2007 NBA DRAFT - ODEN and PORTLAND CRIPPLED (2 Viewers)

[Assani Fisher]

Hi Sores-Can we get an idea from you what Greg Oden's career is going to look like? How many All-Star appearances, All-D teams, ROY, ppg/rpg/bpg averages? TIA.

Pretty sure he thinks Brian Butch is the better prospect.

13 years in the league, 9 all star appearances (leaning heavily toward the front of his career), all-rookie team, but not ROY, nine all defensive teams, no MVP awards, 2.1 blocks per game, 15.4 scoring average, 10.8 boards per game, 3 turnovers per game, will get busted for either smoking pot or a gun charge at least once in his career.

$50 bet on ROY? I get Oden, you get the field. Has to play a minimum of 70 games.

Capella, I'll take this bet.

You're taking the minimum games played right?

So you win if Oden is ROY, I win if anyone else wins it.Bet is off if Oden doesn't play 70 or more games due to injury(benched due to poor play or suspension doesn't affect our bet)Is this correct?I will take that if we also add that you don't win if Durant doesn't play 70+ games(note that I said "you don't win" and not "the bet is off", so I can still win if someone else beats out Oden).....and I'll be flexible about this. If Durant plays 69 games and its clear that Oden would've won ROY no matter what, then I'll be fair and pay you anyway. I'd hope that you'd do this as well, but I won't hold it against you if you go by the letter of the law.Deal?

 

[Capella]

Hi Sores-Can we get an idea from you what Greg Oden's career is going to look like? How many All-Star appearances, All-D teams, ROY, ppg/rpg/bpg averages? TIA.

Pretty sure he thinks Brian Butch is the better prospect.

13 years in the league, 9 all star appearances (leaning heavily toward the front of his career), all-rookie team, but not ROY, nine all defensive teams, no MVP awards, 2.1 blocks per game, 15.4 scoring average, 10.8 boards per game, 3 turnovers per game, will get busted for either smoking pot or a gun charge at least once in his career.

$50 bet on ROY? I get Oden, you get the field. Has to play a minimum of 70 games.

Capella, I'll take this bet.

You're taking the minimum games played right?

So you win if Oden is ROY, I win if anyone else wins it.Bet is off if Oden doesn't play 70 or more games due to injury(benched due to poor play or suspension doesn't affect our bet)Is this correct?I will take that if we also add that you don't win if Durant doesn't play 70+ games(note that I said "you don't win" and not "the bet is off", so I can still win if someone else beats out Oden).....and I'll be flexible about this. If Durant plays 69 games and its clear that Oden would've won ROY no matter what, then I'll be fair and pay you anyway. I'd hope that you'd do this as well, but I won't hold it against you if you go by the letter of the law.Deal?

You're getting the whole field dude. I'm getting one guy. Bet is as I originally posted it.

 

[Assani Fisher]

Hi Sores-Can we get an idea from you what Greg Oden's career is going to look like? How many All-Star appearances, All-D teams, ROY, ppg/rpg/bpg averages? TIA.

Pretty sure he thinks Brian Butch is the better prospect.

13 years in the league, 9 all star appearances (leaning heavily toward the front of his career), all-rookie team, but not ROY, nine all defensive teams, no MVP awards, 2.1 blocks per game, 15.4 scoring average, 10.8 boards per game, 3 turnovers per game, will get busted for either smoking pot or a gun charge at least once in his career.

$50 bet on ROY? I get Oden, you get the field. Has to play a minimum of 70 games.

Capella, I'll take this bet.

You're taking the minimum games played right?

So you win if Oden is ROY, I win if anyone else wins it.Bet is off if Oden doesn't play 70 or more games due to injury(benched due to poor play or suspension doesn't affect our bet)Is this correct?I will take that if we also add that you don't win if Durant doesn't play 70+ games(note that I said "you don't win" and not "the bet is off", so I can still win if someone else beats out Oden).....and I'll be flexible about this. If Durant plays 69 games and its clear that Oden would've won ROY no matter what, then I'll be fair and pay you anyway. I'd hope that you'd do this as well, but I won't hold it against you if you go by the letter of the law.Deal?

