How good is Portland with Kevin Durnat?

M

MammothHorn

< 25 Posts
Seriously, SF is Portland's weakest position--right now Batum is starting. Their offense would be incredible and it gives them incredible versatility. I think Durant is an underrated defender too, he might not be a great defender now--but, he is so long , quick, and will only get stronger. Plus their offense would be unreal with Roy, Aldridge and Durant. Personally, I think they would be contenders with the Lakers for the 1 seed this year if they had him. Thoughts?
 
I think it is soon enough to say that Oden is not a franchise center. Possibly a very good one, yes, but he will never be a 24/12 type of guy.
 
It is already safe to say that Portland has now twice passed on once in a generation players. While not as obvious today as the Jordan decision, if Durant continues his ascendence to Kobie-Lebron status they will look back on that move the same as the Jordan screw up.
 
If they had Durant they'd seriously challenge the Lakers for the Western Conference championship.

That said, I don't think anyone could have argued with them picking Oden first. It was the obvious pick.
 
I knew since I saw Durant and Oden play for the first time that KD was easily the better of the two players and would have a better pro career. Then he went on to defy all logic in college and, IMO, made the draft pick even easier than before. It's like the management didn't even look at tape of the two guys...
 
Oden was obvious only to the sheep in the media. There were plenty of league scouts and whatnot who unhesitatingly said Durant was better. But league GMs seem to listen to public opinion, for reasons unknown.
 
I think some thought Oden had better upside and I guess he was a sexier pick. I heard KD's workout in Portland was pretty close to perfect though. Portland had a good assortment of swingmen back then.
 
but would Durant be as far along in his development as the 3rd guy behind both Roy and Aldridge? not saying he wouldn't be a stud but he might not be the player he is now.
 
Why do you all knock Sam Bowie? He is 7'1", athletic, and averaged 18pts per game and 9 rebounds per game before he injured his shin. After being out a couple of years, he avg. 11 pts per game at UK. Many thought he would continue to improve.

Interestingly, in the NBA, Bowie scored 11pts per game, avg. 8 rpg and hit 30% of his 3pt shots. At this point in his career, how does Oden measure up to Bowie?
 
Don't think they're comparing Bowie to Oden. Comparing Bowie's career to that guy who Portland passed on and whose name escapes me now..........oh yeah, Michael Jordan.
 
Not sure if Durant would have been the third option. Probably would have been ahead of LA pretty early in his career. And he'd be at least an even option to Roy at this junction.
 
Trying to compare the Durant/Oden pairing to Bowie/Jordan is extremely premature. Too early to see if Oden's career will be limited by injury like Bowie, and Durant isn't even Jordan's level even when comparing their 1st 2 seasons.

Durant has a lot of potential but so far he seems one dimensional. His defense has improved this year but his assists are extremely low. Flame away but Durant isn't at the elite level of the NBA yet. He looks to be Alex English not Michael Jordan. And yes, I know that English is in the HOF but English is not thought of as a dominating player.
 
Was Jordan a complete player his first two years? I didn't follow basketball then, so I don't know. I don't see KD being at the Kobe/Lebron level, maybe ever, but I'll take his first two years over Kobe's.


I also think he could've learned from a guy like Roy as well.


So far, Oden has been very underwhelming and I think KD has exceeded expectations. Flame away haters.
 
Durant not elite yet = sky is blue as well. Noone here has said he's in that top 5 to top ten. We're just saying Portalnd screwed up, simple as that.
 
Jordan also played 3 years at UNC, Durant only played one at Texas, so KD will be the same age next year as MJ's rookie year. Not saying he is MJ but I think comparing age is appropriate.

On the other hand, I believe that Bowie played 4 years at Kentucky and Ogden only played one at OSU.
 
If you think you can get the next Shaq or Hakeem, many GMs will take the easier call on going with that pick. If it doesn't pan out, you can blame the player.

I thought KD was the better #1 pick, but I'm also a fan of his and a fan of UT b-ball, so my opinion could be skewed.
 
My safe bet: trust Kevin Pritchard.

