Oden For ROY.com

Oden Likely To Play In Miami

2008-11-11T13:58:00.000-08:00

Jason Quick and Mike Barrett are reporting that Greg is likely to play in Wednesday's game in Miami after participating in practice today.

From Quick's Behind the Beat blog:

Trail Blazers center Greg Oden looked fluid, explosive and ready for game action during the team's afternoon practice on Tuesday, leading many on the team to believe he will play Wednesday night against Miami.

Oden, who has not played since opening night on Oct. 28 because of a sprained right foot, said he felt good but will wait until Wednesday's shootaround to determine whether he will play.

From Barrett's blog:

Oden had an outstanding practice on Tuesday, and was explosive and, at times, dominant. He had several backboard-shaking slam dunks, and several came following quick offensive moves in the paint. It was easily the best he's looked since training camp.

Oden's teammates were tossing around praise when talking about the big guy's condition, and potential, if he looks like he did in practice on Tuesday. They just saw what Dwight Howard is capable of in Orlando, and comparisons were being drawn after what Oden showed in practice.

They are both reporting that Nate McMillan will bring Oden off of the bench whenever he does return. Also, Barrett says that Greg has continued to work out and has lost 8 pounds since his injury on October 28th.

One thing is for sure, when Greg does finally return, he will bring his game face.

Nate Say RELAX

2008-10-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian's Jason Quick wrote an article about the pressure Oden is facing. After telling Oden that he was "underwhelmed" so far by his performance in the preseason:

"Oden's eyes pierced. His lips tightened. And for a second, I thought my head was about to be squashed like a grape by the 7-foot, 273-pound center.

His direct stare at me was, uh, let's say ... moving.

"Are you mad I said that?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, sounding equally hurt and angry. "

"I take this very seriously," Oden said. "I put a lot of pressure on myself to do good and to win, and I guess Coach sees that I keep a straight face when I'm in the gym, but I want him to know I'm not (messing) around.

"I mean, I wish I could (have fun), but I see it as so much more. I've got a lot riding on this," Oden said. "Coach is like, 'Calm down and relax, it's just a game' ... but I'm like 'Look, I've got so many people wanting me to do this and that for this team, and the pressures of this team, the expectations of this team ... I can't relax.'"

Blazers broadcaster Mike Barrett wrote in his blog about being around Oden for an hour at the team's annual harvest dinner.

During one stretch, he was asked about his knee at least 30 times in five minutes. Most of the comments were like "get that knee healthy big fella," and "how you feeling Greg?" Others were more challenging, like "you better be ready," and "this city is depending on you Greg." Again, this wasn't a press conference. He was taking these questions while dishing out food. At one point, after he had received some advice about how to post up properly, and how the very pride of this city is tied to his development, I shot Greg a long stare, with my eyebrows raised, showing I was a bit in awe. He finally smiled, turned to me, and said "see?"

Greg will eventually get back in to shape, find his game again, and learn to relax and have fun. But it will be hard at first, especially with the difficult match ups at the beginning of the season. What we can do as fans is to back off a little and show our support for him during this time. We have years of great basketball ahead of us, we don't need to be impatient.

Oden on the cover of Slam Magazine's 2008-09 NBA season preview issue.

2008 Fan Fest

2008-10-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

The Blazer's 2008 Wells Fargo Fan Fest was last night. If you weren't there OregonLive.com has this highlight video. Pay attention to Oden's block at around 3:15, that should be a nice preview of what to look forward to this season.

Wells Fargo Fan Fest

Greg looked a little nervous when the game started. He did have a couple nice dunks and assists along with that block. He didn't play much and seemed to not yet be in game shape. But he only recently started full 5 on 5 practices so we should be able to assume that after a month of training camp and pre-season he will be in better shape. The next test is the Blazer's first pre-season game October 7th against the Kings.

As always, if you have any pictures of you reppin Oden For ROY send them to OdenForROY @ yahoo.com or upload to myspace and tag the Oden For Roy profile so we can put it up here.

Oden Talks R.O.Y.