You're getting the whole field dude. I'm getting one guy. Bet is as I originally posted it.

What happens if theres co-ROYs ala Grant Hill/Jason Kidd?

 

[tommyGunZ]

Assani, you've been a big Durant fan all year. What do you think about his measurables?

 

[tommyGunZ]

Hi Sores-Can we get an idea from you what Greg Oden's career is going to look like? How many All-Star appearances, All-D teams, ROY, ppg/rpg/bpg averages? TIA.

Pretty sure he thinks Brian Butch is the better prospect.

13 years in the league, 9 all star appearances (leaning heavily toward the front of his career), all-rookie team, but not ROY, nine all defensive teams, no MVP awards, 2.1 blocks per game, 15.4 scoring average, 10.8 boards per game, 3 turnovers per game, will get busted for either smoking pot or a gun charge at least once in his career.

$50 bet on ROY? I get Oden, you get the field. Has to play a minimum of 70 games.

Capella, I'll take this bet.

You're taking the minimum games played right?

So you win if Oden is ROY, I win if anyone else wins it.Bet is off if Oden doesn't play 70 or more games due to injury(benched due to poor play or suspension doesn't affect our bet)Is this correct?I will take that if we also add that you don't win if Durant doesn't play 70+ games(note that I said "you don't win" and not "the bet is off", so I can still win if someone else beats out Oden).....and I'll be flexible about this. If Durant plays 69 games and its clear that Oden would've won ROY no matter what, then I'll be fair and pay you anyway. I'd hope that you'd do this as well, but I won't hold it against you if you go by the letter of the law.Deal?

You're getting the whole field dude. I'm getting one guy. Bet is as I originally posted it.

What happens if theres co-ROYs ala Grant Hill/Jason Kidd?

Both of you clowns pay me $50.

 

[Capella]

Hi Sores-Can we get an idea from you what Greg Oden's career is going to look like? How many All-Star appearances, All-D teams, ROY, ppg/rpg/bpg averages? TIA.

Pretty sure he thinks Brian Butch is the better prospect.

13 years in the league, 9 all star appearances (leaning heavily toward the front of his career), all-rookie team, but not ROY, nine all defensive teams, no MVP awards, 2.1 blocks per game, 15.4 scoring average, 10.8 boards per game, 3 turnovers per game, will get busted for either smoking pot or a gun charge at least once in his career.

$50 bet on ROY? I get Oden, you get the field. Has to play a minimum of 70 games.

Capella, I'll take this bet.

You're taking the minimum games played right?

So you win if Oden is ROY, I win if anyone else wins it.Bet is off if Oden doesn't play 70 or more games due to injury(benched due to poor play or suspension doesn't affect our bet)Is this correct?I will take that if we also add that you don't win if Durant doesn't play 70+ games(note that I said "you don't win" and not "the bet is off", so I can still win if someone else beats out Oden).....and I'll be flexible about this. If Durant plays 69 games and its clear that Oden would've won ROY no matter what, then I'll be fair and pay you anyway. I'd hope that you'd do this as well, but I won't hold it against you if you go by the letter of the law.Deal?

You're getting the whole field dude. I'm getting one guy. Bet is as I originally posted it.

What happens if theres co-ROYs ala Grant Hill/Jason Kidd?

If it's Oden/Durant, bet is off I guess. If it's Durant/Horford or whomever, I lose.

 

[HellToupee]

The Portland GM was on ESPN radio today, and actually hinted that he preferred the speed and athleticism of Durant - but wouldn't commit (or admit) either way....It will take a pretty strong willed management team to pass up the kid ready for the NBA today for the one that will likely be a top 5 center in 4-5 years.

I don't understand what your're saying here? Are you implying that Durant is more ready for the NBA than Oden? And are you insinuating that Oden will likely be a top 5 center in 4-5 years?If so, I strongly disagree. Oden is more NBA ready right now, and he's a top 5 center. Right now.

Absolutely Durant is more NBA ready.

 

[RedmondLonghorn]

Would I rather the Sonics have Oden? Sure. If only for the fact we have a SF, and have been searching for a legit center for the life of the franchise.

