With The #1 Pick.. Oden or Durant

[FArting]

i picked durant

whose game is similar to durant?

 

[Louis]

Where is Dwight Howard, Okafor, etc?

Those guys are more traditional type of players so I didn't list them or Yao.

Instead I opted to list the guys who play multiple positions.

Let me know when you see Howard or Okafor take a jumper with consistency.

Yao is the exception to that rule though.

 

[Louis]

i picked durant

whose game is similar to durant?

http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/kevindurant.html

TMac/Dirk according to that site.

He's listed as 6'10" 220 lbs.

 

[Mulli]

http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/kevindurant.html

TMac/Dirk according to that site.

He's listed as 6'10" 220 lbs.

Those two I can see the similarity. Jeffries, Walton, not so much

 

[fordronken]

From the last 5 drafts....

2006 - Bargnani
2005 - Villanueva, Bogut, Frye, Granger, Kleiza
2004 - Deng, Childress, K.Martin
2003 - Milicic (he'll pan out), Bosh, Cook, Walton
2002 - Gooden, Amare, Wilcox, Jeffries, Prince, Boozer, Songaila

All talented big guys. 6'8" and above according to basketballreference.com

All can shoot a little bit, some better then others. But all are multi-talented.

Take a look at that list and start listing the best of the "real" centers.

That list proves you have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not arguing that there aren't any tall people in the NBA who "can shoot a little bit". I don't even have the energy to begin to explain to you why your list is absurd.

 

[Mulli]

That list proves you have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not arguing that there aren't any tall people in the NBA who "can shoot a little bit". I don't even have the energy to begin to explain to you why your list is absurd.

 

[fordronken]

http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/kevindurant.html

TMac/Dirk according to that site.

Watch one of his games. He's by far a better player than Dirk was at the beginning of his career. Then take T-Mac and add a few inches. Then we might be getting somewhere. I'm not saying he's gonna be a top five player of all time-- but as a prospect, he's off the charts.

 

[Mulli]

So if building a franchise, one would lean towards Oden. But for fantasy value, lean towards Durant?

 

[Louis]

That list proves you have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not arguing that there aren't any tall people in the NBA who "can shoot a little bit". I don't even have the energy to begin to explain to you why your list is absurd.

The point is, is that players with similar sets to Durant have been drafted quite frequently. Durant no doubt will be a very good player in the league, but at the position he is likely to play (SF) they come a dime a dozen.

However, traditional centers who will make a mark on the league aren't drafted as often and are much harder to come by.

Hence players like Erick Dampier/Adonal Foyle receiving ridiculous contracts.

 

[hafey]

You can't take an inferior player just because 7ft's are statistically more rare. Teams do it all the time, but its moronic.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The point is, is that players with similar sets to Durant have been drafted quite frequently. Durant no doubt will be a very good player in the league, but at the position he is likely to play (SF) they come a dime a dozen.

I can agree with that. Lamar Odom is one example of someone who has all of the tools, but did not go to a big name school and was not on display like Odom/Durant.

 

[Ronin]

I'd go with Kevin Durant with the Number #1 pick. Kevin Durant reminds me a little bit of Kevin Garnett (Hence his 23 rebound performance) but with a little bit more range on his jumpshot.

 

[fordronken]

I think people here aren't looking at Durant for how good he is as a prospect. Odom was considered a huge gamble at the time he was drafted-- and he still went fourth. He was talented, but never really put it all together and was kind of considered a head case(plus the whole money taking, transfer scandal). The only thing Odom could do better than Durant was pass. He was nowhere near the scorer and was a little worse as a rebounder if I remember correctly. Durant has been pretty darn consistent and could be a better shooter/scorer than anybody in the first round, regardless of position or size.

What makes the debate interesting isn't "What's better, a potentially great small forward or a potentially great center?" It's "What's better, a player who has the potential to reinvent the swing position in the NBA and could be a top five player of all time, or a guy who's a lock to be a top five center in the league, and a good chance at being a top five center of all time?"

The point is, if Greg Oden ends up like Patrick Ewing, he's a great player. But if he goes first and Kevin Durant ends up being a modern day Dr. J, then Oden would have been the incorrect pick.

Nobody is saying that Oden could be a player unlike we've ever seen before. People are saying that about Durant. Durant's attributes are unlike any player at his age that we've ever seen. Just like LeBron was considered a cross between Magic and MJ, Durant could end up being McGrady and Garnett rolled into one.

