One of these two guys will be the number one pick in the NBA Draft in June. (If they both come out of course) If I'm a GM I'm taking Durant, even though Oden has a million times more hype.
First, Durant has a better game for today's NBA. Durant is a long 6'9 that can handle the ball like a guard, post you up, or take you off the dribble. Plus, he rebounds too.
Oden is an old school post player who's pretty one dimensional offensively. In today's NBA, the traditional center is almost obsolete. Even Yao Ming can do things facing the basket. Shaq and Zo Mourning are two of a dying breed and they're pretty much done.
Durant can not only check today's version of the center, but he can exploit them off the dribble. Durant has taken over games with Texas already and he's going to be the most dangerous individual player in March. Oden is phenomenal, but he can't take over a game like Durant.
Last, lets look at the stats. Now I know Oden is still recovering from an injury and doesn't get many minutes, so this may not be fair. (I'm leaving off Free Throws because Oden is shooting them with his other hand right now.)
Durant - 25 PPG, 11 RPG, 2 APG, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 49% FG, 37 % 3PT
Oden - 15 PPG, 10 RPG, 1 APG, 4 BLK, 61% FG
Oden's numbers are very good numbers, especially for somebody who's hurt, but this guy has similar numbers with absolutely no hype or notoriety. (Oden is scoring twice as many points, but he gets twice as many shots per game)
I'm definitely not saying Chaz is as good as Oden, what I'm saying is that Oden isn't the end all be all, but Durant might be. The proof will be in the March Madness flavored pudding. Both are balling with teams of essentially all first year players, so lets see who leads his young team the furthest this season.
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Since I posted on the Super Bowl predictions after it was already over I came back to this one to commend you for seeing this before I did. Even though I still have reservations because Oden is playing with one hand, Durant is playing his way into the first pick of the draft and starting to even out the hype factor with Oden. As you said, given today's NBA game, he probably has a higher ceiling than Oden. Either way though its going to be a hell of a one-two combo.
Luckily for the city of Philadelphia, Billy King and Mo Cheeks can't even figure out how to tank a season.
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