Am I dissapointed that the Sonics have the #2 and will 99% end up with Durant? No f'n way. Rashard Lewis was this same skinny weakling coming out of HS, and the Sonics packed on a ton of muscle. I've met Rashard a few times, and he's still very skinny (but very ripped), and it doesn't seem to hinder him from scoring 20ppg.

I think Durant very well may become another Rashard Lewis. Is that really what you're hoping for though? Lewis is a very good player, but obviously not a franchise guy. Which is what I'm suggesting Durant might be (a very good player, but not a franchise guy).

I'm sure Durant is skinny and there are several FBG's that can bench more than him.

Several? Hell, I'm 6-4, 180 lbs soaking wet, and I can throw up 185 4-5 times and I'm by no means in good shape.

But he can shoot the lights out, and is very good off the dribble (you have to run and bounce the ball in basketball, not just sprint around). Everything I've seen of Durant = fast on the court.

Again, you're describing Lewis to a tee. Will you be happy if Durant turns into another Lewis?

I am madly in love with Durant as a Sonic.

Me too. I'm stoked your franchise got a boost in the lottery and I look forward to watching him in Sonic green for years to come.

Like you said, the franchise got a major boost. A good, possibly great young player added to the team is 100% a bonus. It will bring excitement to the team, and hopefully increase our chances of keeping them here. And it will mean a few more wins, maybe a lot more (Considering our 2 best players were hurt last year).Would I be happy with another Rashard Lewis? Yes. Our star player is Ray Allen. Our #2 is Rashard Lewis, or whatever we sign and trade him for. If Durant can be the 2a/2b type player, we have 3 very good players, which is a great step forward.

I'm not expecting Kevin Durant to be a single guy that can take the Sonics to the championship. I'm looking for progress, which there hasn't been any of in recent history. The Sonics usually make good moves, especially for a smaller market team without a giant payroll, but things have been stagnant lately.

A lot hinges on if the Sonics get anything for Lewis. If it's just Ray-Ray, Durant, and Earl Watson next year, that's not very good.Sonics are one of the only other Western Conference teams I pull for. I was hoping they'd get Oden when we found out they were in the final 2. But #2 is far better than where they should be picking.

I really hope Durant is legit. I'm just not sold on him being a lock for greatness.

Right now, our best players go as:Ray Allen - 1a

Rashard Lewis - 1b

Chris Wilcox - 3

Luke Ridnour - 4

I fully expect Durant to slide in right above Wilcox (And I like Wilcox a lot). That is a big team upgrade IMO.

Durant fits the Sonics well. Good offense, not a great rebounder, no defense. : )

He averaged double digit rebounds in the Big XII. He will be a good rebounder for a 3.

 

[Assani Fisher]

Assani, you've been a big Durant fan all year. What do you think about his measurables?

These are the same tests that told us Chris Kaman is quicker than TJ Ford and that Andre Igoldala can only jump one inch higher than JJ Reddick.

 

[Assani Fisher]

Hi Sores-Can we get an idea from you what Greg Oden's career is going to look like? How many All-Star appearances, All-D teams, ROY, ppg/rpg/bpg averages? TIA.

Pretty sure he thinks Brian Butch is the better prospect.

13 years in the league, 9 all star appearances (leaning heavily toward the front of his career), all-rookie team, but not ROY, nine all defensive teams, no MVP awards, 2.1 blocks per game, 15.4 scoring average, 10.8 boards per game, 3 turnovers per game, will get busted for either smoking pot or a gun charge at least once in his career.

$50 bet on ROY? I get Oden, you get the field. Has to play a minimum of 70 games.

Capella, I'll take this bet.

You're taking the minimum games played right?

So you win if Oden is ROY, I win if anyone else wins it.Bet is off if Oden doesn't play 70 or more games due to injury(benched due to poor play or suspension doesn't affect our bet)Is this correct?I will take that if we also add that you don't win if Durant doesn't play 70+ games(note that I said "you don't win" and not "the bet is off", so I can still win if someone else beats out Oden).....and I'll be flexible about this. If Durant plays 69 games and its clear that Oden would've won ROY no matter what, then I'll be fair and pay you anyway. I'd hope that you'd do this as well, but I won't hold it against you if you go by the letter of the law.Deal?

