With The #1 Pick.. Oden or Durant

[Gee!]

If you were the GM of the team with the first pick this year, who would you take?

Oden or Durant? Interested to see who eveyone would pick..

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[BirdMan21]

I think you have to take Oden....but this could end up being very similar to the whole MJ vs Bowie thing, and we all know how that worked out

 

[Nasser22]

I was thinking Durant because of the numbers he was putting up, but it has got to be Oden. Great centers are more rare than great swingman and centers are better to build your team around usually. Sure, Durant has put up good numbers, but Oden can be one of the best defensive players in the league with his great shotblocking and he is putting up good numbers playing with his weaker hand because of an injury, is that right? Unless the team has an top center already, which there are very few of, Oden should be the first pick.

 

[NastyOne]

On this team you would have to take Oden, even though Durant will probably put up way better offensive numbers in the form of another Dirk.

I love Durant, but this team is badly lacking a good post defender and shotblocker.

Amare is getting better, but Oden in college is already better at both than Amare, and his ceiling is that of some of the best defensive bigmen of alltime.

Not to mention our Frontcourt would be beyond dominant with Amare/Oden/Diaw (No Marion cause im assuming he got moved to Boston with ATL's pick which luckily landed at #4 to acquire Oden )

 

[Gee!]

On this team you would have to take Oden, even though Durant will probably put up way better offensive numbers in the form of another Dirk.

I love Durant, but this team is badly lacking a good post defender and shotblocker.

Amare is getting better, but Oden in college is already better at both than Amare, and his ceiling is that of some of the best defensive bigmen of alltime.

Not to mention our Frontcourt would be beyond dominant with Amare/Oden/Diaw (No Marion cause im assuming he got moved to Boston with ATL's pick which luckily landed at #4 to acquire Oden )

Well theres a thought I wasnt asking lol.. We could dream, but this will never happen..

 

[NastyOne]

Well theres a thought I wasnt asking lol.. We could dream, but this will never happen..

I know i jumped off topic in my last post, so regarding your original question i would take Oden still.

His potential to dominate the paint on both side of the floor is just to great to pass up.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Greg Oden. It doesn't matter what team, there's no way you can pace on a prospect like him.

 

[cly2tw]

we ain't geting neither of them, even though many might think Marion plus Atl's pick would be enough for Durant

 

[SactownSunsFan]

On this team you would have to take Oden, even though Durant will probably put up way better offensive numbers in the form of another Dirk.

I love Durant, but this team is badly lacking a good post defender and shotblocker.

Amare is getting better, but Oden in college is already better at both than Amare, and his ceiling is that of some of the best defensive bigmen of alltime.

Not to mention our Frontcourt would be beyond dominant with Amare/Oden/Diaw (No Marion cause im assuming he got moved to Boston with ATL's pick which luckily landed at #4 to acquire Oden )

In just about every draft year I'd say the # 4 plus Marion could easily get you the # 1 pick, but not this year. Oden is too good a prospect to pass up on, even with a trade as enticing as that one.

 

[wsupkid]

for the SUNS I would pick Oden but not for the rest of the teams out there.

The SUNS have the time to wait for what Oden will become If I need help now I dont pick Oden.

 

[NastyOne]

The SUNS have the time to wait for what Oden will become If I need help now I dont pick Oden.

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.

 

[boisesuns]

I would pick Durant instead of Oden. He could easily replace Marion

 

[Louis]

1. Make a list of today's really good true centers.

2. Make a list of today's really good all around players who can do a little bit of everything.

List 1 will be much shorter than list 2.

I'd take Oden in this draft. Durant has the makings of being special. But one of the biggest critiques of him is his size. Oden is the size of an NBA player.

IIRC, Oden was doing very well in the Team USA workouts and prior to injuring his right hand was NBA ready. Now he is playing one handed (his off hand) and his doing very well. But rumor is Oden enjoys college and may just stick around.

 

[Mulli]

So I have Yao on my fantasy keeper league team, if Oden is available do I draft him?

 

[fordronken]

I think you have to take Oden....but this could end up being very similar to the whole MJ vs Bowie thing, and we all know how that worked out

I think everyone agrees this could be more like Jordan/Olajuwon. Greg Owen is no Bowie.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I think everyone agrees this could be more like Jordan/Olajuwon. Greg Owen is no Bowie.

Comparing two college players with two of the top 10 players of all time???

How can everyone agree with that? I sure don't.

 

[Louis]

Comparing two college players with two of the top 10 players of all time???

How can everyone agree with that? I sure don't.

The comparison is with the draft situation, not their rankings of NBA players.

Besides nobody knew where Jordan or the Dream would stand when they were drafted.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Durants come around every 5 years or so.

Odens come around every 10-15.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Durants come around every 5 years or so.

Odens come around every 10-15.

I do agree with this... but I think it is more important to note - How many times is a team in a position to make that pick? They rarely coincide with the above (of course if you are the Clippers, your odds are better than your LA counterpart). So, that being said, I do think a team needs to take a hard look at what position/player will give them the most flexibility in terms of winning, tradeability (if the player doesn't quite pan out), personality, and coachability.

... so I would Draft Oden.

 

[fordronken]

Durants come around every 5 years or so.

Odens come around every 10-15.

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

 

[dreamcastrocks]

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

No team is going to use him as a shooting guard. At least none of the teams that has a realistic shot of drafting him.

 

[fordronken]

No team is going to use him as a shooting guard. At least none of the teams that has a realistic shot of drafting him.

I think that if a team tries to play him as a power forward, it will stunt his growth by about three years. He really is a shooting guard. He just happens to be tall. Obviously, he's going to guard whoever the worst player is on the opposing team, regardless of position. But on offense, while he has some post skill, putting him on the block would be a waste of his talent.

Edit: And the point remains, there's been no one like him in the past five years.

 

[Louis]

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

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.

 

[hafey]

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.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

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.

Where is Dwight Howard, Okafor, etc?