Greg Oden: What Is The Best Fit For Former No. 1 Pick?
Greg Oden will be back in the NBA in 2013-14, but who will he be playing for? (Flickr.com photo by Keith Allison)
Typically, when a player has taken part in 82 games you might think something along the lines of, “Wow, I guess he had great durability that season.” For Greg Oden, that’s all he’s managed in his five years of NBA basketball.
Thanks to his gimpy knees–or even his body in general–Oden has spent more time under the knife and rehabbing rather than actually playing in the pros. The top overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft has played in just two seasons over the past six years and thanks to that, he has been dubbed as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history.
It’s sad to think that a guy who was potentially set for greatness when he first came into the league to a Portland Trail Blazers team that boasted the likes of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Then again, maybe we should’ve seen it coming considering Portland’s iffy history with star centers.
Oden will be back–and hopefully for good–in 2013-14 to try and revive his career. With several teams interested in his services, here are five that could be good for him.
5. Boston Celtics
Danny Ainge has decided to press the reset button on the Boston Celtics, sending coach Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers in return for a first-round pick as well as sending veterans Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets.
Ainge has replaced Rivers with Butler’s Brad Stevens and even got some replacements for the departed players. However, there are still some holes on the roster, specifically at the center position.
Greg Oden would do well to fill in the spot for a Boston team that hasn’t had a true center for a long while now or, at least, provide depth to the frontcourt.
CSNNE.com earlier this year reported that Oden did meet with the Celtics during his rehab after the team was struck by an injury bug. The interest is still there and Oden wouldn’t mind playing for Stevens, who was a great young coach for Butler, and Rajon Rondo will get him great easy looks and dunks when he comes back from injury.
He can kiss goodbye to any hopes of being a challenger, though, the Celtics will be hoping to “Tank for Wiggins.”
4. Dallas Mavericks
Ever since the departure of Tyson Chandler, the Dallas Mavericks have been crying out for a center to anchor their defense and Greg Oden can certainly do that.
Even though his 82-game sample is small, Oden certainly isn’t. At 7’ tall and about 280 pounds, he patrolled the paint for Portland, averaging 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. His impact however goes deeper than the statistics because even if he didn’t block the shot, he sure as hell made you think twice about driving into the lane.
In Dallas, he would be getting a brilliant basketball mind in coach Rick Carlisle and offensively, with all the attention Dirk Nowitzki, he should get some easy looks from the low post.
Whether he would be thrust into the starting lineup if the team fails signs Dwight Howard or coming off the bench if they re-sign Chris Kaman, I’m sure Oden will have a big impact if he were to sign on with the Mavericks.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
While rehabbing, Greg Oden attended Ohio State University to finish his college degree. He lived in Columbus, Ohio, and according to The Akron Beacon Journal, he met up with the Cavaliers on several occasions and there was even talk he would be offered a multiyear contract after the trade deadline back in February.
Several months later and Greg Oden is still a free agent, although Cleveland is believed to be one of the teams in the hunt for his signature.
The Cavaliers could be a great fit for him, with Kyrie Irving running the point, a defensive coach in Mike Brown which would give him some protection on that side of the court and they would probably offer the most money out of all his other suitors. Plus he knows the Ohio area well, so that could be a bonus.
The Cavs have the oft-injured Anderson Varejao manning the center position and soon to be sophomore Tyler Zeller as his only backup. Greg Oden, if healthy, would fortify the position.
2. San Antonio Spurs
Even though Tiago Splitter is reportedly returning for next year, DaJuan Blair likely isn’t going to follow. That’s where Oden comes into play.
Coach Gregg Popovich is meticulous about his players’ time on the court. And over the years, he has been closely monitoring Tim Duncan’s minutes, which has helped extend his NBA lifespan as he touches the twilight period of his illustrious career.
Popovich can do the same for Oden and possibly challenge for title again.
The Spurs can bring back shades of the iconic “Twin Towers” combo that won brought the franchise their first NBA title back in 1999. Duncan could also be a huge figure in Oden’s career as he teaches him a thing or two.
The problem, however, is the question whether he can avoid injury and be a major contributor on a veteran team that may require him to play extended minutes from time to time.
Also, from Oden’s perspective, if he wants to join a championship contender right away, is San Antonio his best option?
If the answer to both questions is “yes”, then San Antonio would be a great fit for him because he will be playing for a great coach and alongside a great mentor.
1. Miami Heat
I’m starting to sound like a broken record here, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Greg Oden and the Miami Heat would go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly.
Oden would help Miami against this…
Erik Spoelstra is another meticulous coach when it comes to playing time and that’s exactly what Oden needs.
Plus Miami would provide the former Ohio State Buckeye with a chance to make a huge comeback as the Heat will be in among the title contenders come playoff time. What better way to clear your name than winning an NBA title and that’s exactly what Miami offers. That and the beautiful, income tax-free setting.
Problem is Miami can only offer pennies.
The Heat only have a $3.2 million mid-level exception to work with and they are planning to use most, if not all of it, on backup center Chris Andersen, who had a huge impact in this year’s title run, and thus will be looking to cash in while he can.
Miami has great players, a great coach, a need and will also be a challenger, so unless the low salary is too much to bear for Oden, then South Beach is the place for him.
Although there are only five teams listed, even with the injuries, many teams would love to have Greg Oden on their roster and would work well with him, such as the Indiana Pacers or New Orleans Pelicans.