You're getting the whole field dude. I'm getting one guy. Bet is as I originally posted it.

What happens if theres co-ROYs ala Grant Hill/Jason Kidd?

If it's Oden/Durant, bet is off I guess. If it's Durant/Horford or whomever, I lose.

Ok, deal.

 

[Assani Fisher]

Would I rather the Sonics have Oden? Sure. If only for the fact we have a SF, and have been searching for a legit center for the life of the franchise.

Am I dissapointed that the Sonics have the #2 and will 99% end up with Durant? No f'n way. Rashard Lewis was this same skinny weakling coming out of HS, and the Sonics packed on a ton of muscle. I've met Rashard a few times, and he's still very skinny (but very ripped), and it doesn't seem to hinder him from scoring 20ppg.

I think Durant very well may become another Rashard Lewis. Is that really what you're hoping for though? Lewis is a very good player, but obviously not a franchise guy. Which is what I'm suggesting Durant might be (a very good player, but not a franchise guy).

I'm sure Durant is skinny and there are several FBG's that can bench more than him.

Several? Hell, I'm 6-4, 180 lbs soaking wet, and I can throw up 185 4-5 times and I'm by no means in good shape.

But he can shoot the lights out, and is very good off the dribble (you have to run and bounce the ball in basketball, not just sprint around). Everything I've seen of Durant = fast on the court.

Again, you're describing Lewis to a tee. Will you be happy if Durant turns into another Lewis?

I am madly in love with Durant as a Sonic.

Me too. I'm stoked your franchise got a boost in the lottery and I look forward to watching him in Sonic green for years to come.

Like you said, the franchise got a major boost. A good, possibly great young player added to the team is 100% a bonus. It will bring excitement to the team, and hopefully increase our chances of keeping them here. And it will mean a few more wins, maybe a lot more (Considering our 2 best players were hurt last year).Would I be happy with another Rashard Lewis? Yes. Our star player is Ray Allen. Our #2 is Rashard Lewis, or whatever we sign and trade him for. If Durant can be the 2a/2b type player, we have 3 very good players, which is a great step forward.

I'm not expecting Kevin Durant to be a single guy that can take the Sonics to the championship. I'm looking for progress, which there hasn't been any of in recent history. The Sonics usually make good moves, especially for a smaller market team without a giant payroll, but things have been stagnant lately.

A lot hinges on if the Sonics get anything for Lewis. If it's just Ray-Ray, Durant, and Earl Watson next year, that's not very good.Sonics are one of the only other Western Conference teams I pull for. I was hoping they'd get Oden when we found out they were in the final 2. But #2 is far better than where they should be picking.

I really hope Durant is legit. I'm just not sold on him being a lock for greatness.

Right now, our best players go as:Ray Allen - 1a

Rashard Lewis - 1b

Chris Wilcox - 3

Luke Ridnour - 4

I fully expect Durant to slide in right above Wilcox (And I like Wilcox a lot). That is a big team upgrade IMO.

Durant fits the Sonics well. Good offense, not a great rebounder, no defense. : )

He averaged double digit rebounds in the Big XII. He will be a good rebounder for a 3.

I think Durant becomes 1, Allen becomes 2, and Lewis plays for another team.

 

[Spartans Rule]

nbadraft.net has this 2008 mock draft up. Interesting to look over at least.

http://nbadraft.net/index.asp?content=mock2008

Interesting, Hibbert projects at #10 probably right around where he would have gone this year(10-15 range).

O.J. Mayo at 4? I thought he was the next coming...

Its a pretty good incoming class. Mayo is a great prospect, but PG prospects usually don't go too high until they've proven themselves in college. Theres no shame in going after Rose and Beasley. I don't know much about Batum though. Oh and if you havn't heard of Kevin Love yet, you will soon. If he comes out, he'll be a top pick as well imo.

Plus there's Mayo's reputation as a bit of a headcase. I don't want to rush to judgment on the guy, we'll see how he handles himself at USC, but in a very loaded draft Mayo could certainly slide for character reasons.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Assani, you've been a big Durant fan all year. What do you think about his measurables?

