preclude you from sucking.

Dwight Howard's rookie per36 numbers: 52% shooting, 13.2 pts, 11.1 reb, 1.0 ast, 1.0 stl, 1.8 blk
Greg Oden's rookie per36 numbers: 49% shooting, 12.7 pts, 12.4 reb, 1.2 ast, 0.6 stl, 2.6 blk

They're pretty comparable guys in their rookie season. Oden is better defensively, rookie Howard is better offensively. However, Oden is 21 and coming off a series of injuries, Howard was 19 and healthy. It's hard to say which is a larger factor.

Anyway, Oden could yet turn out to be better than Howard, but I would certainly prefer to have Howard on my team.

If he's a bust. Will he replace Kwame as the biggest Bust of all time?