[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

I just realized this while I was figuring out the lottery order for the 2010 draft. There is a possibility that Wall is not the first pick. Now this could mean 2 things, 1 the team that wins the lottery trades down 1 or 2 spots and picks the guy they really want(probably Favors or Davis) Or they just picks Favors or Davis with the first pick instead of Wall. (The Blazers did this in 2007 with Oden. Durant would have been the better choice, Talent wise, but they did not need him, and they went for the need instead. Not a bad decision, but it would have been better if they had traded down 1 spot and selected Oden that way)
The reason why Wall might not be the first pick is because most of the teams that will make to the lottery(I’m thinking probably 8 of the 14) next year, already have PG that they are probably not willing to give up. Take the Nets or Jazz for example, they both have allstars at PG(Dwill and Harris) both of those would certainly not want to trade away their allstar players just to make room for Wall. So those 2 teams as well as others would probably trade down and select either Favors or Davis(which ever seems better to them, Favors is my pick, but that’s just me.
Here is how I see it, The kings, Bucks, Twolves, Nets, Knicks(Jazz Pick),Rockets, Grizzlies, Thunder, Clippers, Sixers, Warriors, Bobcats, Pistons, and Pacers will all most likely be in the lottery next year. Here is who probably each team would select if they won the lottery.(this is not assuming they trade down)
Kings=Wall(rebuild, talent and need)
Bucks=Wall(rebuild, talent)
Twolves=Favors (rebuild, talent, they selected 2 PG in 2009 why would they choose another one?)
Nets=Favors(rebuild, talent, already have PG in Harris and they do not want to trade him a way, have big hole at SF)
Knicks(jazz pick)=Davis(run, need)
Rockets= Wall(run, need, brooks is not a true PG and could probably learn well under Wall)
Grizzlies=Wall or Favors(run, need, have hole at PF but are also getting frustrated with Conley, so Wall might be the pick)
Thunder=Davis(run, need, big hole at PF, Green is more of a SF not PF)
Clippers=Wall(run, need, Baron Davis is getting old)
Sixers=Wall or Davis(run,need,L. Williams not a true PG, but Brand is getting old so they might select Davis instead)
Warriors=Favors(run, need, have 2 PG in Curry and Ellis, do not need another one, and Favors can play both SF and PF(wright nor randolph are not good PF’s)
Bobcats=Davis (run, need)
Pistons=Wall(rebuild,talent, and need,stuckey not true PG, better at SG)
Pacers=Aldrich or Montiejunas(run, need, C is a need for them. PG=Ford, SF=Granger PF=Hansbrough or Murphy)
Usually the worst team, does not win the lottery, they may have the best chance of winning it, but that does not usually end up happening. This could be a very interesting draft, this could be the first year, that the team that wins the lottery ends up trading down and selecting the player they want that way. What do you guys think?

[Lemons4LifeParticipant]

No one, In my opinion should even think of putting Davis that high in a draft. As of right now, I wouldn’t get hopes up on him. Same with Wall, even though Wall has proven himself more. I see Favors, Turner, Aminu, & Motiejunas as great picks. Favors the number one.

[McWinningParticipant]

the thing is Oden has struggled in the nba but in college he dominated so i would say him and Durant were pretty close talent wise. he hasnt done as much in the nba though. i think you take him and then explore trades theres no way you pass on him.

[QHaynes20]

I dunno, name the last time a team did that tho…and succeded

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

it’s still way too early to say Wall will even be the #1 prospect on everyone’s board… we still don’t even know if he’ll come out next year! I remember a few years back, everyone was talking about DeAndre Jordan as the #1 pick before the season started, and then he ended up bein a 2nd rounder, it’s just too early to even consider him a lock for #1.

[quincey hodges]

you know there could be another reason…after this year he could be not worthy of the number one pick..thats also a possibility

[quincey hodges]

also oden and durant werent the same level in college..oden did not dominate like durant

[gatorheelsParticipant]

Actually Oden did dominate in college. What games were you watching? He was the clear #1 pick that year. Everyteam in the league would’ve picked him 1st. He would’ve been the #1 pick out of highschool. Everybody knows that. Not saying it was the right choice but thats what all the teams thought.

[McWinningParticipant]

if you look at points yeah. but Oden dominated the boards and was a huge defensive presence.

[quincey hodges]

the fact that you say he dominated LIKE durant which is false because he didnt dominate like durant if he did he would have gotten coplayer of the year with durant or even came into second place on the voting…so liek i said he did not dominate like durant..what were you watching gator??

