Greg Oden’s decision to sign a reported two-year contract with the Miami Heat could be the most significant free-agent signing of the summer. The former Ohio State All-American hasn’t played since the 2009-10 season because of debilitating injuries to both knees, but six teams were hot on his trail for months: Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, … [Read more…]
Once the old collective bargaining agreement expires at midnight EST on June 30, NBA owners and players need to take a hard look at the current state of the early entry draft. The way things are currently constructed, any American player who is 19 years of age and at least one year removed from high … [Read more…]
Portland’s injury woes just went from bad to worse when starting center Greg Oden fractured his left kneecap against Houston on Dec. 5 and will likely miss the rest of the season. Before his year was cut short, Oden was among the league leaders in field goal percentage (60 percent) and blocks (2.3) and was … [Read more…]
The comparisons are justified and the start of their careers are becoming eerily similar, leading me to believe that Greg Oden is the HD version of Sam Bowie. Ouch! Back in the 1984 NBA draft, the Portland Trail Blazers committed a basketball sin when they took Bowie, a 7-footer out of Kentucky, and passed on … [Read more…]
One is a gifted scorer while the other is a major presence on defense. One is a 21-year-old who is starting his third NBA season while the other is a 20-year-old No. 1 pick who has yet to play an official NBA game. One is coming back from a broken kneecap while the other is … [Read more…]