These are the same tests that told us Chris Kaman is quicker than TJ Ford and that Andre Igoldala can only jump one inch higher than JJ Reddick.

yeah, but 78th out of 78?

 

[Capella]

Ok, deal.

 

[Assani Fisher]

Assani, you've been a big Durant fan all year. What do you think about his measurables?

These are the same tests that told us Chris Kaman is quicker than TJ Ford and that Andre Igoldala can only jump one inch higher than JJ Reddick.

yeah, but 78th out of 78?

Do you not realizing how ridiculous Chris Kaman being quicker than TJ Ford or JJ Reddick having similar hops as AI is? I'd say thats almost as bad as ranking a top 5 guy as #78. In other words, the fact that he ranked 78 means nothing to me because the test is so flawed.

 

[Assani Fisher]

Ok, deal.

how do you plan on paying me?

 

[Capella]

Ok, deal.

how do you plan on paying me?

oden wins easily

 

[Assani Fisher]

Ok, deal.

how do you plan on paying me?

oden wins easily

No seriously, are you just going to send a check in the mail? I don't have paypal.

 

[packersfan]

Assani, you've been a big Durant fan all year. What do you think about his measurables?

These are the same tests that told us Chris Kaman is quicker than TJ Ford and that Andre Igoldala can only jump one inch higher than JJ Reddick.

yeah, but 78th out of 78?

Do you not realizing how ridiculous Chris Kaman being quicker than TJ Ford or JJ Reddick having similar hops as AI is? I'd say thats almost as bad as ranking a top 5 guy as #78. In other words, the fact that he ranked 78 means nothing to me because the test is so flawed.

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts. It makes for discussion fodder but that's about it in my opinion. I watched Durant all season and I have no question he'll be a stud in the NBA. The only two questions I have are how good he'll be defensively (I think he can be average at worst but can he be better?) and can he show the ability to create for others? To become a true elite player, he must do that and right now I'm not sold on his ability as a passer and creator.

 

[Colin Dowling]

The evaluation is meaningless b/c it doesn't tell us anything we don't know. A 19 year kid needs to add some weight and get stronger, particularly in the upper body? Really?

Durant is a sick player. If he stood at the timeline bombing 3's all game he'd still be worth the #2 pick. Maybe he bombed on purpose so he could get to the east (Atlanta).

 

[Kraft...]

Where do people see Sean Williams going? Chad Ford has him going at 17 to the nets.

i think the getting boted from BC hurts his stock. 1.17 is the highest i have seen him in a mock so far. he has great talent, to be sure, but that's not enough. if he is saying the right things and comes off well in the interviews then he could go that low.

Agree, I think he'll be a steal there if he gets his head straitened out

 

[tommyGunZ]

Ok, deal.

how do you plan on paying me?

oden wins easily

No seriously, are you just going to send a check in the mail? I don't have paypal.

Dude, it's 2007.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Assani, you've been a big Durant fan all year. What do you think about his measurables?

These are the same tests that told us Chris Kaman is quicker than TJ Ford and that Andre Igoldala can only jump one inch higher than JJ Reddick.

yeah, but 78th out of 78?

Do you not realizing how ridiculous Chris Kaman being quicker than TJ Ford or JJ Reddick having similar hops as AI is? I'd say thats almost as bad as ranking a top 5 guy as #78. In other words, the fact that he ranked 78 means nothing to me because the test is so flawed.

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

 

[the moops]

Assani, you've been a big Durant fan all year. What do you think about his measurables?

These are the same tests that told us Chris Kaman is quicker than TJ Ford and that Andre Igoldala can only jump one inch higher than JJ Reddick.

yeah, but 78th out of 78?

Do you not realizing how ridiculous Chris Kaman being quicker than TJ Ford or JJ Reddick having similar hops as AI is? I'd say thats almost as bad as ranking a top 5 guy as #78. In other words, the fact that he ranked 78 means nothing to me because the test is so flawed.

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

You forgot Greg Oden.

 

[_4_]

Assani, you've been a big Durant fan all year. What do you think about his measurables?