The main issue that I think makes the debate interesting is that there is a much lower risk with Oden. There's no way, barring injury or tragedy, that Greg Oden won't be one of the best centers in the league during his career. Kevin Durant, in my opinion, has a much higher upside AND a much higher downside. That's the debate.

 

[elindholm]

Really? Who was the 6-10 sweet shooting 2-guard five years ago? I must have missed it.

Tskitishvili.

 

[fordronken]

Tskitishvili.

I think you were just picking random letters and ended up accidenting spelling Tskitishvili.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The main issue that I think makes the debate interesting is that there is a much lower risk with Oden. There's no way, barring injury or tragedy, that Greg Oden won't be one of the best centers in the league during his career. Kevin Durant, in my opinion, has a much higher upside AND a much higher downside. That's the debate.

Kinda reminds me of the Howard/Okafor debate. Okafor was the safe pick, and looking back, Howard was the correct selection.

Yes, I know that Durant/Odom play different positions.

 

[wsupkid]

Oden would be a huge help to any team right now, his defense alone right now would be better than 80% of the NBA bigmen and his offensive game is also getting there.

I know, and I agree. All I am saying is that if I was a team that needed help now. I would rather not pick Oden FIRST of the two.

 

[Nasser22]

Have you even bothered to watch Durant? Right now, he is better than every single player on that list with the exception of Bosh and maybe Amare.

As for Oden. Can someone point out where he has dominated both paints as a collegiate yet? I have seen nothing close to offensive aggressiveness let alone dominance. He is getting by on size and strength. In the NBA the players get bigger and stronger. Look what happened when Oden played in NBA front line in Florida.

Has Oden even started to play with his good hand healthy yet?

 

[Nasser22]

I know, and I agree. All I am saying is that if I was a team that needed help now. I would rather not pick Oden FIRST of the two.

Most teams with early lottery picks are in the rebuilding stage. None of them will be winning next year.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Most teams with early lottery picks are in the rebuilding stage. None of them will be winning next year.

I slightly disagree with this. If Boston were to draft Oden - along with Paul Pierce... IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE, Atlantic Division... that is a top playoff team immediately. Mix in a free agent or two, and they could win the Eastern Conference.

 

[Nasser22]

I slightly disagree with this. If Boston were to draft Oden - along with Paul Pierce... IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE, Atlantic Division... that is a top playoff team immediately. Mix in a free agent or two, and they could win the Eastern Conference.

Eastern conference maybe but I don't see them being actual contenders until 2 or 3 years. They are waiting on the younger players to improve. My point was that Durant over Oden wouldn't really make anyone who has a chance at the pick a contender.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I can agree with that. Lamar Odom is one example of someone who has all of the tools, but did not go to a big name school and was not on display like Odom/Durant.

you cannot possibly be making the argument that lamar odom was a relative unknown. NO ONE slept on him. EVERYONE knew he was b/c of the scandals he left in his wake. he also single handedly brought URI to respectability and he was coached by jim harrick. and b/c of him and harrick URI WAS televised more often than normal. he was on plenty of display.

 

[Lorenzo]

I haven't seen oden play. So i can't make that call. Although i will say a good center is hard to find these days...so oden may get the nod. That's one reason aldridge went so high last year. Durant looks raw....in the games i've watched he wasn't bad nor great........he was solid. It appears he will be drafted #1 or #2 so no reason to stay in school. But it looks like he still need improvement. We'll see. If he leads UT to a great run maybe his stock will rise even more. But as one said before on this thread....UT is lacking at the defensive end. That is something Durant and all of the horns need to improve on.

 

[fordronken]

I slightly disagree with this. If Boston were to draft Oden - along with Paul Pierce... IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE, Atlantic Division... that is a top playoff team immediately. Mix in a free agent or two, and they could win the Eastern Conference.

I'm sorry, but since when is making the finals in the east an accomplishment. Do most people even remember that the Pistons went to a game seven in the finals the year after they won the championship? Does anyone care that Kidd pushed the Nets to the finals?

If we're arguing about the potential legacies of these players, eastern conference championships don't mean anything.

 

[Louis]

I'm sorry, but since when is making the finals in the east an accomplishment. Do most people even remember that the Pistons went to a game seven in the finals the year after they won the championship? Does anyone care that Kidd pushed the Nets to the finals?

If we're arguing about the potential legacies of these players, eastern conference championships don't mean anything.

Maybe because the reigning champ is from the east?