2008-09-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

Your first chance to see Greg Oden playing for the Blazers will be at this year's Fan Fest. From Blazers.com:

See the new Trail Blazers squad in action for the very first time at this year’s Wells Fargo Fan Fest, Friday, October 3 at 5:00pm at the Rose Garden.

Get your free family passes at Wells Fargo stores in Oregon, SW Washington or just show your Wells Fargo card at the door.

Here's one of 10 questions with Greg Oden from NBA.com:

"7. Starting Five: Who do you think is your main competition for the T-Mobile Rookie of the Year?

Oden: Derrick Rose. He has that kind of maturity about him when you see him play. And Mike Beasley because of all the talent that he has. There are a couple of guys who I think are sleepers out there, like a few of the seniors who can come in and be a lot more mature and make an impact. "

The Portland Tribune's Kerry Eggers also asked Oden about the Rookie of The Year award.

What about following teammate Brandon Roy’s lead as the NBA’s rookie of the year?

“It would nice to have B-Roy and me win it,” Oden says, “but if we make the playoffs and I don’t get rookie of the year, I’m perfectly fine with that.”

That sounds like the perfect attitude to have. However, if Oden helps the team to the playoffs that should be his strongest case to be the R.O.Y.

Eggars also asks about the now famous video of Greg signing 'N Sync's "It's Gonna Be Me".

“In person, it sounded a lot better than on video,” he claims.

Another ROY Prediction

2008-09-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com asked 25 ESPN writers, editors, and contributors to vote on who they predict will win the 2008-09 rookie of the year award. Michael Beasley was ranked first receiving 13 of the 25 votes, and Greg Oden came in second with 7 votes.

"Greg Oden, the Blazers' redshirt rookie, got strong support from our voters as well. As with Beasley and Miami, a strong surge into the playoffs by Portland this season might win the award for Oden."

Last week Oden started playing in 5 on 5 games for the first time since his injury, excluding anything that may or may not have taken place at a 24 Hour Fitness. In his blog he says:

"I felt really good out there."
"They still havent just thrown me into playing every game, but I play every other game and every other day."
"Getting out there just got me really excited for when the season starts."

If you are as excited about the season starting as G.O., add this countdown to your myspace or website:

Copy this code to add
the Oden Countdown to your page.

2008-09 NBA Schedule Released

2008-08-06T22:59:00.002-07:00

The 2008-09 Blazers schedule was released today on Blazers.com. There are 13 games to be shown on national tv, including the season opener at L.A. on Oct. 28th and the home opener on Halloween against San Antonio. If those two games weren't big enough the next night we'll see the Oden vs. Shaq matchup in Phoenix. It still doesn't get any easier as they play at Utah on Nov. 5th and then home against Yao Ming and Houston on the 6th. Finally Oden will face Dwight Howard in Orlando on the 10th to start a 5 game road trip that includes New Orleans. The NBA has decided to put the Oden to the test early against Tim Duncan, Shaq, Yao and Dwight Howard all within the Blazer's first 7 games.

Here's a video from the Behind The Beat blog at Oregonlive.com.

Oden

Writer Jason Quick and photographer Bruce Ely will have a season long series called "Rip City Revival: An inside look at the Blazers pursuit of a second NBA title". Right now they are focusing on the second installment, "Greg Oden: A big man's small step" which will include 3 separate blog posts. There's too much good stuff to put here so just go read the whole thing and learn how Greg Oden made coach Nate McMillan retire, and how Oden is like Scottie Pippen.

ROY Predictions

2008-06-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

With the draft complete it's now time for the experts to make their early predictions for next season's rookie of the year. ESPN.com's David Thorpe gives us his list of the top 20 rookies. Greg Oden comes in at #2 behind Michael Beasley:

"2. Greg Oden, C, Trail Blazers
This is based on his playing on two healthy legs, naturally. Out all of last season after microfracture surgery, last year's No. 1 pick becomes the other man-child of this rookie class. Oden is a true force on both ends and will compete with passion and purpose every night."