These are the same tests that told us Chris Kaman is quicker than TJ Ford and that Andre Igoldala can only jump one inch higher than JJ Reddick.

yeah, but 78th out of 78?

Do you not realizing how ridiculous Chris Kaman being quicker than TJ Ford or JJ Reddick having similar hops as AI is? I'd say thats almost as bad as ranking a top 5 guy as #78. In other words, the fact that he ranked 78 means nothing to me because the test is so flawed.

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

You forgot Greg Oden.

...and Dontonio Wingfield

 

[tommyGunZ]

Again, I love Durant as a college player, think he'll be a very good pro, and thought his CPOY award was well deserved.

I'm just not sure he's the superstar lock he's made out to be.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

Assani, you've been a big Durant fan all year. What do you think about his measurables?

These are the same tests that told us Chris Kaman is quicker than TJ Ford and that Andre Igoldala can only jump one inch higher than JJ Reddick.

yeah, but 78th out of 78?

Do you not realizing how ridiculous Chris Kaman being quicker than TJ Ford or JJ Reddick having similar hops as AI is? I'd say thats almost as bad as ranking a top 5 guy as #78. In other words, the fact that he ranked 78 means nothing to me because the test is so flawed.

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

 

[RedmondLonghorn]

Again, I love Durant as a college player, think he'll be a very good pro, and thought his CPOY award was well deserved.I'm just not sure he's the superstar lock he's made out to be.

Would you draft somebody else at #2?

 

[tommyGunZ]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Again, I love Durant as a college player, think he'll be a very good pro, and thought his CPOY award was well deserved.I'm just not sure he's the superstar lock he's made out to be.

Would you draft somebody else at #2?

Probably not. If anything, I'd consider trading down with Atlanta and drafting Horford, who I love as a pro prospect.

 

[Colin Dowling]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Respert had cancer. I think he gets a pass.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

 

[RedmondLonghorn]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

Also none of those players were as dominant at the college level as Durant was.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

5 years from now, if Durant busts:"There were always question marks about Durant. Whether he had the size to guard 4's, or the quickness to guard 3's. And his lack of strength was a huge red flag, as his body type suggested he wouldn't be able to add weight easily." - Arsenal of Doom

 

[tommyGunZ]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

Also none of those players were as dominant at the college level as Durant was.

Laettner?

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

5 years from now, if Durant busts:"There were always question marks about Durant. Whether he had the size to guard 4's, or the quickness to guard 3's. And his lack of strength was a huge red flag, as his body type suggested he wouldn't be able to add weight easily." - Arsenal of Doom

Not at all. I think there are players that fit your critera, including the one you and I both mentioned in Laettner who had a good but not great career. Glenn Robinson is another example of a player who completely dominated in college, had great NBA tools, but disappointed compared to expectations. If Durant falls into that category I'll happily admit that he also failed to live up to expectations.

 

[RedmondLonghorn]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

Also none of those players were as dominant at the college level as Durant was.

Laettner?

No. I was referring to the second, obviously ridiculous, list of players you were comparing him to. Though I would take Durant's freshman year over Laettner's.

 

[Dr.I]

In fairness to Durant, the kid just turned 18 his fresh yr at Texas. He didn't lift weights prior to last year and focused his time from 12 yrs old thru hs on honing his basketball skills and not having a chiseled body. The horns strength and conditioning coach had him focus on strengthing his core and lower body. There is only so much you can do in 1 year of training. I'm not sure how anyone could expect him to come in and build up his core, lower body and suddenly start benching 300 lbs in just one year. Oden on the other hand came into college already chiseled, so his combine results should not be too shocking. Does anyone believe that Kobe, KG and McGrady would have done better at the bench than Durant at 18?

There is a kid at texas now that was 6/10, 365 when he came in last year as a freshman. He is already down to 270 after one year of conditioning at Texas, so to say Texas lacks a good strength and conditioning program is just wrong.

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

Again, I love Durant as a college player, think he'll be a very good pro, and thought his CPOY award was well deserved.I'm just not sure he's the superstar lock he's made out to be.

Would you draft somebody else at #2?

Probably not. If anything, I'd consider trading down with Atlanta and drafting Horford, who I love as a pro prospect.

