Greg Oden managed 6 points and 10 fouls in his Blazer debut. As much as he sucked last night, I'm not too worried. He's got four months to get in shape and figure out where he needs to be on the court before opening day. Even with his current conditioning, I think he'll be much better in subsequent summer league games. Last night did make me think it will probably take a season or two before he becomes a truly dominant force.
LaMarcus Aldridge, however, is already a dominant force. He blocks shots, rebounds, runs the floor, shoots outside, and finishes in the paint. Aldridge blocked more shots last night than Zach Randolph did in the months of January and February combined last season. I found it interesting that Aldridge matched up with Glen Davis much of the night. Aldridge was heavily criticized leading up to the 2006 draft for his poor shooting performance against Davis and LSU in the NCAA tournament. Aldridge had no problem scoring on Davis last night. He scored repeatedly just by beating everybody down the court for a layup, and his mid-range jumper was deadly.
Martell Webster impressed me last night - although not with his offense. He struggled with his shot much of the night. But he seemed to be giving a nice effort at the defensive end, and he rebounded aggressively. His most impressive moment on offense was an authoritative but unsuccessful dunk attempt. I think it's time for Webster to give up on living up to his status as the #6 overall pick and focus on becoming a deadly spot-up shooter and a tough defender. He doesn't have the quickness to take anybody off the dribble. But if he embraces his role, he could be an effective contributor.
Sergio Rodriguez looked just like he did last season. Spectacular at times, but sloppy and out-of-control much of the game. Jarrett Jack's job is very safe at this point.
Taurean Green is athletic. I think he'll make the roster - and has a good chance to stick as a 3rd-string point guard in the League.
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