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| Yes | 27% | 53 votes | Total: 198 votes | |
| No | 73% | 145 votes |
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Add to FavoritesI absolutely believe that with the addition of Greg Oden Portland will hoist the golden symbol of basketball excellence, the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship trophy. I'm not betting the house on winning it next season, but in the next four to five years definitely. Here are my reasons why:
Becoming a better player takes a willingness to work. It takes tireless, meticulous effort. While the naysayers believe that Oden is an unproven commodity because of his knee injury, I've witnessed and read all that I need to know. I recognize the heart of a pure champion and Greg Oden is that rare breed.
After the surgery he spent six hours a day having his knee gently bent by a machine. There are videos on the internet that document the various work out routines that he does daily. He's spent countless hours in the pool, lifting weights, running hills, doing Pilates. Imagine yourself doing this over an arduous and painstakingly redundant 12 months. You'd hate it. I hate watching two minutes of it. Yet over the past few months, nothing but glowing reviews have been expressed by his rehab therapists and physical trainers, all of them in awe of his work ethic and mettle.
Championships run through big men. Russell, Chamberlain, Olajuwon, Jabbar, Duncan, O'Neal. A talented center gives a distinct advantage. With a stalwart fortress in the middle you run the chance of having a mismatch almost every night. With the lack of agile, fluid centers and Greg Oden's potential, the window of opportunity appears to be opening. Why do you think GM's were crying about the lottery system and willing to trade their limbs and babies to draft in Portland's position? Game changing centers don't come around often. Even with one, you have to surround them with the right coaching and personnel to pull off a championship season.
Nate McMillan is a stellar coach who's increased the teams win total in each of his three seasons under the helm. Last year the Blazers, who had the youngest roster in the league played to a 41-41 record in which they rattled off a 13 game win streak. McMillan has been the only coach after the previous two, to orchestrate a notable improvement in Travis Outlaw, who flourished last year as a dependable sixth man and scorer. Starting this season with Oden will be Brandon Roy, who was selected to the 07-08 All-Star team in his second season as a professional and LaMarcus Aldridge who averaged 17.8 points last year, also in his sophomore season. The Blazers with their talented nucleus and youth will have a core squad that is pushing toward its prime while other teams in the West are getting older and trying to retool.
When the Blazers were in their down phase, I was living in Portland. I know the mentality of a loser, a quitter, a blamer. Greg Oden is none of these and will not rest until champagne is flowing at One Center Court, the home of the Portland Trailblazers . I'd bet my house on it.
Learn more about this author, Colin Thomas.
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No
Before we start talking about championships, we have to discuss whether or not Greg Oden will even be an impact player in the NBA. The size is obviously there, and the raw talent suggests that he may be a dominant big man for years to come. However, to lose a rookie season due to an injury is a bad start. Basketball is tough on the joints, and a body like Oden's can put a lot of stress on knees and ankles. In addition, the NBA is an increasingly physical sport and inside players can absorb a great deal of punishment during a long 82-game season. Longtime Trailblazer fans have memories of what was (a championship with Bill Walton) and what could have been (many more championships with Bill Walton sidetracked by injuries).
All about health...
Assuming Greg Oden stays healthy, there is still the question of whether HE will bring a championship to Portland. I would suggest that if a championship comes to Portland in the next ten years, it will be through the play of Brandon Roy, with Oden as a complementary player. Championship teams over the last couple of decades have had a pair or a trio of great players who play well together. Jordan had Pippen, Kobe had Shaq, and Bird had McHale and Parrish. There have been many great individual players in recent years, but one could argue that none of them won championships without another star or "almost star".
Partner in crime
Brandon Roy is the type of player that can be a catalyst for a championship. He has the ability to score, rebound, and distribute. In addition, he is the type of player that can make people around him better. If Oden turns out to be a dominant big man, he will free up Roy to get the rest of the team involved, and create a defensive nightmare for opponents.
Guard play
The other reason that Roy would bring a championship to Portland before Oden is that the NBA is a guard-driven league. Teams continue to be enamored with players because they are big, but quality guard play is the key to success. When the game is on the line and a shot must be made, you call on a guard to shoot a jumper. You rarely dump it into the post. That is the reality of today's NBA game. Therefore, a player like Roy would be more key in an important playoff situation than Oden. When Kobe and Shaq were winning championships, it was more often Kobe in charge at the end of games.
Possible key
Greg Oden may be a key part of a future Trailblazer championship run. But he must prove that he can stay healthy and he must develop those skills that are currently in the "potential" category. That said, if a championship is going to be won in Portland, it will probably be won on the shoulders of a player like Brandon Roy.
Learn more about this author, Todd Pheifer.
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