Why is Oden getting the hype when Durant is destroying the Big 12? I don't get it. I have a feeling that Durant is going to be the better pro. What do you boys and girls think?

oden has size and skill for a big man, and can run the floor. thats tougher and tougher to find in the NBA. with durant, there are alot of 6'7 - 6'10 guys out there who are atleast quick enough to hang with him

if anything, id rank them 1a and 1b, with either being a or b

Durant's 6'9" and 220 right? Man, he's like Shawn Kemp or something. The guy is just awesome.

Durant...

Oden has the bigger upside cause of his size. Durant is clearly better right now. You also have to consider hat Oden is playing with one hand right now too

Oden reminds me of a young Mutombo with better hands. Durant looks like KG.

i hope it works out for the celts to get one of them. that said, i'd go with oden right now, he just seems to have the potential to be such a mismatch, where durant, like it was pointed out, could be handled by a handful of guys in the NBA.

Oden doesn't look very fluid to me. He's got no offensive moves and he's always in foul trouble. Durant looks good but I worry about his attitude. Everytime this guy makes a shot he's pounds his chest like he just won the biggest game of the year. That gets old after a while.

Oden has yet to foul out of a game this year and has only collected 4 fouls in three games (although against the three best opponents he's faced). And you don't see as much as you'd like from him on offense because he still can't do much with his right hand.

its difficult to say right now with oden playing with one hand, but if you had to choose someone right now based on how they have played so far you gotta go with durant

i'm not sure how many of Durant's games you've seen this year but that is far from being accurate. Barnes has lauded his attitude and work ethic, and he's not exactly the kind of coach who gives praise to just anyone.

Durant plays for Texas and I don't hate him. That's gotta say something positive about his attitude.

Durant is top 5 in the nation in scoring and rebounding- and he shoots 3's. It's disgusting. He is by far the best player in the country right now, and while Oden may still have more upside, Durant does his talking EVERY SINGLE GAME. It's unbelievable. If Oden didn't exist, Durant would be the biggest thing since... I don't know, but fucking bigger than life. Oden has made it much easier on Durant with the spotlight he takes up. Again, I take nothing away from Oden, and I still think he's going to be the next big thing in the NBA, it's just that now he's going to be one of two next big things in the NBA. I can't wait to watch Durant tonight. I see this team going deep in the tourney. Elite 8.

Oh, and there's been quite a bit of discussion about this in the College Hoops thread.

Durant is a hell of a player... But guys like him just have so much athletic ability, they can get by until they recieve the proper coaching...

Big Men, like Oden, spend their high school years standing in the block on offense and defense either dunking or blocking shots.. Its much harder to find a coach who is effective in Coaching/Teaching a big man in HS, so when they move up a level, they can sometimes look a little more confused for a while.

If the Celtics get one of thse 2 I'll start a campaign to have a number retired at the Garden in honor of Doc Rivers.

Watching Durant live, he reminds me of a certain U of H player who went on to play for the Rockets. The footwork, the hands and the smoothness are what impressed me.

Hey, remember when the shamrocks took Chauncey Billups in the first round?

*mutters*

I know. I'm a Celtics fan.

The thing about that which kills me, besides the grotesque impatience of drafting a guy at #3 and trading him 4 months into the year, was that Pitino made sure to keep Ron Mercer. Oy vey.