Oden and Fernandez Debut, Mouths Left Agape
NBA October 8th. 2008, 10:20am
Surfing around the web to reaction from last night’s preseason game between the Kings and the Blazers, and the best line came from a Sactown Royalty commenter, and it was about dazzling Spanish import Rudy Fernandez: “Spanish Chocolate.” Has a nice succinct ring to it.
On Oden, from the Oregonian:
There was Oden, in his first NBA “game”, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes. He tired easily, but of his five baskets, four were dunks … He also emphatically sent back a dunk attempt by Sacramento center Spencer Hawes and he drew nine fouls on Kings players. When he left, the Rose Garden crowd gave him a standing ovation, with some bowing to him with outstretched arms. “I think he is going to be Rookie of the Year,” LaMarcus Aldridge said. “I’m going on record and saying that Greg is a man-child.”
How geeked are Portland fans? There were over 1,300 comments on Blazer’s Edge last night. From a preseason game. So how much is cable charging for the NBA package?
93 Responses to “Oden and Fernandez Debut, Mouths Left Agape”
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October 8th, 2008 at 10:22 am
big f ing deal. they played against the Queens of all teams.
TBL- let me know when you want to talk about a real center
October 8th, 2008 at 10:23 am
How are mouths left agape?
That being said, those are pretty good numbers and it is exciting to have a new big man. I think the Blazers will finish in the top 5 out West.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:25 am
lets talk about Andrew Bynum and how good he looked coming back. At least he will be playing for a contender
October 8th, 2008 at 10:25 am
They play basketball in Portland now?
I’d like to comment on this game, but I’m from Cleveland, so I didn’t know that.
No one can offer an opinion unless they were at this game. Please follow the rules, everyone.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:27 am
The only mystery is whether the Blazers win 74 or 75 games.
/TBL
October 8th, 2008 at 10:33 am
bynum or oden?
October 8th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Bynum
October 8th, 2008 at 10:35 am
In two years, I wonder if Bynum and Oden will be better players than Dwight Howard.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I’m excited about Odom.
/1999′d
October 8th, 2008 at 10:36 am
TBL- you kill me with those statements
October 8th, 2008 at 10:37 am
I want to move to Portland. The Pac NW is where smart people migrate. ohio is where losers are born and stay losers for their whole losery lives and then die with empty potato chip bags at their side on a well worn couch in a house that no longer has any value because the dogs have pissed through the carpet pad down into the floor boards.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Irish sounds jealous. I think comments are definitely warranted on a team with not 1, but 2 potential ROY candidates.
The Blazers have drafted successfully in the last few years, which gives them the best group of young players in the Association. The question is whether it translates to wins in the deep West this year or next year.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:38 am
october 28th should be a fun game to watch…
October 8th, 2008 at 10:38 am
I’ve bookmarked the Bynum over Oden comments for use later in the year. That will be fun…
October 8th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Irish sounds jealous
TBL gives Dwight Howard no respect. never has on this site. I didnt leave 100,000 comments in ballin last year defending him for nothing
October 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am
which gives them the best group of young players in the Association
are you serious with that statement?
October 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am
@Maggs: Poor people are so cute. Never leave us.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Portland’s great. Seattle a little less so.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Who else would it be?
October 8th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Who does, irish?
I think Frye sucks, Aldridge is overrated, and Bayless will flop.
But Roy/Oden are legit, and I like Diogu.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:44 am
DHo is a great big man. I think he has hit a wall in terms of growth. He needs to find a a couple of go-to post moves (other than dunk on opponent’s head) to go the elite level of player.
The Hedgehog (StanVan) did a great thing by beating on him last year for not being dominant. With the tools he has, he should be MORE dominant than he has shown. The ability is there, but the desire sometimes seems to be missing.
I’m curious to see whether the Magic were a one year success or something more. They had a lot of… ahem… magic… on their side last year during the regular season. Guys had career years, many game winners, etc… If DHo makes the leap, then they will be.