Then you have NBA.com's first Rookie Rankings released just after the draft was complete. They have Oden ranked ahead of Beasely, unfortunately it's at 4 and 5.

About Oden:

"I'm putting him at a cautious No. 4. Portland has plenty of young talent and don't need him to do much more than rebound, plug up the middle and be active. His stats probably won't reflect the impact he'll have on Portland's success."

Since he won't be playing in the summer league it seems unlikely that Oden's ranking will change until the first list is released following the preseason.

Summertime

2008-05-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

The calendar may not agree, but it sure feels like summer. Here's what Greg's been up to according to his blog:

"This summer i have big plans to do a lot of rehab with my knee so i can be ready for next year. This is the start of my season with all i have planned but I'm looking forward to it. I also will be going back to The Ohio State University to take some summer classes."

"I just got back from Hawaii this afternoon. It was a great time. I got a lot of work done in those 10 days. I worked out everyday but 1, my workouts were split between riding the bike for 13 miles and having a basketball workout for an hour."

If you haven't yet make sure to check out The Bald-Faced Truth with John Canzano weekdays from 3:00 to 6:00pm and then Overtime with Gavin Dawson from 6:00 to 7:00pm on the new 95.5 The Game

I'm Kind Of A Big Deal

2008-03-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Due to technical difficulties and other problems there haven't been any updates in awhile, but now we're back.

Here's a video from Blazers.com of Greg Oden grocery shopping. I hear that he also has many leather bound books and his apartment smells of rich mahogony.

We're Goin' Streaking!

2007-12-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

Oden's blog has two entries regarding the team's current 12 game winning streak. In his post "NUMBER 10" he says that he wonders if he's really part of the team right now.

"It feels good to be apart of a team thats doing so well. Now the real thing is, i sometimes think that im not apart of it because im not playing, People shake my hand and say you guys are doing great but am i really doing something to help the guys. Im not playing im just there in my tight suit sitting behind the bench."

In his next post, "11 in a row", he talks about the win over Seattle, his red suit, and not getting any presents for Christmas.

"And one last thing i didn't get anything Darius Miles told me that its the first year of me being Santa Claus im not getting anything anymore im gonna the be the one giving out stuff, so here to being a grown man."

Even Santa should get something for Christmas.

Yahoo Sports listed Oden at number 16 on their top 40 list of sports figures in 2007.

"From Gossip's interview to his Yardbarker blog, this dude brings the fire."

Here's a video from Greg's rehab blog on Blazers.com

Save The Rose Garden

2007-12-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

It's not news about Greg Oden but still important to Blazer fans. Last week the team announced that they were looking for a sponsor to buy the naming rights to the Rose Garden by the beginning of the 2008-2009 basketball season. Of course it makes sense from a business standpoint to make some extra money wherever you can. But "The Rose Garden" just fits Portland. Calling it anything else wouldn't seem right. If you would like to sign a petition that will be sent to Paul Allen asking him to not sell the name, you can do so by going to SaveTheRoseGarden.com.

Rejected By Oden

2007-11-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Just like many players driving the lane against him, we've been rejected by Greg Oden. Not on the basketball court, but on Myspace. Here's the link to Oden's Myspace page from his blog. Maybe you'll have better luck getting on his friends list. If you haven't already you can add the OdenForROY Myspace page while you're at it and I guarantee that you'll be accepted.

Also on his blog you can win a copy of College Hoops 2K8. He calls it "Oden's Outlet Pass". Greg will ask questions about college basketball that you can answer in the comment section. Then he'll pick three winners who get a copy of the game. The latest question is "Who do you think will win the national championship?". To answer, go here and leave a comment.

We Say Go, Go, Go

2007-11-15T23:36:00.000-08:00

Radio station 1080 The Fan's show Sports Saturday has a new Greg Oden song out called "Oden Time To Go To Rehab". To listen to the song and add it to your profile, check out Sports Saturday's Myspace profile.

In an earlier post there is a video of the commercial that Greg did for ESPN. On his blog he posted this video of the commercial followed by a short behind the scenes look at how it was made. It's pretty good and you can see how he should make it big with endorsements after he comes back.

