C Greg Oden (Portland Trailblazers)

[Buckskin86]

As Greg Oden goes, so go the Blazers
By John Canzano, The Oregonian
September 27, 2009



As Greg Oden goes, so go the Blazers | John Canzano - ? OregonLive.com

[Buckskin86]

Trail Blazers' Oden wants to start
By Anne M. Peterson, AP Sports Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. ? Greg Oden's goal this season is to start for the Portland Trail Blazers, no disrespect to teammate Joel Przybilla.
"I love Joel to death, but I want that starting spot," he said.

Oden arrived at fall camp thinner and more cheery than he was at times last season, when he went through rookie growing pains.

The 7-foot center was the top pick in the 2007 draft but missed his first season because he had microfracture surgery on his right knee.

Oden played off the bench for much of last season while Przybilla started. Though he was dogged by criticism, Oden improved steadily and in the end averaged 8.9 points and 7 rebounds per game.

"I feel good now because I feel I put in some really, really hard work in the offseason and now I'm ready to go out there and play," he said Monday, a day before the team's first practice of the fall.

Trail Blazers' Oden wants to start - USATODAY.com

[naptownbuck]

Greg is going to quiet a lot of doubters this season. I fully expect the Portland bandwagon to exceed compacity by All-Star break. Never doubt talent.

Oden renewed, refreshed as Blazers training camp approaches - Columbian.com

Another good article about Greg's thirst for the starting spot. But this quote from Brandon Roy jumped out at me.

"When we?re playing pick-up (games), he?s not just beasting guys anymore. He?s doing little shimmies; jump hooks with the left hand; jump hooks with the right hand," Roy said. "The biggest thing I?m most impressed with is, he?s facing guys up now. He?s catching that ball and he?s facing them up and he?s shooting his little touch shot."

This is what happens when you actually have a chance to work on your game during the whole duration of offseason. Now lets look at a couple media day pics from Monday.



And once again it is worth noting how slim Oden is compared to his rookie playing weight.

(Last Year)


(This year)


He's ready.

[OregonBuckeye]

Definitely too heavy last year. Oden and Portland are going to own this year.

[WoodyWorshiper]

Hope the kid stays healthy. It's been a thorn in his ass for too long, and he deserves better.

Albeit only for one season, Greg gave us as Buckeye fans a season to remember forever.

Good Luck in 09-10, Greg!

Peace

[Buckskin86]

Sep 30, 2009
We Found a New Greg Oden
By Austin Burton



When people ask me for a Greg Oden story, I usually tell them the one from the ?07 Rookie Photo Shoot. That was the year Oden was supposed to make his NBA debut before microfracture knee surgery delayed his rookie season for another calendar turn. At the time, we were still putting together our cover feature on Oden for Dime #35, and I was going to help get some extra quotes.

?Do you love basketball?? I asked Oden. His answer was something along the lines of, ?Yeah. I mean, I?ve been playing since I was a kid.? It wasn?t so much what he said, but how he said it ? he sounded like somebody who was trying to convince themselves of something they know isn?t true.

I bring that up because, when I spoke to Greg Oden this past weekend ? one of the first times I?d spoken to him for more than a couple of minutes since that Rookie Shoot ? it was the first time I?d gotten the impression that he actually does love what he?s doing. A few days before he was to report to Blazers training camp, all Oden wanted to talk about was how he?d been improving his body and his game over the summer, and how he?s ready to erase any bad memories of last season from his mind.

The Greg Oden I talked to is a guy who?s motivated and excited to be playing basketball. That ? more than his size or raw talent ? will be primarily what makes him an impact player at this level for years to come. Here?s an excerpt from that interview, the rest of which you?ll see in an upcoming issue of the magazine:

Dime: What have you been up to this summer?
Greg Oden: All summer I stayed in Columbus (Ohio), except for a few times when I went to Vegas, and then I went to Phoenix to workout with Jerryd Bayless. But I spent the rest of the time working out with the Buckeyes basketball team, playing in the open gym at Ohio State, and (ex-UNLV coach) Billy Bayno came down every week to work with me.

Dime: What was the competition like?
GO: It was pretty good. Other than this year?s Ohio State guys, you had guys come through who are in the NBA or play overseas that went to Ohio State, and guys who are just from Columbus. Brian Grant came down for about three weeks and worked with me, too. Like, Billy Bayno would take me through some moves, and Brian would show me how they work, give me a visual of what it looks like. He was real good at getting his shots off against bigger guys, so if I?m already a bigger guy, having these moves will make me even better.

We Found a New Greg Oden | Dime Magazine (www.dimemag.com) : Daily NBA News, NBA Trades, NBA Rumors, Basketball Videos, Sneakers

[Buckskin86]

NBA PM: Oden Looking Impressive
By: Jason Fleming Last Updated: 10/2/09

Is It Oden's Time to Shine? This time of year every team is optimistic. Every team has a player they gush about, a player who improved a ton, and player they think is going to make "the leap" in their career. For the Portland Trail Blazers that player is oft-injured center Greg Oden.

