2006 - 2007 NBA Season Discussion Thread

[capone0]

a. I go with Oden. Durant is truly a stud but a good defensive center doesn't come around often enough. There are many stud swing guys. Kevin could be better than most, but look at the lack of great defensive centers in the NBA, he's a must at #1 right now if the team had it. Do you honestly think they will be #1, or have a chance next year?

[Green Kool Aid]

morewine,

durant could be the next KG, but odom and rashard lewis were projected similarly out of high school, and are both very good NBA starters, but not perennial all-stars.

oden is as surefire as an NBA all-star as you can get. his combo of size + agility is only seen in guys like amare, dwight howard, etc. but he has tim duncan size and footwork.

i really want the celtics to keep losing AND trade pierce to the bulls for a couple of their guys + the knicks pick for a chance at one of these studs.

[Assani Fisher]

If I'm Portland and I get the #1 pick, I trade down and take Durant.

I don't know about the salary cap ramifications, but imagine if Minnesota got the #2 pick. Any way they could trade Randolph and the #1 for Garnett and the #2? Maybe even throw in next year's #1 if the TWolves aren't going for it initially.

Then you're left a frontcourt of:

C: Aldridge
PF: Garnett
SF: Durant

As an aside, if Minnesota is going to ever trade Garnett they should definitely do it this offseason imo since the draft is so good. Imagine if Minnesota got lucky and got a top 3 pick, then they traded Garnett for another top 3 pick. With Noah and those 2 coming out, theres the opportunity to rebuild in a hurry.

[MoreWineII]

If you asked me during the offseason, I'd say the same thing. But with Zach being born-again, and the clear stuggles he's had with Magloire in the lineup at the same time...I wonder. Aldridge seems to be able to stay out Zach's way for the most part and Prz doesn't even *look* to score but Oden would be expected to get a significant amount of touches I'd think. This could cause problems, or it could be amazing.

Oden is more hyped than any prospect since maybe Shaq, I think he's even more hyped than Duncan was. You might be able to parlay that into a great draft pick (this draft is supposedly really deep) AND a solid veteran rotation player.

Webster ate some suck pills or something, he's been non-existant. Outlaw, I dunno. Brilliant at times, awful at others. I think the team needs a SF somehow some way.

I dunno, food for thought anyway.

Hey, I just realized I might be affected by Sam Bowie syndrome right now. It's fear of taking an overhyped big man rather than a smaller player with huge potential. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[ThaSaltCracka]

Portland get eaten up at SG and SF, so the question is do you draft for your needs or do you draft for potential. Oden seems to have tons of potential.

[capone0]

I don't think many teams pass on sure fire bigmen. Especially one's who is decently smart, can defend, and seems to have his head on really straight.

Bigmen win titles for the most part. Just look at the title teams the last 7 years.

2006: Shaq
2005: Duncan
2004: Wallaces (I guess this could be an exception year)
2003: Duncan
2002: Shaq
2001: Shaq
2000: Shaq

Don't turn down big men, especially good ones ever. He's no Kwame.

[MoreWineII]

But I wonder how much of that is due to the position he plays. For every Shaq or Duncan there's an Olowokandi or Milicic. I'm not sure I remember the last hugely hyped non-center player who's failed spectacularly. I'm sure there are some that will be pointed out though.

Also, I don't know much about Oden yet though I plan to watch him as often as possible this year at Ohio State. So forgive me if I'm sinning by comparing him to a Olowkandi.

[ThaSaltCracka]

How do you know he is a sure fire big man? One year of college should tell us a lot.

BTW, Aldridge is pretty damn good as well.

[MoreWineII]

I don't know anything. I'm just speculating because it's fun to. That's what you do when you like a lottery team. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

My favorite part so far about Aldridge is that he doesn't seem to give a [censored] that he's a rookie. He's not timid at all, and I sense an attitude. I was thinking he'd be a little soft after all I'd heard.

[capone0]

Oden has been about as hyped as Lebron was back in the day. Do you think Kwame, Darko, etc. were? To everyone's suprise Darko was picked. Nobody for the last 3 years, would have been suprised if Oden was picked first overall in the draft if they had it after high school, he's been that good. Personally, as a UNC fan, I don't like the guy b/c he plays for tOSU and he could challenge. With that being said, he's about as sure fire prospect as theres been from High School in a while. I don't think anyone right now passes on him unless they have a great reason. I don't think Portland has great reasons right now.