:stonedbanana:

 

[Sammy3469]

Again, I love Durant as a college player, think he'll be a very good pro, and thought his CPOY award was well deserved.I'm just not sure he's the superstar lock he's made out to be.

Would you draft somebody else at #2?

Probably not. If anything, I'd consider trading down with Atlanta and drafting Horford, who I love as a pro prospect.

:stonedbanana:

While I think Durant is going to have more problems adjusting to the pro game than some in this thread believe, he's also clearly the #2 talent in this draft and on a different level than whoever gets taken at 3.

 

[RedRaiders]

Again, I love Durant as a college player, think he'll be a very good pro, and thought his CPOY award was well deserved.I'm just not sure he's the superstar lock he's made out to be.

Would you draft somebody else at #2?

Probably not. If anything, I'd consider trading down with Atlanta and drafting Horford, who I love as a pro prospect.

I think Horford's offensive game is years away. Then again, lot of options at Florida, so maybe he didn't have the chance to completely shine.

 

[Assani Fisher]

Again, I love Durant as a college player, think he'll be a very good pro, and thought his CPOY award was well deserved.I'm just not sure he's the superstar lock he's made out to be.

Would you draft somebody else at #2?

Probably not. If anything, I'd consider trading down with Atlanta and drafting Horford, who I love as a pro prospect.

thats crazy talk. Horford's absolute upside is someone like Elton Brand. Durant could be one of the best ever. You don't pass on that potential.

 

[Assani Fisher]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

5 years from now, if Durant busts:"There were always question marks about Durant. Whether he had the size to guard 4's, or the quickness to guard 3's. And his lack of strength was a huge red flag, as his body type suggested he wouldn't be able to add weight easily." - Arsenal of Doom

Dude, Shawn Respert went #8 in a draft that had Joe Smith as the #1 overall pick. Durant is going top 2 in one of the most hyped drafts of all time. Its light years away. Nobody that has ever been as hyped as Durant has ever failed(FWIW that list is limited to Lebron, Shaq, Ewing, Wilt, and Pistol...I guess you could include Walton, but thats unfair due to injuries imo).

 

[Assani Fisher]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

Also none of those players were as dominant at the college level as Durant was.

Laettner?

Laettner's freshman season:8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.77 blocks, 0.97 steals

Durant's freshman season:

25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 blocks, 1.9 steals

FACT: In Laettner's 4 years, his highest points average(senior year) was still over 4 points lower than Durant put up in his first year.

FACT: In Laettner's 4 years, his highest rebound average(sophomore year) was still over 1.5 rebounds lower than Durant put up in his first year.

FACT: In Laettner's 4 years, his highest blocks average(junior year) was still over 0.5 lower than Durant put up in his first year.

Laettner did have a better steals average in his senior year, although Durant's freshman year was better than any of Laettner's other years. Laettner did put up slightly(less than 1) more assists in 3 of his 4 years.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Fair enough. Perhaps I'm wrong on Durant, and he's as good a prospect as those you mentioned Assani.

I just don't see it. He had a dominant season at Texas, no doubt. I just question if his body is NBA ready. My instinct and his workout numbers suggest he's years away.

FWIW, I think Carmelo was a far better prospect.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

Also none of those players were as dominant at the college level as Durant was.

Laettner?

Laettner's freshman season:8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.77 blocks, 0.97 steals

Durant's freshman season:

25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 blocks, 1.9 steals

FACT: In Laettner's 4 years, his highest points average(senior year) was still over 4 points lower than Durant put up in his first year.

FACT: In Laettner's 4 years, his highest rebound average(sophomore year) was still over 1.5 rebounds lower than Durant put up in his first year.

FACT: In Laettner's 4 years, his highest blocks average(junior year) was still over 0.5 lower than Durant put up in his first year.

Laettner did have a better steals average in his senior year, although Durant's freshman year was better than any of Laettner's other years. Laettner did put up slightly(less than 1) more assists in 3 of his 4 years.

In fairness, Laettner's stats are going to be worse than Durant's as he played with other great players and in a much more demanding conference.But I agree that Durant's freshman year was light years ahead of Laettner's freshman campaign.

