11-18-2008, 06:53 AM
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Capo Regime
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 40,864
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Total Points: 17,679,445.99
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Greg Oden, three games in
Posted by Sean Meagher, OregonLive.com November 17, 2008 10:21AM
Categories: Greg Oden, News & notes
 Photo by the N.O. Times-Picayune
And we're pleasantly surprised. The growth from game one to game three has been inspiring.
After going down in the first half of the season opener against the Lakers in his rookie debut (drawing bogus, way-too-early comparisons to Sam Bowie) and a return in which he played a full 16 minutes, recording 3 points and 2 boards, Greg Oden is improving with each outing, as he should. He's getting into the groove as the Blazers slowly but surely bring him along in just over 20 minutes per game.
After his first game there was a collective sigh of relief when the big fella made it through unscathed and scored the first two points of his NBA career on an emphatic one-handed dunk. After his second game (and a beneficial day off in between), serious optimism was produced with Oden's first career double-double. And a night later, the second of a back-to-back, a more featured part of the offense and a strong defensive performance in 24 minutes showed this play was no fluke.
-- After Oden's return against Miami last Wednesday, ESPN basketball scout David Thorpe wrote:It's important to remember that there is so much going through his mind; defensive responsibilities, awareness to help on finishers (he had two power blocks), block-out duties, etc. As the game slows down for him, he'll clear his head and get back to being a beast on the glass. That's his natural instinct. He may have looked rough in the post Wednesday night, but as he learns what NBA teams will do to stop him, he and his teammates and coaches will come up with strategies to counter those actions. He is a very cerebral player with a good feel for the game, so I expect that learning curve to be both steep and fast.
-- With the more run he gets, the more comfortable he becomes playing with his teammates and against NBA competition, the more natural his movements become, the more effective Oden is. After that 3 and 2 game, Oden recorded his first double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and more importantly 4 blocks in 24 minutes. Follow that up with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals in 24 minutes, and it's safe to say that the learning curve Thorpe mentioned is moving forward quickly. Echoed here by Dave from Blazer's Edge:
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