There is a lot of chatter on the internets about Lebron and Oden having a similar look, the look being that of an old man. Some say that Oden looks like he should be Lebron's dad, or old Lebron from "The Lebrons" commercials. Lebron doesn't look quite as old as Oden, but when he sports the beard, the old man comes out.
We do know that Greg is a lot older than he really lets on, from some research we did last year. Lebron? He's probably just a couple years older than he says, so that he could dominate in high school and make a name for himself.
Kidding....don't get mad King James. I don't need you taking it out against the Blazers. Anyway, here's a little more fun about their "old age".
I had the opportunity to do a quick Q & A with Kirk from Curse of Cleveland last night, plenty of interesting questions by both parties. Head over to Curse of Cleveland for the my answers, they should be up shortly. Here are his responses:
Bust a Bucket- The Cavaliers have been outstanding so far this year, but in the last three games without big Z and West, they've struggled a bit, losing 2 of 3. Can this team get by with LeBron as the main attraction?
Curse of Cleveland- Well, Matt, as a die-hard Cavaliers fan, this truly has been an outstanding year thus far. The Cavaliers have shown that, when healthy, they are ready to compete for the Larry O'Brien trophy NOW! With that being said, the loss of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West have really hit the Cavaliers hard. Z is the Cavaliers' only true consistent scoring option down low. Anderson Varejao has filled in admirably, but he has struggled of late. The Ben Wallace-Varejao frontcourt allows defenses to key in on LeBron much more than with Z in there, just as the Lakers did Monday night. Delonte West has been a shot-maker, our team's best perimeter defender, and has the ability to create for himself as well. The Cavaliers now are forced to use Sasha Pavlovic, who was the starting SG on the squad that went to the Finals in '06. He is capable, and he has size, something the Cavalier backcourt is short on currently. As for the question of can the team get by with LeBron as the main attraction? Yes. Can they obtain the 1 seed and homecourt without the pieces they're missing right now? No. They are good enough as is now to beat most mid-level and lower-seeded playoff teams. But, teams like the Lakers are just going to overpower them.
Mo Williams has been a great asset for the Cavs this year, his ability to score and run the point is perfect on LeBron's team. He shoots the three ball well, shoots a good percentage, and is tough to defend. Sergio will be looking to run the offense efficiently again tonight. The key point here is can Sergio guard Williams? I don't think so, look for Bayless to come in if Mo gets hot.
Pavlovic has been struggling to find minutes this season, but with Delonte West on the shelf, Pav has been in the starting line-up. Since being reinserted, his game has been decent, scoring 19 and 12 consecutively. Sasha will not have an answer for Brandon Roy at home. This is the type of game Brandon thrives on. Playing against the king and wanting to show he's not so bad himself. Roy takes the cake.
Kind of funny to look at this match-up. What should I say really? It doesn't matter if the whole team gaurds LeBron, he'll physically destroy any takers. Plus, when he's not beating them with pure talent, he'll beat them with 4 step crab dribbles. Either way he really is the king, has lived up to the hype since day one, and he'll win this match-up big time.
Ben Wallace used to be a feared defensive player. His hustle and determination was unmatched in Detroit. He basically made a living as a scrapper who couldn't shoot at all. Things have changed though, he's gotten older and lost a step. LaMarcus has been tough lately, the jumper is falling and Ben isn't going to come out on it anyway. Hopefully LA can get inside and bang with Wallace too, get 10 boards and take control of the interior with Oden.
As much as I hate to admit it, Varejao is capable of a good game once in awhile. He's inconsistent like Greg so who really knows what will happen. The real question is, can Gregory stay out of foul trouble? If he does avoid getting tangled up with Anderson, he'll have another big night. How about 15 more points and 10 more rebounds from the big fella?
Bench
Bench
The Cavs have a pretty good bench, even now with Zydrunas and Delonte out of commission, the bench is still strong with Gibson, Szczerbiak, & Hickson. I like what Jerryd brings to this game, his defense on Williams and/or Gibson will be critical. I also think Przybilla will be a bigger factor in this game. Look for a tough battle from the benches, I think the Blazers will win this game, it may come down to our bench getting over on the Cavaliers and keeping LeBron from involving his teammates.
A couple months ago I did a report card for the first 16 games of the season. Not a very good sample size but it was a starting indicator nonetheless. Tonight I give you the mid season report card. My thoughts and a grade for every player, except for Ike, he doesn't play, no soup for you! So without explaining too much, onto the players, analysis, & grades.
In honor of Greg Oden blowing up last night, Friend of the Blog Jerry made us a fresh RC Comic for the people. I hope that Greg's big night leads to more of the same, hopefully that media monkey continues to look for work elsewhere.
There is plenty of reason to believe Greg can continue to be a force, we just have to keep being patient. He has the talent, athleticism, height, and strength to dominate. The only other thing he needs to do right now is be active, the rest will come.
I liked seeing him smile last night, he looked comfortable on the floor and I hope he can do the same thing against other teams. There's no reason he shouldn't be able to beast the majority of the league's centers, only Dwight Howard and Shaq seem stronger and a bit more intimidating. I'm sure there are others but Greg can get into that category.
I may go out on a limb and call another strong performance tomorrow night, maybe even a double double since Cleveland is without big Z. The fact is, over the next 5 or so games, Oden can really get into his groove. Hopefully he'll gain some much needed confidence for the toughest part of the NBA season: The home stretch following the All-Star game.
Ladies and Gentlemen, your leading scorer and rebounder, from THE Ohio State University...
Greg Oden!
