Lottery

***Streeeeetch***

It was been a while and I have been deliberating on what to post on. I don't think we can really get into baseball yet because over the summer we are going to have nothing to talk about except bad TV and lots of baseball. I do love a good post on my Yanks, but will hold off for now (and no, it is not because they are playing like a bunch of ninnies).

Let's talk NBA and give Blake a break from putting together those rankings. I have my thought on who the top few are but am looking forward to seeing it.

Alright, starting off with the lottery. Looks like Portland and Seattle are in line for Oden/Durant. I do believe that all bets are off for trading the picks so where will each go and what will it do for that team? From day 1, Oden has been the number overall player on 99% of draft boards with Durant a close second...but always second. For some reason, Oden seems to be an instant impacter. I don't disagree with that fact but would look at Durant as someone who could also be that.

On a side note, both these guys are going to west coast teams which is sad for those of us that would like to watch them develop.

Moving on....

It really is only appropriate to consider the Trailblazers as the team that has the choice because whoever they take, Seattle will get the other. Brandon Roy, Rookie of the Year is a great shooting guard and will grow. He will also help mentor the star they pick up in the draft. The have Jarret Jack, a functional pointguard. Not the best, but not bad enough to want to take Mike Conley Jr. either. Zach Randolph at PF is a great player as well. This leaves the SF and C position...hmmm. Interesting. This predicament is a good one to have. The Blazers were 32-50 last year in a Western Conference that was TOUGH.

Why take Oden?

Because he is big. Strong. Played all season at about 85% and still looked like a dominant force in the paint. He is quick, uses both hands effectively (we saw this when he hurt this wrist), he can block shots. He would be a TREMENDOUS upgrade from Joel Pryzbilla (much like upgrading from a Fiat to a Aston Martin). There are some draw backs to Oden. He is going to clog up the lane for Randolph and Roy. Randolph is at about 23 ppg and just pushes Pyrzbill out of the way when he needs to score. Roy is a slasher and it is tough to slash when you have two mammoth bodies camped out underneath the basket. The nice thing is, Oden is nimble and is build like a Ben Wallace as opposed to a Shaq.

Why take Durant?

Because he is the best player in the draft. You hear it everytime the draft rolls around (NFL or NBA) and I have said it on this blog, you either draft for need or the best available. To me, Durant is such a great commodity that it is hard to go wrong. He can do everything. He would be such a complement to those other players that it is hard to pass him up. When you have some drawing so many comparisons to KG (and a lot of them being true), you have a special player on your hands.

The verdict:

Oden.

Am I giving into what everyone is saying? No. If Seattle was picking first, I would advise them to take Durant. The reason I say Oden is because he doesn't need time to develop. His game translates right into the NBA main stream. Durant's does not. Durant relied heavily on his athletic ability and get around and over people. Put Tayshawn Prince on him and see if he can get past those long arms. Since he is drawing comparison, put KG on him and see what happens. On top of all that, Durant's still is built like a young kid. He is very thin and the bumps, bruises and bangs of an 82 game season will take its toll on him.

Oden is ready for a Ben Wallace, Tim Duncan, whoever person to guard him. I am not saying he is better but I am saying that he will be able to stand his ground (literally and figuratively) with those guys.

Either way, it will be fun to watch. Now your turn, are there any Durant fans out there? I essentially called him a skinny school girl so you need to take offense to that and post.