Honestly, he was a bit disappointing this summer in Beijing in compared to what I thought I would see. Disappointing, but not necessarily from an offensive standpoint, but instead as a dominant defensive rebounder and interior intimidator.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:46 am
I agree that they are a young group, probably the youngest in the league. But people are calling them good way too early
October 8th, 2008 at 10:47 am
/Maggs’d
October 8th, 2008 at 10:47 am
The Blazers haven’t been the same since Alaa Abdelnaby left.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I think he has hit a wall in terms of growth
so at 22 or 23 years old, he has no room for improvement? give me a break with that no terms of growth
October 8th, 2008 at 10:51 am
How is Aldridge overrated? I don’t hear anyone saying he’s an all-star or anything. He should go for 18-8 this year which is pretty solid. Roy is solid. Travis Outlaw is underrated. If Fernandez lives up to a bit of the hype, this is going to be a very, very good team. They also played the Lakers very tough in their matchups last year splitting the series 2-2.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:51 am
How did that young core of Jimmy Jackson, Mash and Kidd do? They averaged about 20 wins a year…
October 8th, 2008 at 10:52 am
oden rocks.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Jordan didn’t have a great jumper until he was 26-27. It didn’t become lethal until he was 30+.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:54 am
The Hedgehog (StanVan) did a great thing by beating on him last year for not being dominant
if you read the Orlando papers or paid attention to the Magic, you would know that Dwight asked Van Gundy to do whatever he needed to do to bring out the best in Dwight. Did it work? yes sir
October 8th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Aldridge needs to shoot better, plus he’s a piss poor rebounder.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:54 am
@irish… Its a wall that DHo can climb or he can stay where he is. I didn’t say that there was no room, but the next jump is to elite status with LBJ, Kobe, etc… My question is his willingness to get that much better.
As for Portland’s roster: All of these guys are under 25: Roy, Aldridge, Outlaw, Fernandez, Webster, Rodriguez, Bayless, and Oden.
Roy is a stud. Aldridge averaged 18 and 8 last year at 22 years old. Fernandez and Oden are likely 2 of the best 5 rookies in the league this year. Webster and Outlaw are better than average guys. Bayless is a question mark, but has possibilities. The Blazers like Rodriguez at PG too.
Yes, I would call that the best YOUNG talent in the Association. Lots to prove, but I would venture that most teams in the Association would like to have those guys on their roster.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Rudy Gay posterized the shit out of one of the Barry kids last night. He’s a filthy dunker
October 8th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Most people would agree, thus he’s not overrated. He is what he is. He and David West have very similar numbers on a per 36min basis and this is only his 3rd year in the league.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:56 am
beat me to the Rudy Gay dunk. That was sick. So much talent. USE IT!
October 8th, 2008 at 10:57 am
gay could be awesome…sick athleticism.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:57 am
NSR: You said 18-8 like that’s good. People see the top line and think those #’s are great for a young guy. They’re not — he was a below average player last year.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:57 am
That would be Brent that got posterized last night then. Saw the video of Gay dunking, but couldn’t tell who it was.
By the way, just for kicks and giggles, who plays more games this season, Oden or Yao?
October 8th, 2008 at 10:57 am
but the next jump is to elite status with LBJ, Kobe, etc
so what center in the NBA is in the elite category Wally? Two big bad feet Z on your fave team? really? who
October 8th, 2008 at 10:59 am
it has been the same story with him since UConn. defers to his teammates too often.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:59 am
My question is his willingness to get that much better
Jesus. you make it so obvious that you dont follow the Magic. But you are quick to tell me that Dwight is not an elite player
October 8th, 2008 at 10:59 am
duncan…he is a center after all.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:00 am
sparty…true. but he’s MILES better than he was at UConn…i’ve been very impressed with his development since hitting the league.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I made the comparison between this year’s Blazers and last years Hornets (who NOBODY thought would be a top-4 seed). They each have an all-star guard (Paul/Roy), an athletic, soft, offensive-minded 4 (West/Aldridge), and a defensive minded 5 (Chandler/Oden). I like the Blazers other supporting guys (Fernandez/Outlaw) much better than the Hornets (MoPete/Peja), and the Blazer’s bench is far superior.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:01 am
duncan…he is a center after all
sure. So why did he win NBA second team Forward slick
October 8th, 2008 at 11:02 am
The difference is that Paul is miles and miles better than Roy.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:03 am
agree. but back at UConn, had he just said; “fuck you JoeBu, I do it myself,” George Mason wouldn’t have stood a chance.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:03 am
irish…because he’s listed as a forward for the stupidest reason in the entire world.
lets take a vote…is duncan a center or a forward?