The Big Man tonight played like, well, a big man. He fought down low, he battled for rebounds, he looked for his shot, he even had a chip on his shoulder when Dan Gadzuric gave him an especially hard foul in the second half. He ended up with 24 points, 15 rebounds and only two fouls. This is the kind of play that we have been expecting from the big guy, and when you see games like this it makes all the doubt melt away.
Now I know what you're thinking, we played a mediocre Eastern Conference team without their starting center. True, but that doesn't make his performance any less important. Greg needs to know that he CAN do this. He needs to know what it feels like to go out and dominate, to be the player we all know that he can be. There are still going to be games where he struggles, games where he racks up fouls and is ineffective, but it's part of his maturation. Games like this let us know why we drafted him in the first place.
A few other things...
LaMarcus was a stud tonight. He shot the lights out (22 pts. on 8-13 shooting), gobbled up rebounds (9, 3 offensive), dropped some dimes (5 assists) and even managed to shoot some free throws (I know!). He took care of business early so that we could build a lead late.
This game was won by our front court. When we drafted Greg Oden this is what we dreamed of: a two headed, board crashing, slam dunking monster. Roy only had 9 points but nobody noticed because they couldn't see around our big dogs up front.
Wins like this are the keys that open the doors to the playoffs. Win the games you're supposed to win and defend the home court, do that and the playoffs will take care of themselves.
Go Trailblazers! Head over to the forums for more discussion on the game.
In the middle of the NBA season, with lots of Blazers news swirling around the web and games every other day, it's common to have Blazer related dreams. Here are a few snap shots of some dreams as of late.
Mike Barrett discusses the offense struggling without Blake, the importance of not relaxing in the first game of a home stand, and of course the next stretch of games.
Joe Freeman gives his Blazer halfway point breakdown. I don't think Oden is a disappointment but if you have to pick someone, I guess he's the guy.
It seems like all the good NBA websites are getting an interview with Clyde Drexler, I wonder what it will take to get one too? Maybe show Clyde these?
SJ from Rip City Project sums up the recent road trip, good perspective, but how do we not go 3-1? Disappointing.
Jack at Deceptively Quick has some interesting thoughts on Rudy being in the dunk contest. I too am a little worried, hopefully Rudy can surprise America.
Ricky Rubio likes to flip coins. Is this really impressive or just funny that his friends are so hyped about it?
A full 15 thoughts from Blaze of Love, easy win? Not likely.
Canzano's response to Wojnarowski, I really liked it.
The Trail Blazers return home to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, a rough trip across the country considering the loss in Charlotte. The Blazers missed 15 free throws and lost by 5 points in overtime, it was a game we easily could have won. Now, five out of the next six games are at home, a perfect opportunity for The Blazers to move up in the standings.
Steve Blake's timetable for return from injury was pushed back last Friday, opening the door for Sergio or Bayless to prove themselves. So far both players have been doing a good job of filling in for Blake. In this game, Sergio has a chance to put on a show against Luke Ridnour who is physically comparable to Rodriguez. It will also be important for Greg Oden to get established early so he can be a factor throughout the game.
The Bucks will mostly likely be playing their third game in a row without Andrew Bogut who seems to be the core of this team if they want to win. Redd and Jefferson will score a lot but the other aspects of basketball get shoved aside sometimes. Portland's defense was atrocious in Charlotte so against Milwaukee, it will be critical to lock up Michael Redd. The Blazers can get back on track with a win and then prepare for the Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Luke Ridnour has been playing some of his best basketball lately. Friday he had his 6th double double of the season. This is a perfect match-up for Sergio, Ridnour is a skinny guard with excellent handles, similar to Rodriguez. Luke is a more talented player and will have a better game due to his scoring ability, but Sergio should be able to run the fast break and throw dimes in this game.
Redd has been en fuego in January, averaging 27 points per game including a 44 point outburst in Sacramento. However, Redd doesn't play defense at all and he doesn't contribute much besides scoring. Roy is due, and ready to make up for all those missed free throws in Charlotte. I'm predicting a 30 point game, and a handful of assists and rebounds from Brandon.
Richard Jefferson is a lot like Michael Redd, a good scorer, runs the fast break well but contributes lightly in other categories. He is capable of defending and rebounding but rarely does so. Batum has done very little since his 17 points against the Lakers on January 4th. He will hopefully contain Jefferson but I won't hold my breath.
Villanueva is probably one of the most inconsistent players in the NBA. He is capable of going 25 and 10 one night then disappearing completely and scoring only a few times. Based on his every-other-night pattern, he is due. LaMarcus won't let that happen without a big response. LA at home will be a big part of the Blazer offense so look for him to match Charlie's contribution.
With Bogut on the shelf, Dan Gadzuric gets the start at center for Milwaukee. I'm really hoping this is an opportunity for Greg to get his confidence and game back. The last few outings have been a struggle, so maybe a smaller, less experienced player will help him get going again. I think it will happen, and I'm calling another double double for Oden.
Bench
Bench
With Bogut most likely out of the line-up, this entire team gets thinner, and not nearly as difficult of an opponent. The Bucks do have Joe Alexander who was recently beat out by Rudy Fernandez for the dunk contest. I think Rudy is going to continue to stick it to Joe in this game. Hopefully Travis Outlaw can also get back on track, he's shot poorly the last three games and we'll need him in this one.
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics.
Advertisers
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
Bloggers Wanted
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. Here are some of our high-priority areas that we're specifically looking to grow. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
NBA/Basketball Blogs
NFL Blogs
Major League Baseball Blogs
The Bloguin Login
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account!
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. Here are some of our high-priority areas that we're specifically looking to grow. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 