[ckowalskiParticipant]

Durant averaged more rebounds than Oden I’m pretty sure, so you can’t really say Oden dominated the boards. He was a much greater defensive presence than Durant though.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Kevin Durant was BY FAR the most dominant player in his only season in college…. saying GO was even close to being on his level is just plain wrong…

MPG: 35.9
PPG: 25.8
FG%:47.3
3FG%: 40.4
FT%: 81.6
APG: 1.3
RPG: 11.1
BPG: 1.9
SPG: 1.9

HOT DAMN!

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

LOL GATOR HEELS! that Ohio state team was SO much more talented than KD’s team…

OSU barely even made it past Xavier, they had to be saved by Ron Lewis’ shot. KD was absolutely unstoppable in college.

[McWinningParticipant]

one game has nothing to do with it plenty of teams have almost lost games and won ritles.

[gatorheelsParticipant]

They put too much emphasis on scoring. An award means nothing. Durant got bounced early in the tourney while Oden took his team to the finals. Oden was clearly the best big man in college. He was a game changer. Sure Durant could score but that didn’t always mean his team was winning. Oden put up 25 pts & 12 rebs in the finals with all that pressure. That was up against Horford & Noah too…. I would call that dominating. Oden put that team on his back & won a lot. I watched plenty of games. By watching the games I saw who the more dominating player was….it was pretty clear.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

MPG 28.9
PPG 15.7
FG% 61.6
FT% 62.8
APG 0.7
RPG 9.6
APG 3.3
SPG 0.6

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Truth, Bird.

[ckowalskiParticipant]

Texas honestly wasn’t that talented that year. Didn’t Ohio State have 3 first rounders that year? Cook, Oden and Conley?

[McWinningParticipant]

wheres the blocks?

[gatorheelsParticipant]

Don’t get caught up in the stats. Watch some games.

[quincey hodges]

and thats why the award isnt based on one game just like you dont base oden on the game he had against gtown. and the award means more then nothign in college..durant was CLEARLY THE BEST player. yeah oden was the best big man but thats not saying alot when there maybe was one other nba center in college that year durant set or came close to records not only just scoring durant also went down as one of the best freshman ever. oden didnt. yea he had a good year aginst nba pf and small fowards checking him. durant not only out scored him he also out rebounded him. its not even a arguement of who was the better college player and also the better pro player. oden should have gotten to the title game with 2 other first round picks that year one being a lotto pick and having other big men who he was going against being 4 inchs or more shorter

[McWinningParticipant]

those were also three freshman.

[McWinningParticipant]

another thing is would you take a skinny wing man or a dominating big man who could be the next shaq?

[quincey hodges]

and if the award was all about scoring alot more scoring leaders would have gotten in…curry would have beasley would have. the emphisis is on the BEST player in college basketball ( outside of tyler getting it over beasley) which durant was head and shoulders above EVERYONE else

[billykParticipant]

They both dominated, but in diffrent ways…Durant on the offensive end and Oden on the defensive end…Durant put up video game type stats (see above) and he played big in big games, dude was almost impossible to stop in college… Oden played on a better team and he was a intimidating presence on the defense he altered more shots than he blocked… He was the backbone of Ohio States team that went to the championship game….

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Don’t get caught up in stats… when you’re talking about dominatnig a season, one of the best ways to decide that is based on a player’s average stats throughout the year…

To say that GO made it to the finals- and giving him as much credit as you’re giving him- is to miss the fact that GO’s team barely even played Daequan Cook… that’s how deep that team was.

And I watched plenty of games, being a big 10 fan and all… seriously, this isn’t even close.

[quincey hodges]

yeah thats what the blazers said about bowie and jordan ( hey lets take the moble big man over the skinny guard..lol…look how that worked out…pretty similar with one being injured and when not injured playing ok while the other looked good from jump and now looks great)

[ckowalskiParticipant]

Bird, that’s true but also irrelevant. Durant was a freshman also.

[McWinningParticipant]

in college Durant was better but the reason Oden was takin is because he has an Nba body and centers with his kind of talent only come every decade or so.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Gator… another thing to consider. KD started AT CENTER for that team… that’s how shallow they were. The kid matched up against big men every game and showed he could bang with the best of em… KD averaged almost 2 blocks AND 2 steals per game… I don’t even think it’s an argument.

[McWinningParticipant]

Kd had to take more shots. and Wing players score more than centers like Oden anyways.

[quincey hodges]

i understand why he was taken..but i was saying from day one take durant because he was just a one of a kind player..i never saw shaq inside of odens game..i did figure he would rebound and blk shots better but i could see his offensive game was pretty raw since he had no real moves that could work against other good big men and he brings the ball down all the time on top of having to get his feet set , and travels alot before dunking

[McWinningParticipant]

centers take longer to develop. also Oden was coming off an injury which slowed his progress.