Greg Is "Feelin Pretty Good"

2007-11-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

If you weren't there and didn't see it on TV, Greg Oden walked on to the court during the home opener without crutches. It was good to see him there with the team and walking on his own. He did a pretty good job doing the player introductions as well.

Here's a video from his latest blog entry titled "Feelin pretty good", which is much better than "The Depression".

There was an article on SportingNews.com about who a survey of people around the league would trade for Kobe. About Greg Oden:

"Greg Oden for Kobe? "Probably now, because of his injury. Before he was injured, I don't think so." -an assistant G.M."

What do you think about that? Go to the ClubBlazers.com Forums and discuss whether or not you would trade G.O. for Kobe.

It's G.O. Time!

2007-11-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

One of Greg Oden's latest blog entries is titled "The Depression".

"Yesterday was a very hard day for me because all i could think about was going out there and playing. I know that i wont be playing for a year, for the fact that i dont want to rush back and come back worse. I just want to be out there tomorrow."

"Knowing that the season started its going to be really hard to be the happy always smiling guy that i am, because i want to be playing so bad."

Knowing that he wants to play so much shows that he has the drive and determination to be able to rehab and the attitude it takes to be a great player. But it's also going to be hard to see Greg not being the "happy always smiling guy". Hopefully once he's able to sit on the bench during the games he'll feel better than being stuck watching at home.

Here's a commercial that Greg made for ESPN The Magazine. I wonder where I can get some of that Oden nasal spray.

Finally, these are two videos from the weight room that were posted on Greg's blog. After his NBA career is over he could get a job as either a camera man or a tour guide.

What Could Have Been

2007-10-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Had Greg Oden played this season he would have led the Blazers to a 44-38 record, good enough for sixth place in the West. At least that's what ESPN.com is reporting after running a season simulation on the video game NBA Live '08. According the the game, Oden would have averaged 14.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2 blocks per game and led the Blazers to game seven of the first round before losing to San Antonio. Without Oden the Blazers are predicted to finish with a record of 30-52, finish in last place in the west, and tie Indiana for the worst overall record. It seems hard to believe that either of those scenarios would have actually happened. But if the the prediction was for 44 wins this season, think of what that could mean next year when the rest of the young players have had time to develop.

If you're wondering how Greg's rehab is going you can check out this video that he posted on his blog of him working out in a pool. He didn't make it on the basketball team but maybe there's still time for synchronized swimming in the '08 Olympics.

Also, don't forgot about the "Get Well Greg" wishes and pictures to send to the Oden For ROY Myspace page or ClubBlazers.com

Oden For ROY '08-'09

2007-10-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to "roy4roy_07" from ClubBlazers.com for the link to this bit of news on ESPN.com's Power Rankings.

"Don't know that this will provide much consolation for devastated Blazermaniacs, but we've been assured Greg Oden will be eligible to win Rookie of the Year in the 2008-09 season if he sits out all of this season."

It's not much consolation, but it's some of the first good news since Greg went down for the season.

If you remember from a couple months ago, Greg Oden wrote in his blog about doing motion capture for the video game NBA2K8. Here's the video from that session...

A Word From Greg

2007-09-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

The front page of Blazers.com has been changed to show a picture of Oden and a video titled "A Word From Greg". The video was taken while G.O. was sitting on his bed...in his living room. He has a bed in his living room. Instead of a coffee table, he has a bed. That's how he rolls.

The best part about it is that you can record and post your own video response that will be seen right there on the front page of the Blazer's website. So everyone go now and show Oden some love. There should be thousands of videos up there. And while you have your camera out...take a picture of you with a "Get Well" sign for Greg and get it to the Oden For ROY Myspace profile or the ClubBlazers.com forums.

Oden Speaks

2007-09-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today Greg Oden posted his first blog entry since his surgery. The title of his post says everything, "I'll Be Back!". It's another great Blair Witch style video tour of his living room. It's good to see that he's doing well and still has a sense of humor after going through everything only a week ago. He has a great attitude, saying that he is going to work hard and come back better than ever. Check out "how he rolls"...