October 8th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Let’s just get this out of the way before I go into my Blazer fanboy mode. It was a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings who wom 3 less games than the Blazers and were without starters Brad Miller and Kevin Martin. So, it isn’t the best way to gauge the Blazers.
But, they looked great in the second half. Rudy Fernandez was dropping dimes like nobody’s business. He passed the ball through Jason Thompson’s legs to hit Aldridge on the run and then made another superb needle threading pass to a running Aldridge for a dunk. His play was superb and he really was aggressive defensively. He was awesome. The Blazers may not need to go in search of a point guard with Roy and Fernandez in the backcourt.
Oden looked good in limited play, especially on the defensive end. He was a monster in the middle with two great blocks and altering a number of shots. He was in foul trouble again though, which is worrisome.
Great game but you have to take it with a bunch of grains of salt given the opposition, the missing starters for the Kings, and the fact that it was a preseason game. I’ll have to say though, the Kings announcers were quite impressed.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:03 am
lets take a vote…is duncan a center or a forward
How about we go with what the NBA lists him as. you know, the facts
October 8th, 2008 at 11:05 am
The NBA listed Charles Barkley at 6′6″. facts you say?
October 8th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Duncan is a 4. D-How is an outsize 4.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:06 am
the NBA also say Donaghy was the only crooked ref.
/facts
October 8th, 2008 at 11:06 am
The NBA listed Charles Barkley at 6′6″. facts you say?
what position was the comment, HELLO not height
October 8th, 2008 at 11:07 am
18-8 isn’t very good? I think the following teams would 18-8 from their 4 over what they have now:
NJ
Chicago
Milwaukee
Cleveland
Orlando
Indiana
Atlanta
Miami
Charlotte
Houston
Memphis
Minnesota
Sacramento
He’s definitely a tier-2 post player in this league.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:07 am
irish- understand what the question was, but you cannot go based on what the NBA lists someone. What constitutes a PG?
October 8th, 2008 at 11:08 am
no thanks…i’ll just use the ol’ eyeball test. wow…sure looks like a center to me.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I thought we already dubbed Sergio Rodriguez as Spanish Chocolate…
October 8th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Irish… Jesus. You are touchy. I didn’t say that ANYONE was better than DHo at center. I just think he has to get better to be anointed ELITE. If he was so damn good, why did the Magic lose in the 2nd round last year? He disappeared. The ELITE guys don’t do that. You can argue till your blue in the face. Maybe we will see it this year. If so, the Magic will be a GREAT team.
He dominates at times, but Shaq at his young age dominated better. I think DHo has better skills than Shaq (but not as much girth), but he doesn’t physically dominate every night. btw, Shaq was ELITE at center.
Don’t insult my knowledge of basketball. You know more about the Magic because you live and breathe them. However, that doesn’t mean that my opinion is completely wrong. It’s sometimes better to be at a distance to have a good view.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Wasn’t Duncan listed as a center for the all star game last year? And I would list Yao as a better center than D-Ho, not more fun to watch, but a better center.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:12 am
lebron got beat in the 2nd round…just saying.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:12 am
why did the Magic lose in the 2nd round last year? He disappeared
he was playing with a cracked sternum. but go ahead
October 8th, 2008 at 11:13 am
But LeBron carried them to 7 games against the eventual champs. D-Ho was nowhere in that series against the Pistons.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I think the NBA is the most boring professional sports league out there, but even I would watch a game featuring Greg Oden.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:15 am
If he was so damn good, why did the Magic lose in the 2nd round last year? He disappeared. The ELITE guys don’t do that.
lebron got beat in the 2nd round…just saying
exactly. and that is wallys boy but thats right its not about him
October 8th, 2008 at 11:15 am
DHo is underestimated here because of the lack of respect for rebounds and the over reliance on the jump shot of someone who should never be taking them. Most important thing for him to improve are FT% and TOs which I think is fairly easy to do. This would be much more valuable to him and his team and will make him one of the most dominant players in the NBA.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:16 am
sparty…hey man, facts are facts. and LBJ had an AWFUL first 2 games of that series…and a subpar series in general before game 7.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Again, seeing 18-8 is an easy way to overlook someone being inefficient and a poor rebounder. Give an NBA player enough minutes, and he’ll get you 7.6 rebounds. It doesn’t mean they’re anywhere near a good rebounder.