 

[HellToupee]

Agreed. It's pretty embarrassing for Durant but that's it. He proved on the court that he can play and play at a high level - and that's all that counts.

So did Rodney Monroe. And Christian Laettner. And Dennis Scott. And Raef Lafrentz. And Shawn Respert. And Joe Smith.

Different players. Durant has a much more clearly defined NBA skill set than all but Laettner, who was a better pro than most people give him credit for.

But this argument can be made for any player who has yet to play a minute in the NBA and be exposed. I'm sure a lot of folks thought that Shawn Respert was a lock with his NBA skill set.Odds are that both Oden and Durant will not be franchise players. I believe that Oden is bust proof, and is a franchise player right now. Durant has some work to do, IMO.

Not really. Respert was a great shooter in college who was mildly undersized as an NBA 2 guard prospect and had questionable ball handling and shot creation skills. Smith was a small center in college and there were always questions about his ability to handle the inside game in the NBA. Scott was totally one-dimensional in college and the pros, and I don't think anyone ever though that LaFrentz or Monroe were going to be superstars. Now maybe Durant gets to the NBA and it turns out he can't get his outside shot off as easily against longer defenders, or that he really isn't quick enough to get by most SFs. However he at least projects to have those skills. IMO there are fewer question marks about Durant going to the NBA than the other players you mentioned.

Also none of those players were as dominant at the college level as Durant was.

Laettner?

Laettner's freshman season:8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.77 blocks, 0.97 steals

Durant's freshman season:

25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 blocks, 1.9 steals

FACT: In Laettner's 4 years, his highest points average(senior year) was still over 4 points lower than Durant put up in his first year.

FACT: In Laettner's 4 years, his highest rebound average(sophomore year) was still over 1.5 rebounds lower than Durant put up in his first year.

FACT: In Laettner's 4 years, his highest blocks average(junior year) was still over 0.5 lower than Durant put up in his first year.

Laettner did have a better steals average in his senior year, although Durant's freshman year was better than any of Laettner's other years. Laettner did put up slightly(less than 1) more assists in 3 of his 4 years.

a better comparison than Laettner would be Waymon Tisdale's freshman year

 

[Assani Fisher]

I'm a bit too young to remember Tisdale, but I looked up his college stats and was impressed. Can you tell me about the hype around him?

 

[_4_]

I'm a bit too young to remember Tisdale, but I looked up his college stats and was impressed. Can you tell me about the hype around him?

Part of the hype around Tisdale (aside from being an outstanding basketball player) was tied to a kid named Marcus Dupree. He was a Freshman either the same year or the prior year (iirc) at Oklahoma on the football team and was supposed to be the best RB prospect maybe ever. He was so heavily recruited that books were written about the process long before anyone cared about recruiting - the fact that both these phenoms arrived at Oklahoma at about the same time was a huge deal.As I say - that is from memory - don't have time to Google it, but Dupree is a great story in and of himself if you are interested. (quick end of story - Torn up knee).

 

[TommyGilmore]

I'm a bit too young to remember Tisdale, but I looked up his college stats and was impressed. Can you tell me about the hype around him?

Part of the hype around Tisdale (aside from being an outstanding basketball player) was tied to a kid named Marcus Dupree. He was a Freshman either the same year or the prior year (iirc) at Oklahoma on the football team and was supposed to be the best RB prospect maybe ever. He was so heavily recruited that books were written about the process long before anyone cared about recruiting - the fact that both these phenoms arrived at Oklahoma at about the same time was a huge deal.As I say - that is from memory - don't have time to Google it, but Dupree is a great story in and of himself if you are interested. (quick end of story - Torn up knee).

Marcus Dupree!! As an old Portland Breakers fan ( ) I know that name well! 5284 rushing yards in high school; 8.3 YPC; 87 TDs (broke Herschel Walker's record). Both Dupree and Tisdale arrived at Oklahoma in 1982. Dupree blew out his knee in '85 and was never the same again, although he did manage to make a comeback FIVE years later with the Rams. Not many players have pulled that off.If Tisdale hadn't played for such crappy organizations (Pacers & Kings in the '80s) he could have been a James Worthy-type on a championship team.