The Day After

2007-09-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

It's been one day since the atomic bomb known as micro fracture surgery was dropped on the city of Portland, and the dust has started to settle. Chances are that you've heard enough about Oden's surgery from ESPN, the local news, newspapers, the radio, the internet and the grocery checker. However, if you still want more Oden injury news, check out Casey Holdahl's Blazers Blog on Oregonlive.com.

Zach Randolph, who had micro fracture surgery in 2005, told the Oregonian:

"It's like like I told Darius when he had it: 'You are going to have to train real hard -- real hard.'"

"When I woke up from the surgery, I was in so much pain. I had to have people get me in and out of bed. I just laid in bed for a couple weeks, and it hurt...hurt real bad."

How much worse will it hurt for Oden if thinks that the fans are upset with him or that he let us down? How much harder will the training be when he reads that people turned on him and the team overnight?

From Mike Barrett's blog on Blazers.com:

"He's family," said Roy. "We're going to make sure he knows how important he is to all of us, and how much we're going to help him on his road to recovery."

This is how all of us as fans should feel today. Oden needs to know that he is still a part of this team. And I don't want to hear the words "Sam Bowie" one more time. When you're finally ready to move forward you should read this short post on AOL's Fanhouse, "Watch Out For The 2008-09 Blazers".

Dark And Cloudy

2007-09-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

The forecast for Thursday, September 13th in Portland was 82 degrees and sun. Current condition: dark, cloudy, and 60 degrees. It may be a coincidence but it perfectly reflects the feeling of the city after learning that Greg Oden will miss the entire 2007-08 NBA season.

Obviously this means that Oden has as much chance of being named Rookie Of The Year as I do being the next Queen of England. I want to thank everyone who has helped with the Oden For ROY campaign. The focus of this website will now be on following Oden during his recovery and rehab.

Greg needs to know that we care about him now more than ever. During his press conference, Kevin Pritchard said that Oden apologized at least 20 times because he feels like he let us down. We need to show him that the fans still support him and that we still think the Blazers made the right choice in the draft. What we don't need are comparisons to Sam Bowie or Bill Walton and talk about how we should have picked Kevin Durant.

Help to show your support by making a "Get Well" sign or card for Greg. You can upload it to your Myspace page and then send a message to the OdenForROY Myspace profile so that I can save it. Instead of an "Oden For ROY" slide show, there will be a "Get Well Greg" slide show to show Oden that we still support him and to help him stay positive throughout his difficult and painful recovery.

Oden's Knee

2007-09-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

If you've just returned from some foreign land and don't already know, Greg Oden is going to have arthroscopic knee surgery to find out why his knee has been bothering him. I'm not going to post anything on here about it because most of the info out right now is just speculation, rumor and what-if talk. After the surgery we will know just what is going on inside G.O.'s knee. The only thing for certain now is that it will take at least six weeks for Oden to recovery from the exploratory surgery. Until then, the best person to look to for news is the big man himself:

"On my vacation earlier this summer i got up off the couch and remember my knee having a sharp pain in it. That was about a month ago. I didn't tell anyone because i didn't want to seem like i was complaining or making excuses for anything."

Everyone needs to just step back, take a few deep breaths, and don't overreact. Part of the reason that Greg didn't say anything about his knee problem was that he didn't want people to think he was "soft" or "high maintenance". Let's all wait and see what the doctors have to say, and show our support for Oden. He doesn't need to deal with being compared with Sam Bowie when we haven't even started training camp yet.

Oden vs. Yao

2007-09-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

Greg Oden will throw down against Yao and the Chinese national team September 14 in Beijing. The exhibition game is a fundraiser for the Special Olympics, the China Hope Project and the Chi Heng Foundation. Along with Oden will be NBA players Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, Baron Davis, Leandro Barbosa and Derek Fisher. Even though it's only an exhibition game for charity, show Yao who the new center in the West is Greg.