I haven't watched a lot of Durant this year, but I have watched a lot of the Blazers. I wanted Portland to take Durant initially, but am starting to strongly feel like the pick was a win/win opportunity, not a Jordan/Bowie trap. It's way too early to call. Oden has played less than the equivalent of a rookie year in the NBA and his progress and play since the all-star break has been big. It's been since his cracked knee-cap healed and he returned a few weeks ago that he flirts with a double-double off the bench every night and has the whole team performing at a higher level. Oden has good hands, a good touch near the hoop, and can make free throws. It's plainly noticeable that he's learning fast how to not get sucked into early foul trouble. Once he builds some meaningful experience, he has the potential to be a real intimidator.

Part of the reason Durant might not have gotten the nod might very well have been because of Pritchard taking stock of NBA rookie Nick Batum. The kid already plays better defense than Durant, hussles like mad, and disrupts the hell out of seasoned veterans. Prior to the trade deadline, virtually all the inquiries and offers involved trading for Batum. The young kid could play a large role in coming seasons.

Portland is the youngest team in the NBA and is vying for home court advantage in the first round. They win their division over Denver if they win tonight (Oden v. Durant) and beat Den on Wed. I honestly believe without Oden's contribution, they would not be in this position right now.
 
musubi - you got me.
biggrin.gif


I confused the timeline of his acquisition with another Euro player, Rudy Fernandez, who Portland signed in 7/2007 but who is an NBA rookie this year after waiting a year.
 
fwiw, from tonight's Durant/Oden head to head:

Durant: 31:53, 2RB, 1BS, 5-15, 10 pts.

Oden: 20:10, 9RB, 1BS, 7-11, 16 pts.
 
I definitely can see the allure of ODen, he just looks like an old man. Congrats to greg tonight, but I think KD outplayed him earlier this year.
 
I thought there must have been a mixup.
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As for Oden, I don't think it was a bad pick for Portland. I would have loved to have seen Durant go to the Blazers, though. With LaMarcus and KD together, I might have actually paid for NBA League Pass to watch their games. I think if Oden stays healthy, this pick will work out fine for Portland. If he keeps getting hurt...well, that'll be a different story. Injuries aside, I think both Oden and Durant will have successful careers.
 
musubi - I don't want to let my misstatement about how/when Batum was acquired to take away from the remark I made, "trust Kevin Pritchard." What the Blazers are accomplishing right now is way ahead of what you'd expect for such a young and inexperienced team and I think it has a lot to do with the overall vision of GM Pritchard. As cool as it would have been to have two stud Longhorns starting for the Blazers, I am beginning to believe that the ceiling for the Blazers will be a lot higher with Oden than with Durant based on what the team already has in place.

This kind of drifts from the Durant/Oden question, but gives a glimpse of what is taking shape in the wake of obviously difficult past draft/trade choices. From Mike Barrett's TB blog:
In reply to:
Click to expand...
 
"My safe bet: trust Kevin Pritchard."

Why because after over a decade of having high first round picks they finally hit on a few?

He's been in Portland since 2003 when he was head of player personnel. Not for nothing, the guys is solid and doing a decent job there. But it's probably more difficult to miss on 6 straight top 10 first round picks then it is to hit on 2 out of 6.

That being said, a previous poster mentioned how many scouts agreed Durant would be the better player and worthy of the top pick. This is true, there are more than just a few stories still on the web to prove it. It was just the safety and allure of the big man they had to go with.

It's tough to argue that Portland wouldn't be better with Durant instead of Oden. I understand all the stats that were posted about the team Defense etc, but I also saw the part where you stated 'Oden coming off the bench'. Durant would start at their weakest position. It's obvious he can score, you'd be kidding yourself if you think he doesn't play D. Much of the year, OKC has him guarding the best offensive player on the opposing team.

Long term, Oden could still turn out alright. His book is far from closed. But based on the first two years, its not a question who has been the more impactful player. Put some talent around Durant, hell maybe even next year he'll begin to be mentioned in the MVP race. Thats what many analysts have already stated.
 
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