[外電] Oden sounds off . . . and his newfound intensity could b
Oden sounds off . . . and his newfound intensity could be a big boost
The most important development of the Trail Blazers' victory here Sunday
evening took root in the morning, when the team gathered for breakfast.
Less than 12 hours after the Blazers' defense had been sliced and diced for
111 points in Houston, leading some players to question the effort of the
team, coach Nate McMillan talked to the Blazers about a simple concept:
family.
"Would you allow your brother to continue to do something he shouldn't be
doing? Or would you say something to him?" McMillan remembers telling his
team. "And that's what it is all about. They are brothers out there, this is
a family, and if we are not playing defense or you are not covering your man,
say something to him. It's not personal. It's holding each other accountable."
Not that anyone was taking odds, but not many would have bet on which Blazers
player would apply McMillan's concept later that evening during the Blazers'
83-74 victory against Oklahoma City.
It was the team's gentle giant: Greg Oden.
As a matter of fact, there was nothing gentle about Oden on Sunday. With a
voice that was as loud, forceful and stern as ever before, and with animated
body language that has rarely, if ever, been seen from him in a Blazers
uniform, Oden on Sunday barked, ordered and inspired his teammates.
"There was once in Toronto last year ... but it was not like this," Brandon
Roy emphatically said. "Tonight, he was more vocal than ever. It was great.
It was step one. But we can keep building on that."
Nobody is ready to declare Oden a leader yet. Not after one game. But what
transpired here Sunday could be the start of the season's most important
development.
It could be when Greg Oden came out of his shell. When he became a little
nasty. Very much intimidating. And an immensely powerful force on this team.
It was so startling, so different, that Roy and Travis Outlaw were taking
turns imitating Oden's deep growls at teammates during the game.
"TRAV! KEEP PLAYING! COME ON!" Outlaw said, mustering all the baritone he
could from his stomach.
"MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS; LET'S GO!" Roy said, his voice deep and gravelly.
It started before the opening tip. Oden went separately to Steve Blake and
Roy, reminding them of last year's 102-93 loss here in a game that was out of
hand by halftime. Then as the team took the court for the opening tip, he
extended his hand into the chest of LaMarcus Aldridge to stop the Blazers
power forward. He spoke closely to Aldridge, demonstratively pointing his
finger at the court, at one point saying "We can't have it!"
"He was saying we could not let what happened last time here happen again,"
Aldridge said.
Oden backed up his intensity by scoring six of the Blazers' first 11 points.
He also blocked Jeff Green's driving attempt.
But the Blazers' 25-13 lead started to crumble.
The Blazers had turnovers on four consecutive possessions, including three
successive travelling calls. When the lead dwindled to 26-23, Oden became
furious.
"LET'S GET A STOP RIGHT NOW!" he bellowed from the middle of the key. "RIGHT
HERE!"
There were expletives and angry clapping of his hands mixed in, and through
it all, he snarled, revealing his famous gap- toothed grill.
On that possession, the Blazers forced a 24-second shot clock violation.
"That was a big moment," Roy said. "But I remember him doing that all night.
There were a lot of times he was like that."
Oden ended up with 12 points, 10 rebounds and one block in 29 minutes, but
everyone -- including Oden -- agreed his biggest contribution didn't end up
in the box score.
"Look, I know I'm not a big scorer on this team, so I'm just trying to bring
something else, something that doesn't show up on the statistics," Oden said.
"And that's talking, bringing energy."
He says he tries to be vocal every night, but in truth, Oden has seemed so
worried about being respectful during his time in Portland that he came
across as passive more than anything. Last season, McMillan asked Oden to
recite to the team the scouting report of his man before a game. As he softly
went through the strengths and weaknesses of his opponent, McMillan stopped
him.
Standing next to a refrigerator in the locker room, McMillan told Oden that
he couldn't hear him. How was anyone on the team expected to hear him in an
arena filled with 20,000 people?
On Sunday, amid a comeback that had the crowd in a frenzy, Oden's shouting at
his team could be heard from the other end of the court. Loud and clear.
Sheepishly, he tried to downplay his aggression and animation.
"You should have seen some of my high school games," he said.
But as a Blazer? Has he ever been as forceful and commanding to his teammates?
"As a Blazer, I don't know," Oden said, smiling. "I couldn't tell you if I
remember. I think I was more animated one time, but I'm not sure."
If there was one thing that was sure as the team flew home Sunday, it was
that Oden had taken an important step forward. His teammates this season have
often brought up how Oden is more open and engaged with the team this season.
Now, it appears he wants to play a part as a leader, a policeman, and as
McMillan said during breakfast, a brother.
The team knows, because they heard him loud and clear Sunday on the court and
in the locker room. And it wasn't just his words. He was a force on the
court, too. That combination of force -- both in action and words --
resonated with Roy.
As Roy was substituted out of the game and found his seat on the bench, he
said he turned to Oden and delivered his own stern message.
"I told him, 'Greg, if you play like that every night, there ain't nobody who
can (mess) with us,'" Roy said.
Oden gave a one-word response: "Gotcha."
http://tinyurl.com/ybrgya2
--
Oden 越來越有自信心了,好事啊
不過這幾場比賽看下來,我們戰術變化不大哩
而且球員在切入的時候,很喜歡自己直接投掉
若沒機會通常還是外傳,但是我常看到籃下的 Oden 已經被空出來了啊
如果把那些太過勉強的切入自幹能轉化成禁區妙傳
那球隊的easy basket分數一定可以增加不少
但是禁區球員的跑位也是有大問題,都要改進啊
拜託各位大爺切入的時候要照顧一下 Oden 吧
各位可以看一下今天NBA官網的Highlight,看一下 Oden 的站位
不覺得好幾球只要往上拋得好,Oden 都可以第一時間灌籃嘛
--
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