Mr. Oden is not ready for the NBA

On the other Oden thread you said you saw him as Mutombo with a better offensive game. Changed your mind?

 

Who said that? Not me.

 

I was referring to Boom. You obviously haven't been to the other one, or you wouldn't have started this one. :

 

Thanks for keeping track of my work Doc. Mutombo / Dampier - I see a little of both in Oden.

 

So you would compare Oden to Olowokandi? Really?

 

To be honest, he reminds me of JBC, Joe Barry Carroll.

 

Sam Bowie.

 

No, Sam Bowie was a much better player at that same age.

 

Boots, I completely disagree with you.. If it weren't for the age rule, Oden would be in the NBA right now.

Despite going through injuries, he has still been a first-rate college player. Name one center in college basketball who is better?

The way money works in the NBA, a can't miss (and by that I mean somebody who will start in the NBA for five years or more barring injury) player staying in college for four years loses tens of millions of dollars. A player has to sign the limited contract which is for something like $2 or 3 million a year for three (or is it five) years, so if you are a lottery pick you want to start that as soon as possible. Your money is augmented by a long-term sneaker deal, and then you sign the bigger contract. There is absolutely no financial incentive for Oden to stay at Ohio State. And those of you who are tempted to make the argument - save the stuff about the "college experience". Yes, it is a benefit but this is an unusual talent we are talking about and this is like a tennis player or Tiger Woods leaving Stanford after two years or someone with exceptional musical talent.

Second - where is Oden going to learn more so he can get better - dominating centers in the Big Ten or playing against the best in the NBA? You learn to be the best by playing against the best.

As far as an NBA general manager being leary of Oden, I don't think anybody can argue that Oden will not be a lottery pick and a top five pick. If you are an NBA general manager and don't already have an outstanding center, you are going to pick Oden or be ripped by the local media and probably end up being fired by your owner.

Sam Bowie gets a bum rap because he was drafted ahead of Michael Jordan. Two points on that. First, Bowie was never healthy and that was the reason he struggled. Second, Akeem Olajuwon was drafted first that year, and the point is that the center position is the hardest to fill in the NBA. Olajuwon came out after his sophomore year (I think) and the Rockets won two NBA titles with him and he was a Hall of Famer.

Oden's not going to burn up the NBA next year (and make no mistake about it, he will be in the NBA) but he will be an impact player within three years and, barring injuries, is very likely to be an All-Star. He shows great defensive instincts and he seems willing to learn. Picking him is a no-brainer.

 

I don't believe that enormously talented players -- let's say Oden is one, just for argument's sake -- necessarily benefit from additional years playing in college, in some shoe-company-financed fascist"s "system." I think you can argue that a player's talents can atrophy under the over-coaching that ruins college bball.

 

Oden needs help with his footwork (lousy in the paint) and his center of gravity is waaaaaay too high. But, you can't teach height.

Agree on Joe Barry Carroll.

 

The thing with this is that the NBA draft has become a draft of potential rather than a draft of proven ability. Fans of the team Oden goes to will expect him to put up 20 and 10 every night with two or three blocks immediately, which I'm not sure he would do right now. Down the line, he could be great, but the GM's now draft players with potential so they aren't the GM who DIDN'T draft player X.

He seems to me still a little clumsy at both ends, hence his falling into foul trouble in close to all the games of the tournament so far. While it might behoove him to stay another year, and he could certainly get insured to guard against any kind of injury, he'll leave because he will get drafted No.1 or 2, and get a big shoe deal to boot.