[quincey hodges]

durant was better in college and is better in the pros..facts are facts

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Bird, the fact still remains, KD was the FOCAL point of EVERY team’s defense… GO played on a team that had 4 other very good scorers (Conley, Lewis, Butler, Harris) Cook came off the bench and didn’t even play all that much because that team was so deep.

[quincey hodges]

yeah he hurt his wrist…man you just keep making more and more excuses for him..his offense was and still is very raw..he was a pretty good defender and rebounder and defensive presence. he was bigger then every player he faces and it wasnt even close (other then hibbert)

[McWinningParticipant]

centers arent the vocal point of there offences normally anyway.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Bird, what i’m saying is, when you’re surrounded by other great players, it’s a lot easier to score because the defense can’t just key in on you… I know the longhorns had some talent too, but Ohio St was stacked that year. They had 3 pt shooters all around GO, making his life easier than it was for KD

[McWinningParticipant]

what do you think would happen if Oden was on a bad team?

[quincey hodges]

yeah unless they are dominate centers..like shaq,david robinson, len bias, etc..those who have the ability to dominate on offense…oden couldnt do that consitantly..he can show flashes every blue moon but his gae was defense

[quincey hodges]

on a bad team oden stats go down..defenses can focus more on him and double or even tripple team ( doubt they would tripple because he has not a offensive force)

[McWinningParticipant]

he would get more shots though so i think they would go up.

[gatorheelsParticipant]

I’m not saying Durant didn’t dominate because he did. To say Oden didn’t dominate is wrong…I’m sorry. Everybody knows he was raw offesnively but the impact he had on games was HUGE. Also saying it was simply because he was bigger than anybody else is wrong. He had skills especially defensively. Durant was the biggest wing player & was often guarded by smaller guards too. Oden never lost a home game & his team went 35-4….that is dominating. Give the man some respect. Oden was constantly double-teamed.

[McWinningParticipant]

i have another question how good do you think the Buckeyes would have been without Oden?

[quincey hodges]

gators who said oden didnt dominate?..i said he didnt dominate like durant but who said he didnt dominate?

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

I didn’t say Oden didn’t dominate, cuz he definitely did defensively. I think to say he dominated more than durant is wrong.

His team went 35-4, but his team was also a lot better and more experienced than Durant’s team, who still managed to get a 4 seed, and I think they might have tied for the Big 12 crown, if I’m not mistaken, with Kansas.

Ron Lewis, Butler, and Ivan Harris were 3 seasoned vets… their team would have been successful even without GO, I don’t think the same can be said for Texas. They’d have been decent.

[gatorheelsParticipant]

I’ll put it like this if you could rewind time & go back to that 06-07 college season….If you had average talent on your team & you could pick either Durant or Oden to join your squad who would you pick? ODEN is the clear choice if you want to win games. Why? because he dominates & his impact on the college game was like no other that year

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

I disagree.

[ckowalskiParticipant]

I would pick Durant. I believe the only upperclassmen on that team were Ian Mooney, JD Drew, and Craig Winder. To lead a young team (pre-Augustin dominance) like he did was pretty amazing.

[McWinningParticipant]

Adam Morrison led a team like that too and………

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

yea, i mean that team was so undersized and young, it’s not even funny.

Starting lineup:

Dj Augustin~ FR- 5’11
Aj Abrams~ So- 5’11
Justin Mason~ FR- 6’2
Damion James~ FR 6’7
KD~FR 6’9

I mean… 4 fr and a soph?! are u kidding me?

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

adam morrison also dominated in college, bird. the question is not who was the better prospect, it’s who dominated.

[McWinningParticipant]

that linups pretty good Augustinm and James are both probably first rounders and Abrams was a really good college player.

[ckowalskiParticipant]

Yea but honestly have you even heard of any of those guys? If you’ve never watched Texas play you probably would never see them. The crowd goes nuts whenever Barnes puts Mooney in for his 3 minutes of garbage time because he went to school locally (St. Michaels) and was a walk on. Winder played spot duty on defense hardly ever. And Drew was a great shooter but he didn’t have any other skills to get him on the floor. AJ was still a sophmore, DJ, Justin Mason and James were brand new. Pittman was still chunky. And Morrison never had KD like stats either.

[McWinningParticipant]

actually with Pittman that might be three fist rounders besides Durant, and ive heard of probably every player on that teah besides walk ons.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

bird, the point is, they were basically 4 freshman and a tiny sophomore! of course they didn’t make it to the finals.

