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unnamedplayer: caffeinated: unnamedplayer: caffeinated: unnamedplayer: pictured above from left to right, osama bin oden, dwight howard, and asia. seriously what is that face that yao ming is making? caffeinated: several half-baked reblog ideas: one of these things is not like the others… something about how Oden is/will be a bust something about a basketball axis of evil i would like to bet you that Oden won’t be a bust. 100$? 250$? 500$? and define bust … is Emeka Okafor a bust? caffeinated: Okafor is not a bust, but there are a few key differences. Most importantly, he was picked #2, not #1. Closely tied to that is the fact even though he was strongly considered for the #1 pick, it turns out Orlando was right to pick Howard instead—if Durant ends up much better than Oden, then it makes him more of a bust. Additionally, it looks like Okafor’s draft year (2004) was particularly weak, so even though he’s not a dominant player he was probably the best player available. Luol Deng, Al Jefferson, Josh Childress if you like tsatsiki, and maybe Devin Harris are the only players that really should have been picked ahead of him. Also, Okafor averages 13.8 points / 10.7 boards / 1.7 blocks per game. Oden will probably get more blocks, and he might get 11 boards, but I don’t see him cracking 10 points a game for much of his career. I can’t decide if anything short of a future All-Star is a bust with the #1 pick. That’s probably too high a bar, but from skimming through the past 30 drafts, not by a lot. Interestingly, it looks like drafting was easier 10-20 years ago: almost all the #1 picks in that era made at least one All-Star game (about 1/3 to 1/4 made the Hall of Fame, it seems). Then it gets more spotty. Anyway, I don’t think Oden will ever go to an All-Star game. He might make a few All-Defense teams. Alternatively, even if Oden does make an All-Star game, Durant will go to more. And Oden might win a title, just because Portland’s front office is so good these days, but he won’t be the MVP of whichever team he wins with. I’ll have to think about the bet based on further discussion of what a “bust” is. i will bet you that oden goes to an all star game. 250$. it is on the table son. actually, i’m absorbing all the risk here - since all star is such a high bar. 50$ extra for each all star he goes to beyond the first. if oden is a hall of famer, you give me an extra 250$. if he’s out of the league in 3 years for sucking and never surpasses the career value of Jason Collins, I’ll give you 250$ more. Greg Oden will average 12-15 points this year. Have you seen this guy mop up around the basket? He is going to finish a distant second, but still second, to Dwight Howard in dunks. I think Michael Beasley will win ROY because he is gonna average 20 and 8 and will have the most impressive season. But Oden will go to MANY All-Star games because he has mass appeal and an engaging personality much like LeBron. He will be no less than a 5-time all-star and the Blazers will win a title in the next five years if the nucleus of Oden, Roy, Webster and Aldridge stays together. Hell, Oden could make the All-Star Game this year. Amare will make it and Yao will be voted in but will break his ankle in a tragic Panda-riding accident 15 games into the season.

unnamedplayer:

caffeinated:

unnamedplayer:

caffeinated:

unnamedplayer:

pictured above from left to right, osama bin oden, dwight howard, and asia.

seriously what is that face that yao ming is making?

caffeinated: several half-baked reblog ideas:

  1. one of these things is not like the others…
  2. something about how Oden is/will be a bust
  3. something about a basketball axis of evil

i would like to bet you that Oden won’t be a bust. 100$? 250$? 500$? and define bust … is Emeka Okafor a bust?

caffeinated: Okafor is not a bust, but there are a few key differences. Most importantly, he was picked #2, not #1. Closely tied to that is the fact even though he was strongly considered for the #1 pick, it turns out Orlando was right to pick Howard instead—if Durant ends up much better than Oden, then it makes him more of a bust. Additionally, it looks like Okafor’s draft year (2004) was particularly weak, so even though he’s not a dominant player he was probably the best player available. Luol Deng, Al Jefferson, Josh Childress if you like tsatsiki, and maybe Devin Harris are the only players that really should have been picked ahead of him.

Also, Okafor averages 13.8 points / 10.7 boards / 1.7 blocks per game. Oden will probably get more blocks, and he might get 11 boards, but I don’t see him cracking 10 points a game for much of his career.

I can’t decide if anything short of a future All-Star is a bust with the #1 pick. That’s probably too high a bar, but from skimming through the past 30 drafts, not by a lot. Interestingly, it looks like drafting was easier 10-20 years ago: almost all the #1 picks in that era made at least one All-Star game (about 1/3 to 1/4 made the Hall of Fame, it seems). Then it gets more spotty.

Anyway, I don’t think Oden will ever go to an All-Star game. He might make a few All-Defense teams. Alternatively, even if Oden does make an All-Star game, Durant will go to more. And Oden might win a title, just because Portland’s front office is so good these days, but he won’t be the MVP of whichever team he wins with.

I’ll have to think about the bet based on further discussion of what a “bust” is.

i will bet you that oden goes to an all star game. 250$. it is on the table son. actually, i’m absorbing all the risk here - since all star is such a high bar. 50$ extra for each all star he goes to beyond the first. if oden is a hall of famer, you give me an extra 250$. if he’s out of the league in 3 years for sucking and never surpasses the career value of Jason Collins, I’ll give you 250$ more.

Greg Oden will average 12-15 points this year. Have you seen this guy mop up around the basket? He is going to finish a distant second, but still second, to Dwight Howard in dunks. I think Michael Beasley will win ROY because he is gonna average 20 and 8 and will have the most impressive season. But Oden will go to MANY All-Star games because he has mass appeal and an engaging personality much like LeBron. He will be no less than a 5-time all-star and the Blazers will win a title in the next five years if the nucleus of Oden, Roy, Webster and Aldridge stays together. Hell, Oden could make the All-Star Game this year. Amare will make it and Yao will be voted in but will break his ankle in a tragic Panda-riding accident 15 games into the season.