The front page of NBA.com says, "Oden Looks Ready To Roll". Mike Barrett has a good interview on Blazers.com with a shirtless Oden. It's great to see the hard work he's putting in and the attitude he has about it. While you're there, look at the video of "open gym highlights" for some strong dunks and blocks by G.O.

Coming To Portland

2007-08-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

If you've been wondering what Greg Oden has been up to you should read his latest blog entry. He gives details about his workout routine, which is good to hear because stamina was his biggest weakness during the summer league. Also he says that he's on his way to Portland.

"So i plan to be going to Portland pretty soon. Im very excited to get started and be around my teammates. I need to get use to Portland the city and just the NBA life."

AOL Fanhouse blogger Matt Watson lists Greg Oden as the #9 player in the NBA to build a franchise around.

"On the low-end, he could easily become the second-coming of Patrick Ewing or Dikembe Mutombo. The high end? Try Tim Duncan or Bill Russell."

There's a great article on SI.com about Oden at a Malibu beach party. We learn that G.O. in fact does not drink, he has great manners, and he shows no mercy while crushing 10 year old kids at air hockey.

About moving to Portland and starting the season...

"I'm scared, really scared," he says, before flashing a huge smile and laughing. "Nah, I'm joking. I'm excited. I'm going to try to have fun."

Oden For ROY Signs

2007-08-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the few people who have sent in their Oden For ROY signs, especially the awesome signs from Kayla and Laura. There aren't enough for a slideshow yet, so get up and make your sign and send it in. You can upload it to your myspace page and send a message to us on our OdenForROY myspace profile, or go to the ClubBlazers.com forums and upload your sign.

Oden's First Commercial

2007-08-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

There isn't much new Oden news right now with him spending time in L.A. and working out getting ready for training camp. But yesterday Greg wrote in his blog that he did some motion capture for the video game NBA2K8. Then he shot a commercial with Mike Conley for College Hoops 2K8.

"Then finally the highlight of my day, Michael and i shooting a commercial for the game College Hoops 2K8. It was my first commercial so i had a good time with it. Its a pretty funny commercial so when it comes out i hope people will like it and go out and buy the game that im on the cover of. When it comes out it shouldn't be to hard to find. It has this handsome African American fellow who played at The Ohio State University and he looks like he is 40. Thanks again to 2K for putting me on the cover and being my first commercial."

I'm definatly going to be looking out for that commercial and as soon as I find it I'll post it up here.

Greg is also going to be on the cover of Dime Magazine. Here's a video from Dime's website of the photo shoot where you can see him doing his Zoolander "Blue Steel" poses.

Oden Won't Play With Team USA

2007-08-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

Greg Oden's agent, Mike Conley Sr., said Friday in the Oregonian that Oden will not play this summer with Team USA.

"The next time he touches the floor, he wants to be 100 percent," Conley said. "The last year or so, there's always been something that has held him back - his wrist, his breathing, his tonsils. He wants to be 100 percent, and he knows that no one cares about excuses. The next time he touches the court, he wants people to see the real Greg Oden."

It's been reported before that if Oden missed this summer's training camp and the FIBA Americas tournament he wouldn't be on the team next summer for the 2008 Olympics. However, his agent said that Greg hasn't been excluded at this point.

"No one's said that's for sure," Conley said. "I haven't heard that."

In Sunday's Oregonian John Canzano wrote an article about Oden deciding not to play for Team USA. He makes some good points on why Oden skipping the chance to win a gold medal will benefit the Blazers.

"Call me un-American, but I'm thrilled to hear that Oden passed on the invitation to join the national team this summer."

"Oden just put himself, and the Blazers, first."

I'm torn on how I feel about Oden not having a chance to play in the Olympics. From a Blazers win/loss perspective next season, taking the next month off to heal is the best choice. From a Blazers publicity perspective I think that having Oden play on that global stage representing not only USA but Portland and the Blazers would be amazing. I think that Greg as an individual would really be helped by learning from the NBA's best. Being able to bring USA basketball back to the top and winning a gold medal for his country would seem like a good start to his NBA career.