[ckowalskiParticipant]

Abrams sucks ass. He has more 4 for 16 nights from 3 land than 5 for 7 nights. He was undersized and got beat all day long. DJ made Atchley look like a god last year and then he reverted back to sucking this year once DJ left. That team was so inexperienced it wasn’t even funny.

[McWinningParticipant]

Conley was a freshman too and he was one of their best players.

[ckowalskiParticipant]

All I’m saying is KD did more with less. I remember being at the senior night game and Winder was the only senior. He got minutes that game just so his fam could see him play.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Bird… first of all, Conley and GO have played together forever so that eliminates some of the problems with being a freshman, but besides that THEY HAD BUTLER (jr) LEWIS (sr) and HARRIS (sr)… how is that like 4 freshmen and a soph? Daequan didn’t even get PT in the tourney man! that’s how good they were!

[McWinningParticipant]

Abrams wasnt a junkie he was one of the best three point shooter in ncaa basketball at that time.

[ckowalskiParticipant]

If DJ had played his freshman year like he played his sophmore year Texas would have been realll dangerous. He was still learning though and was pretty much a non factor in the tournament.

[McWinningParticipant]

i kbow that Ohio State had a better team but getting to the title game is a lot better than what they did.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

abrams shot the highest 3FG% of his 4 years at Texas the year Durant was there… coincedence? NO, Durant drew every defender imaginable leaving Abrams wide open….

[ckowalskiParticipant]

I have never been a fan of Abrams. He shot us out of more games than he shot us into. And he had no other skill besides being a great shooter. He is a one dimensional player who is not good enough to make it on the next level. But yes, he will be remembered as a great shooter, nothing more.

[McWinningParticipant]

you cant forget Oden was drawing defenders with his presence which led to shots for Cook and there other three point shooters.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

bird, you’re making yourself look bad trying to argue that texas had a better team than OSU.. it’s not even close. What KD did at Texas with 3 other freshman and 1 soph (not to mention 3 pgs and 1 sf as his other starters) was amazing and DOMINANT.

OSUs shooters did more for Oden then he did for them. I didn’t really see Oden double-teamed al the much that year because he wasn’t really a viable option on offense… it was BETTER for them to use their other guys rather than feed him the ball… he got his points getting boards and dunking the ball

[ckowalskiParticipant]

OSU would have smashed Texas that year, even if KD scored 100 points. They just didn’t have the manpower. That team was 6 deep most nights. They were really thin.

[McWinningParticipant]

i remmember when Ohio State came to play Wisonsin and the whole pregame show was how they were gonna try to stop den pretty. of course that Texas team wasnt as good as Ohio States abut you cant deny it will have more 1st rounders if Pittman and James are first rounders and they had a lot of talent.

[gatorheelsParticipant]

Oden made Ohio St. good….period. They won more games in 06-07 then they did in 05-06. Oden had a HUGE impact on the game resulting in more wins & a deep tourney run thanks to him dominating. People forget that Ohio St. got significantly better with Oden. And in case any of you forgot Ohio St. lost its two best players/2 leading scorers from that 05-06 team. So xbadger you are overrating the talent Oden had around him. One of those players from 05-06 was the Big Ten Player of the Year. The other was on the big 10 All 2nd team.

D Cook didn’t get playing time because he didn’t know how to operate in that offense. It had nothing to do with how good they were. Him & the coach weren’t that close.

Lewis, Harris, & Butler were solid ROLE players.

Also Oden got double teamed a lot.

[gatorheelsParticipant]

Also if you would’ve put Durant on that Ohio St. team & took off Oden then they would not have won 35 games & made it the finals….I promise you that.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Bird: of course the pregame show was all about oden… cuz he was the most hyped player ever. i don’t care how many first rounders they had in total… that team was, like kowalski said, 6-deep and started 4 freshmen and 1 soph.

Gator: They barely fed Oden the ball…also did you forget Gator that Ohio St. added Daequan Cook, David Lighty and Mike Conley that year? that might’ve had something to with them getting better. Just a thought.

And if you’re telling me that Cook wouldn’t have played if Lewis and Butler weren’t there, regardless of the issues with the coaches, you’re lying to yourself. Matta could afford to sit him becaue he had those other guys.

[ckowalskiParticipant]

You’re right that Ohio State most likely would not have made the finals without Oden but replacing him with Durant would have just created problems. Durant is not big enough to be a center and you are taking away a great big man. Just like if you put Oden on Texas and took off Durant I don’t think he would have pushed them to the finals either. But I don’t see how this shows who was the better player. Durant won the award and IMO they got it right. We are not saying Oden was not dominant, just that KD was dominant in a different way and meant more to his team.

