Whitlock- Oden Better Prospect than Durant

If you want a comparison, Patrick Ewing's numbers as a senior at Georgetown were pretty similar to what Oden has put up this year ... as a freshman ... while being injured for part of the year ... on a team that's really a perimitier team that just happens to have him on it. Both should be good, but I'd call this LeBron vs. Melo. Personally, I love watching Durant, but, unless I felt my need at forward was much more glaring than my need at center, I'd take Oden.

 

The column's an accurate analysis of Durant's game, but, man, how much more can you ask of the kid? The points, the boards, 2 bpg, 2 spg, never fouls out, plays 36 minutes a game. And he's 19.

As far as Oden...how can we possibly know the extent of his skills until his hand is healed? But don't put too much stock into Ewing's senior numbers. Georgetown only averaged 65 points or so in the 1985 tourney.

 

Uhh, NO this certainly would not be anything close to Bowie/Jordan: 1) Oden is NO Sam Bowie. His Freshman numbers are ALREADY far better than Bowie's Senior numbers--and that's a freshman year where Oden joined the team late after surgery and hasn't had full use of his shooting hand all season. Oden's also bigger, stronger, quicker, more athletic, 4 years younger (despite appearances), didn't miss two full college seasons due to injury and didn't suffer something like 3 broken legs in the preceding 5 years--as had Bowie when he was drafted (lord was that Bowie pick stupid in retrospect); 2) Durant is NO Michael Jordan. As discussed, he could be Glenn Robinson good at the low end, Nowitzki/Garnett good at the high end, or Bird good at the uppermost end. But he ain't gonna be Jordan good.

 

Exactly. At its worst it will be Olajuwon over Nowitzki/Bird.

 

And to equate Durantto Glenn Robinons is major disservice to Dunant.

Robinson not only was "Big Dog" he was a fucking DOG from Day 1.
He never attempted to play defense, he never cared about anything but scoring. Once the ball was in his hands, no one else on the floor was going to touch it.
Durant is not even close to that selfish, overrated piece of garbage.

 

No need to be smug. It's just my opinion. Time will tell. I am just thankful that new NBA rule has even allowed us to have this debate.

As far as "Bird good" or "Jordan good" it's really one in the same. You could also add "Johnson good" to that mix.

 

Boy, I wish I had been able to see your posts before Robinson was drafted.

 

Is Durant being compared to Tracy McGrady at all? That's who he reminds me of.

 

Damn straight, Simon, the same people with the over-the-top ravings about Durant in 07 were just as over-the-top when Robinson was racking up 30 ppg and looking utterly unstoppable in 94, they're also the same ones who now claim he was nothing but a worthless dog--how soon they forget. I remember the Big Dog mania from 94 well-"we've never seen a player like this before" "He's Larry Bird with quickness/athletic ability" bla bla bla. It was much the same hysterical notes you hear now about Durant.

 

No, it isn't. Because the Blazers passed on Jordan, citing that they already had a shooting guard, some guy named Clyde Drexler. Knowing they can't have two shooting guards start at once, they drafted for need with Sam Bowie.

I'm guessing not many of the lottery teams would have a franchise power forward, so they won't have to draft for need as the Blazers did. They would simply pick whoever they felt was best.

 

Our man seems to have it all figured out here ... and yet, I'll stick by what I said, regardless of how many times he saw Oden play in diapers.

 

That's cool, you're freely entitled to cling to any personal opinion you want--even ones that are devoid of supporting facts and expose embarrassing ignorance.