Is Greg Oden the Next Sam Bowie?

The 2007 NBA Draft is looking more and more like the 1984 NBA Draft. For those who don't remember in 1984 Sam Bowie was drafted ahead of Michael Jordan with the number 2 pick in the draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. Bowie was drafted because the Blazers drafted based on need and not based on talent. The Blazers already had Clyde Drexler so they passed on the greatest player in NBA history. Bowie turned out to be an average NBA player who was consistently injured. His unspectacular career ended in 1995.

Fast forward to 2007, Portland had the 1st pick in the NBA draft and chose Greg Oden over Kevin Durant. The Blazers already had Brandon Roy and needed a big man so they passed on Durant. While it is still too early to call Oden a bust, it does look like Oklahoma City got the better player. Greg Oden has underperformed and battled injuries; Durant has blossomed into the NBA's youngest star. Oden has played in only 46 games in 2 seasons and is averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Oden will probably turn out to be a decent center but I doubt he will ever be one of the greats. All time great centers like Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing came in the league averaging over 20 PPG and 10 REBS as rookies. His numbers are nowhere near what elite centers put up as rookies. Number one picks Yao Ming and Dwight Howard put up better numbers than Oden has in his first season. Oden seems more like a Marcus Camby, Dikembe Mutombo type who will rebound and play good defense but is limited offensively.

Teams should learn a lesson from the picks of Sam Bowie, Darko Milicic and Greg Oden. It is always better to draft the best talent as opposed to just filling a need.

The Next Great One

Move over Kobe, Lebron, CP3. Make room for Kevin Durant. I was watching the NBA's rookies vs sophomores game and one thing that stood out to me was the play of Kevin Durant. Durant was draining 3's from way behind the 3 point line on his way to scoring 46 points. He also won the NBA's HORSE competition and that ugly looking trophy. Durant is only 20 years old but it is obvious that he is the NBA's next young superstar. He is 5th in the NBA and scoring at 25.5 per night. This goes unnoticed because he plays for such a bad team. Durant is the bright spot on a terrible Oklahoma City Thunder team.

Based on the first two years of their career K.D. looks like the winner in the 2007 NBA draft. While Greg Oden has been injured and put up average numbers, Durant has played up to the level of a NBA All Star. I think that Greg Oden will turn out to be a solid pro and even make a few All Star teams. He reminds me of an Emeka Okafor, Dikembe Mutombo, Marcus Camby type center. A solid player but not a superstar. Durant has the scoring ability of a Dominique Wilkins but with the shooting ability of a Ray Allen. Durant still needs to gain some weight and add more muscle to his frame. This weekend was probably just the beginning of a string of All Star appearances for Kevin Durant.