What do you think? Should Oden have played for Team USA, or is he doing the right thing by declining? Leave your thoughts in the ClubBlazers.com Forums.

Ballin!

2007-08-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

As you already know, Greg Oden is staying with his mom in the apartment that he grew up in. Today in his blog he posted a Blair Witch style video tour of his crib. Cookie Crisp is definitely the most ballin' cereal ever.

"hey guys, check out this video of my crib in indy. this is where i'm staying for the summer. Ballin! lol."

Let's hope that Greg can keep living "G.O. Style" and doesn't turn into this...

****Warning--Video Is Unedited--Includes Swearing****

Rollin' G.O. Style

2007-08-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

G.O. Style: "regular"

The Oregonian's Joe Freeman wrote an article in Sunday's paper about how much Greg Oden has changed since he was drafted, which is not at all.

"He hasn't changed at all," said Josh McRoberts, a high school friend and new Blazers teammate. "He's a guy who doesn't fake it. He's the same guy to everyone. Sometimes I have to look out for him because he truly doesn't understand that everyone knows who he is and that he's a big deal. He's an honest guy and he's one of the best people I know. He hasn't let all the attention and money get to his head."

Oden's been spending the summer in Indianapolis living in his mom's apartment that he grew up in, and driving around in his mom's Ford Taurus. He says when he gets back to Portland he plans to buy a Chevrolet Avalanche. He's going to keep it "G.O. style", which he says is regular - no new rims or TV screens. For a comparison in styles, see Darius Miles' new car.

"If there is one word that does not describe Oden, it's bling. He doesn't sport a molded $9,000 diamond-studded tooth guard, a la Zach Randolph, or even a diamond earring. The only noticeable "jewelry" Oden wears around his neck is a red Ohio State shoestring necklace that holds a plastic pouch and doubles as a wallet."

The rest of the article is about how his extended family is asking him for money. If you haven't read it already, go take a look. You'll really get to see why the Blazers chose Greg Oden to add to their new "culture".

Another way to see what kind of person Greg Oden is is by reading his blog. If you don't already know about it, he updates it every few days himself. You can really see what a nice and down to earth guy he is. His latest entry is about going to a trading card convention. Unlike some players from our past who were all about "cut the check", Oden seems to actually enjoy the things he has to do. Check out his blog here.

"Oden's Chokehold"

2007-08-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a video featuring the song "Oden's Chokehold" from radio station 1080 The Fan.

You can listen to and add the song to your Myspace profile by visiting Sports Saturday's page here.

While you're there, visit the Oden For ROY Myspace page and add us as a friend.

Show Your Support!

2007-08-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

Show your support for Greg Oden. Make a sign that says "Oden For ROY" and take a picture of yourself or a group of friends holding the sign. You can print one out, write it in crayon on cardboard, spell it out in your alphabet soup - whatever you want. Just make sure it's big enough to read. Then either send the picture to OdenForROY@yahoo.com, or upload it to your Myspace and send a message to myspace.com/odenforroy so I can get it. Once I get a few pictures I'm going to post a slideshow of them here on OdenForRoy.com and at the Myspace page. At some point later when there are enough pictures I will send them to Oden.

Oden Still Might Play For Team USA

2007-08-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

According the the Oregonian, Greg Oden said this week that he has not completely ruled out the possibility of playing with Team USA at their training camp later this month. Oden began working out again this week with Blazer's coach Bill Bayno. He says that he'll consult with his mother and decide what to do.

"I can't really comment on that too much because we are still in the midst of working things out with USA Basketball," Oden said. "But we're still talking about it."

NBA.com's Rookie Report took a survey of the 44 rookies who attended the Rookie Photo Shoot. Greg Oden wasn't voted #1 for any of the questions, including:

Who will be the 2007-08 Rookie Of The Year?
1. Kevin Durant - 23 votes
2. Greg Oden - 5 votes

Which rookie will play the most all-star games in his career?
1. Kevin Durant - 24 votes
2. Greg Oden - 14 votes

Which rookie is the best defender?
1. Corey Brewer - 17 votes
2. Greg Oden - 11 votes

To see all ten questions and results, click here. Then leave your votes for each question at the ClubBlazers.com forums.

