By Alan Siegel
asiegel@eagletribune.com
December 05, 2008 04:02 am
On Pro Basketball
Alan Siegel
Thad Matta loved the photograph so much, he framed it and put it up on his wall.
The image is from the Ohio State-Georgetown clash in the 2007 Final Four. Greg Oden is flying through the air holding the basketball high above his head. He looks ready to tear down the rim.
"He literally almost jumped over Jeff Green," the Buckeyes coach said by phone yesterday.
The powerful dunk attempt, which nearly decapitated Green, a fellow lottery pick, wasn't the first time Oden imitated Superman during his only collegiate season. Portland Trail Blazers fans are hoping to witness many similarly jaw-dropping moments over the next decade.
Despite potentially crippling setbacks — microfracture surgery on his right knee caused Oden to miss all of last season — it's way too early to label the 7-foot, 280-pound center a bust, as rapper/Bar Mitzvah performer/ESPN blogger (just kidding about one of those) Lil Wayne already did.
"He's gotta show me something, man," Lil Wayne wrote. "I don't get it. At what point in time was he dominant? I've never seen it."
Yikes. When Lil Wayne's calling you out, I guess that means you're important. But seriously, Oden deserves a teeny bit of leeway. His body has completely betrayed him so far.
"I think we figured it out. In the last two years he played four months of basketball," Matta said of Oden, who missed the first month of the 2006-07 season with a broken right wrist. "And that was with a cast on his hand. The last time he was truly healthy was in high school."
Entering tonight's game (8 p.m., CSN, ESPN) against the Celtics, Oden is averaging 8.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. The 20-year-old's been rock steady of late. He recorded his sixth double-double in 12 games Wednesday, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds in a 98-92 win at Washington.
From the limited amount of game film Celtics center Kendrick Perkins has watched, the former Ohio State All-American does look like a potentially dominant big man.
"He wasn't the No. 1 pick for nothing," Perkins said yesterday. "He seems like he's really got tenacity. It has to come from within. You're a rookie and you're going to struggle, but you have to learn the game and make sure you have an open mind."
Oden already knows what it feels like to struggle. After spraining his right foot in Portland's season opener, he missed six games. Simply starting his career has been maddeningly difficult.
"It weighs on you," Matta said. "I'm the perfect example. My right foot doesn't work (after having) back surgery. When you've got something that is wrong, you're always thinking, 'I hope this doesn't happen again.' "
Matta is clearly fond of Oden, who led the Buckeyes to the NCAA title game in 2007. When Matta dubs Oden, "A young man who cares about people," it's easy to believe him.
Matta describes Oden as bright and thoughtful, the rare college-aged kid who's well-versed in sports, the economy and politics (he endorsed Barack Obama on his blog).
And his team is criticized, Oden soaks up all the negativity like a sponge.
"He takes it all himself," Matta said. "He really carries a lot with him."
Is that sense of responsibility eating at the former two-time Parade Magazine National Player of the Year? Matta doesn't think so.
"Greg is probably the toughest player I've ever coached," Matta said. "When he stepped between the lines, you didn't want to mess with him."
"He's going to be a dominant defender in our league," said Celtic coach Doc Rivers. "He's not going to be a good defender; he's going to be a dominant defensive player."
Matta said Oden is a quick learner. The coach remembers a particular instance during Oden's season at Ohio State when the freshman took him by surprise. It occurred during what Matta dubbed as "Oden Time", when the injured big man went over some basics with his teammates.
"Coach, why don't we change the angle of the screen and I'll cut this way?" Oden suggested.
"Greg," Matta said, "that's tomorrow. You're one step ahead of me."
Matta admitted to occasionally longing for the Oden era. He said he sometimes falls asleep at night thinking about a possible starting lineup featuring Oden (Trail Blazers) Mike Conley Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Daequan Cook (Miami Heat) and Kosta Koufos (Utah Jazz), all former Buckeyes who left college early for the NBA. None of those four would even be seniors this season!
Matta now settles for watching Oden in the NBA, where the weight of expectations can be a tremendous burden. Like every No. 1 pick before him, Oden has a lot to live up to.
"He's the No. 1 pick so there is a lot of pressure. It's unfair but it is what it is," said Perkins, who preached patience and unlike Lil Wayne, complimented the rookie big man. "I'd hate to see Greg Oden in three years. He's going to be a beast."
Alan Siegel is a sportswriter at The Eagle-Tribune. E-mail him at ASiegel@eagletribune.com
—
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.