Picking Oden over Durant is a no-brainer
Is there a way to put this that will be calm, rational and on the proper side of sensational? I believe so. And here it is:
Any general manager in the National Basketball Association who would consider drafting Kevin Durant ahead of Greg Oden should be fired.
There. That about covers it.
Kevin Durant is a magnificent basketball player, deserving of the sweep he secured of college player of the year awards in his freshman season at Texas. He will do wonderfully at the NBA level. He will play in the All-Star game many times, will make his team more dynamic offensively and will be an important component of successful teams. Let's be clear about all that. He might be the greatest consolation prize in the history of the league's draft lottery.
Even to consider choosing him with the No. 1 pick over Oden, the 7-0 freshman center at Ohio State, is irresponsible. It reflects a profound lack of understanding about how the game of basketball works -- at all levels, not just the NBA. Wouldn't we all agree that a pro GM ought to have some comprehension of how basketball success is achieved?
The first element of the evidence in favor of Oden is an examination of what is working in the NBA right now. Of the league's top 15 scorers this season, nine were pure wing players. If Kevin Durant makes it big, as we expect, this is who he will be: Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Michael Redd, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Tracy McGrady. None averaged fewer than 24.6 points per game, which means they were doing what they were paid to do.
The capacity of such a player to make his team a champion, though, has to be questioned given the breadth of Kobe Bryant's ability and his incredible performance even as the Los Angeles Lakers muddle along in mediocrity. He's not alone, though. The average team record for those nine players this season was 38-44.
McGrady's team, the Houston Rockets, did best: 52-30. It is not at all coincidental he was the one guy blessed with a legitimate force at center, 7-6 Yao Ming. Big-time centers still win in this league. Teams can win without them, but those teams better be extraordinary (the '90s Chicago Bulls) or blessed with extraordinary timing (the 2004 Detroit Pistons).
Yao was injured at the time of the NBA All-Star Game, so he did not participate, but six other centers did: Shaquille O'Neal, Dwight Howard, Jermaine O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire and Mehmet Okur. Their teams finished with an average record of 48-34.
Consider the number of titles accumulated by the game's great centers: Bill Russell (11), Wilt Chamberlain (two), Kareem Abdul Jabbar (six), Hakeem Olajuwon (two), Shaquille O'Neal (four). In Bill Walton's first full season with the Portland Trail Blazers, one of his rare healthy years, he won a title, and he was part of a second as a key reserve with the 1986 Celtics. Although a hybrid who has played both power forward or center, Duncan has won three.
Those seven players participated in 30 of the 50 NBA championships decided since 1957. This is what the team that drafts Oden is signing up to achieve. And yes, he is that good.
At 7-0, Oden is the most advanced big-man defender ever at his age. Remember, athletes were not permitted to compete with the varsity in Bill Russell's time, so the gifts he possessed were not polished against the same level of competition by the time he turned 19. Patrick Ewing was extraordinarily intimidating, but not as sophisticated in his domination of the lane.
Oden's understanding of how to guard the lane led nearly every college big man who faced him to disappear. In the NCAA championship game, his defense led the five frontcourt players Florida employed to shoot 12-of-29 on two-point attempts. Three of those players -- Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer -- will join Oden when the NBA makes its lottery selections in June.
Those attempting to pick apart Oden's game are operating on limited information. They look at the foul trouble that plagued him in the NCAA Tournament and conclude he is prone to foul; however, in 26 games prior to the tournament, he reached the four-foul mark only four times and never once was disqualified.
Many have commented he is not a skilled offensive player, but even with the limitations imposed by his offseason wrist surgery Oden shot 61.6 percent from the floor upon his return. He displayed an impressive degree of accuracy with his righthanded jump hook. He is not as precise as Jabbar was with the sky hook, but Oden does have better range on this burgeoning specialty. Being forced to work on his left hand polished his ability to move into his right shoulder, presenting a conundrum for defenders who become singled up against him.
The lucky general manager whose team wins the lottery May 22 will not need to be concerned about which direction to turn. The choice is clear: It's either Oden or ignominy.
See more at www.sportingnews.com