Q & A With Oden

2007-08-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

Last week Greg Oden attended the NBA's Rookie Photo Shoot. John Schuhmann has a Q&A entry on NBA.com with Oden. We learn that:

- He couldn't breathe during the Summer League
- He is jealous of Kevin Durant playing well for Team USA
- LaMarcus and Brandon Roy are "cool dudes"

Check out the whole interview here.

Oden also has an entry on his blog about the photo shoot. Everything I've heard about him is that he's a really nice guy without an ego...this seems to show that:

"When i got there i saw mostly all the people from tops its was cool. I got to meet the people who gave me that great card contract, i gave them hugs."

A few pictures of Oden from the photo shoot:
Oden and Conley
Oden and Durant
Just Greg

Check out ClubBlazers.com for all of the Blazers' rookie photos.

ROY Odds

2007-07-25T00:33:00.000-07:00

According to sbforum.com Kevin Durant is the favorite for rookie of the year.

"Kevin Durant, Seattle (8/5)
Durant scored his first endorsement millions last week after signing a huge deal with Nike - now he just has to earn that money on the court. The answer to SuperSonics fans’ prayers started off the Summer League shaky and had trouble getting the bulk of his shots to drop. He did net 28 points in his Summer League finale, though, to silence the critics who were taking pot shots at his game.

Greg Oden, Portland (5/2)
Injury (or illness actually) once again robbed everyone of watching a fully-healthy Oden dominant the courts at the Summer League. Before hitting the shelf due to a tonsillectomy Oden had averaged 9.5 points and 9.5 rebounds a game. Portland’s Brandon Roy landed the ROTY award last year, so Oden will be trying to make it back-to-back wins for the Trail Blazers."

It's understandable that Durant is the early favorite because he can score. But it's a lot easier to score against other young college players than against NBA players who can bench press 165lbs. If he comes in and struggles with his scoring(see: Adam Morrison) and Oden gets 10 points/ 10 rebounds/ 3 blocks a game, then he should have very good odds of being the ROY. I wonder if Tim Donaghy wants to place any wagers on this.

Rookie Rankings

2007-07-22T23:20:00.000-07:00

The first NBA.com Rookie Rankings are out for the class of 2007-08. They have Kevin Durant listed at No. 1 and Greg Oden at No. 2. Here's some of their reasoning:

"Of the last seven Rookie of the Year winners, only one (LeBron James) was the No. 1 pick. And in the opinion of the Rookie Report, top picks are going to be 1-for-8 after this season."

About Kevin Durant:
"If Rashard Lewis doesn't re-sign with the Sonics, then Durant is the clear favorite for ROY. Who else will score points for Seattle? Seriously, if Lewis doesn't come back, Durant could have the highest scoring average for a rookie since Allen Iverson's 23.5 PPG in 1996-97."

And Oden:
"Even if Durant runs away with the rookie scoring title and grabs his share of boards, there will still be a debate because of Oden's defensive presence. He'll block a ton of shots and affect a ton more. But Oden will have a better supporting cast in Portland, so his scoring won't be needed."

So apparently that means that whoever scores the most points wins ROY. That doesn't really make sense. If the Blazers win more games than Seattle, and Oden gets more blocks and rebounds and overall is a big part of the team improving, then he should be the ROY. Also, I don't know if Durant will be able to come in and score 25ppg like in college. What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and you can email the Rookie Report here.

With The #1 Pick...

2007-07-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

It seems like a good place to start this 'Oden For ROY' campaign is with some videos from the draft. Take it Mr. Stern...

Here's the video of the fans at the Rose Garden reacting to the pick.

This is video from the Oden rally downtown.

Here's a video of Oden meeting Blazers staff before the rally. You get to see him while he watches the video of fans storming the court after he was selected.

Heyyyy!

2007-07-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Heyyyy, we got Greg Oden!