[QHaynes20]

I’m confused….who’s supporting who?

The Ohio State team was really good. Any other year they pro would have won a NCAA title. But if you replace Durant with Oden, they would have not be that good

Oden got picked over Durant because he had more potential This site compared him to DAVID ROBINSON AND BILL RUSSELL

[foxman2slyParticipant]

Wall – looks like another Derrick Rose & in a guard driven NBA – he’ll probably go #1

Oden – His skill and athleticism, he blew the scouts away at the combine, are hard to pass by. There aren’t a lot of young centers coming down the pike. So Portland almost had to take. I liked Durant better at the time and he may be the Jordan to Oden’s Bowie, but young big men take longer to catch on to the speed of the NBA (even Shaq had two years in college) if his body holds up they may end up a push.

DeAndre Jordon – several GM’s blew it by passing on him – see Detroit – now the Clippers won’t even listen to offers – again there are no centers coming down the pike.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

Q, we’re just arguing over who was more dominant in college, who do u think?

[QHaynes20]

Durant or Oden?

Of Course Durant. Durant was the the best player in college basketball at the time.

[xbadgerhustlerParticipant]

thank you

[quincey hodges]

ok ya’ll keep saying that texas had this or that amount of draft picks but ya’ll keep looking at them being draft picks after playing a couple of years in collge..if dj, james, pittman would have came out that year would they have been first round draft picks like the ohio st guys were?..no. and people seem to forget how good ohio state was befotre oden played later in the season. people seem to forget how much daquan cook took over parts of games before oden started playing. oden got picked over durant because he was big and could move and defense and potenial. does that mean he was the right choice or should have been picked over durant?. in my opnion nope. like i said i would have picked durant and oden would have been the second pick. i liked/like oden but i always felt durant was special no matter how skinny people say he is/was. he had a better college career and he will be a better pro. the guys on odens team were making shots and scoring just as much if not more while oden was out with a injury

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

Do people still use stats to argue points? Stats just don’t statisically hold up (no pun intended). I love KD as a player, so don’t get me wrong, however Oden clearly dominated college basketball that year. That Ohio State team had a few veterns not really note worthy and some great young talent. His play helped them get to the Championship game, not bad for a team who’s three best players were a group of frosh’s. The thing many of you fail to realize over and over again, altered shots & people to afraid to penetrate the paint because of Oden’s presence, are not counted anywhere. If you fail to understand that, then you FAIL!

[quincey hodges]

its still pretty simple…durant was more dominate and the better player..player of the year is given to the better player not just the better scorer and durant was the better player..pretty simple..oden dominated durant dominated more

[JNixonParticipant]

Yea, Kevin Durant was the most dominate player that year. By a good margin of distance. Oden was a dominate presence who was a freak athlete for a 7’0″ college center, but he didnt have the season Durant had.

[HaleParticipant]

Just by reading some stuff on here saying if I could go back and start an average team with one of those two players then I really don’t think you could go wrong with either. But on draft night, I wanted Durant not Oden.

[OldSkoolBasketballParticipant]

John Wall topic turned into an Oden/Durant debate. Anyway I think its too early to say if Wall is a 1st pick player already. He hasn’t played a college game yet and I believe someone said he will be the greatest pg to ever play in the nba. Pretty ridiculous. About the Oden/Durant debate, OSU that year was one of the best teams in the country. Oden didn’t even played early in the season because of his wrist and OSU was ranked as high as first. But when he did played he was dominant. The dude was playing with his left hand the whole season. If he had started playing the first game of the season with his right hand, OSU possibility could’ve gone undefeated during the season. Durant’s team suck. You could tell they would get bounce early in the tournament. When you get compared to Bill Russell, any team would’ve drafted number one that night.

[SDEParticipant]

Wall will go 1 because some one will trade into that spot for him

[quincey hodges]

lol..yeah this was a wall post..lol..the number one pick in my opnion will be greg monroe unless wall leads his team to the title and dominate which i dont see happening

[QHaynes20]

i agree i rather take monroe…i know what im getting

[HaleParticipant]

Wall, Monroe, Favors, Willie Warren and Paul George are the guys I think should go top 5 next year, in no specific order.

[JoeWolf1]

Im pretty sure Mason came off the bench that year, but year they were really young and talented

[ckowalskiParticipant]

Mason was starting. They ran the 3 guard lineup like Villanova does.

[Author]

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