If you follow the Blazers at all, you can't go past a single article, blog post, message board, or tweet without seeing something about how Oden is doing. He's impressing his teammates and coaches with his expanded face-up jumper and spin move post game. He's blocking shots like a maniac. Grabbing boards in a frenzy.

So is it true? Will this be when Oden lives up to the expectations? He's talked about being healthy and in shape, a little lighter, and how he feels last season he was a half second late on everything, hence the foul trouble. He feels the offseason has cut off that half second, allowing him to stay in front of plays instead of lagging behind them.

You have to be no better than cautiously optimistic at this point, knowing we saw all these same things last year at this time, but at the same time it's different.

Last year was when people first got a look at this physical specimen and saw the tease for what he could bring. We saw the raw strength, the power, and thought of what could be. His teammates were in awe of his power, and practically drooled over the possibilities.

And then Oden suffered through a season with few bright spots while fighting foul trouble and injuries.

So what makes this year different? Why should we pay attention and think it could be any different?

Oden had serious deficiencies in his game, apart from being a half-step slow all the time. He had very few post moves and almost no jumper in his game. Now, the team can give him the ball in the post and his teammates trust he has move game than just trying to dunk. No longer are his teammates in awe of his pure physical and athletic gifts; now they are impressed with his true production.


The young center has been playing fantastic in scrimmages and has whetted the appetites of a fan base the way few things could. Don't take my word for it if you don't want, but it's worth noting that Dwight Jaynes, a Portland writer who has covered the Blazers and other local sports for over a quarter century for the Oregonian, the Portland Tribune and other outlets, is also quietly optimistic.

"He's running better, for sure," writes Jaynes. "He seems to jump well. He's being aggressive and much more animated with his teammates. He's finished his chances around the basket and looks more comfortable on the floor. I don't see a lot of the awkwardness we saw last season. It's all good so far ? I just want to wait a little bit longer before going too nuts about it."

Most sportswriters don't get too excited about the sports they cover, because there is a sense of having seen it all before. So when you see a writer with as lengthy a career as Jaynes writing those words, it's a reason to sit up and take notice.

I'm with him ? cautiously optimistic.

HOOPSWORLD

[MaxBuck]

As one of the truly good guys to play at Ohio State, Greg is maybe the player I most want to hit the super-big time (well, him and his buddy Mike). Give 'em hell, big guy!

[Buckskin86]

-- Yes, we?ve heard this before, but Greg Oden says he?s really ready now. "I see a different person," general manager Kevin Pritchard told the Portland Oregonian. "He's willing to smile now and we know Greg cares. You can see that he cares. I think the key is that he doesn't feel the weight of the world on his shoulders, that he can be Greg Oden (and) he doesn't have to be anybody else." It?s clear now Kevin Durant was the player in that draft, and I have to admit I was warned. George Andrews, a Chicago attorney who was one of the early so called super agents of the 1980?s when he represented Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Mark Aguirre and Doc Rivers, told me before that draft that Oden reminded him of Tree Rollins. Rollins was a tough, hard working player who had an 18-year career. So there?s no shame in that. But we now know Greg Oden. And he?s no Bill Russell or David Robinson. It?s OK.

BULLS: Sam Smith: Top 5 to be traded; NBA notes

[OregonBuckeye]

But we now know Greg Oden.

Go [censored] yourself. No one knows how Greg's career will turn out. Does anyone have any patience any more? We're writing off players after a year or two now?

[bkochmc]

Good opening game for Oden... 18 points, 9 rebounds in 26 minutes of action.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=291006022

PORTLAND, Ore. -- As critiques go, Greg Oden's assessment of his exhibition opener was brief -- and fitting for the preseason.

"It was OK, you know," he said. "I still have a lot to work on."

Oden had 18 points and nine rebounds in the Portland Trail Blazers' 98-86 victory over the Sacramento Kings in the preseason opener for both teams on Tuesday night.

A trainer wrapped both of Oden's knees in ice afterward and he quickly answered a few questions before hurrying off. The teams were headed down to Sacramento for another preseason game on Wednesday night.

Cont...

[Buckskin86]

Oden scores 18 as Blazers beat Kings 98-86
By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP)

PORTLAND, Ore. ? Reserve Greg Oden had 18 points and nine rebounds in the Portland Trail Blazers' 98-86 victory over the Sacramento Kings in the preseason opener for both teams on Tuesday night.

The Associated Press: Oden scores 18 as Blazers beat Kings 98-86

YouTube - Portland Trail Blazers vs Sacramento...

[OregonBuckeye]

10-12 on free throws is nice to see.

[dragurd]

Oden put up 20 and 12 tonight in 26 mins.

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

Looks like Greg is finally starting to show his potential (without the limitations of injury). It'll be a lot of fun to watch him this year.