FWIW, his RP48 was 10.4, which puts him like 49th best in the L, behind some guards.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Jordan didn’t have a great jumper until he was 26-27. It didn’t become lethal until he was 30+.
So you’re saying Kobe has a chance to get better? That’s scary.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:17 am
I really think people here need to look into what the definitions of “overrated” and “underrated” are.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:17 am
@cursed: He could go from being one of the top 15 players to one of the top 12. Sure.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:18 am
spencer-eh…awful LeBron > awful D-Ho. in fact, awful LeBron > Great D-Ho.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Don’t insult my knowledge of basketball
and you said i was touchy Wally. I never said shit about your knowledge of the game. I defended my opinion while you were telling me that Dwight Howard had no room for improvement at 22 years old. go ahead
October 8th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Sparty, the only thing LeBron was carrying in the 2nd round was a terrible shooting percentage.. His jumper didn’t start falling until game 5. He was masterful in game 7, you gotta give him that much.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:19 am
DHo is underestimated here because of the lack of respect for rebounds and the over reliance on the jump shot of someone who should never be taking them. Most important thing for him to improve are FT% and TOs which I think is fairly easy to do. This would be much more valuable to him and his team and will make him one of the most dominant players in the NBA
October 8th, 2008 at 11:19 am
That’s because he tapped that.
/allegedly, in my opinion
October 8th, 2008 at 11:20 am
18-8 — Wow that’s good!
When in reality 18-8, considering the underlying metrics, is pretty shitty. That’s all I’m saying.
My definition of overrated is if people thought this guy played well last year, they are wrong.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:21 am
sparty…oh, im with you on that.
lebron > terrelle pryor > rest of the NBA
October 8th, 2008 at 11:21 am
FWIW, his RP48 was 10.4, which puts him like 49th best in the L, behind some guards
stats georgio is back
October 8th, 2008 at 11:21 am
You guys worry to0 much about stats.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Ringer > LeBron.
/sincere’d
October 8th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Nick, I think he played well enough considering it was his second year in the league on a team with zero post presence. Most importantly, he has continued to improve the entire time he’s been here.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Stats drool, rings rool
/Tim Duncan,
CenterForwardOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Ringer > Kobe
October 8th, 2008 at 11:24 am
“FWIW, his RP48 was 10.4, which puts him like 49th best in the L, behind some guards.”
I’m not arguing that he’s a good rebounder, nor will anyone else. Playing alongside Oden, not to mention Outlaw and Roy who are good rebounders will negate this.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:25 am
The blazers also have pretty nice bench with Steve Blake and Channing Frye…
October 8th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Like I said, his per 36 min numbers are very comparable to David West who many more people are up in arms about being a great player.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:29 am
@NSR: I’m not one of those people.
Cursed thinks he’s better than Tim Duncan, though.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:31 am
it was good to get the blood flowing again. good stuff
Fuck the Portland Hype Machine
GO MAGIC
we make it rain
October 8th, 2008 at 11:31 am
hasn’t duncan averaged 25/12 shot over 55% and blocked 2 per game his ENTIRE CAREER?
how is david west better than that? even after last year?
duncan >>>>>>>>>>>>> west, and im a big david west fan.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Nick P, what is this a presidential debate? You couldn’t have intentionally misreprsented me more (well you could have said that I like baseball and girls over the age of 20).
I said there was a stretch last season where West had clearly outplayed Duncan and that it wasn’t close. Then West pooped himself against Duncan. Doesn’t mean I was wrong. Just meant West had bowel problems.
October 8th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
You know how things work ’round these parts.
Also, was thinking about high school party night earlier this week. Good times.
October 8th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
David West is not that good of a player. Chris Paul is just that great.