Reep

This is my logic too. Post-Magic, we have had a few really great PGs. Almost none of them have rings.
If you go down the list of champions, almost all of them had very good centers. Only one had a very good PG (Detroit). It depends on what your ultimate goal is. I'll stick with Oden.

hasoos

You could have just stopped at "Would you trade Oden". The answer is no.

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Hasoos

sasaint

You are smoking rope. Greg Oden will never produce on the offensive end like either of those players. He is a completely different type of player. With him, though, Portland is definitely the team of the future. The Blazers will contend next season for the championship. However, they would be even better with a true PG so that Roy can be a 2-3 Pippen-like swingman.

New Orleans would not trade Paul for Oden.

Diable

I'm beginning to think you guys are going to despise Greg Oden in three years.The way you guys overrate everyone who ever put on a blazers uniform is bad enough,but overrating a guy who's only played thirty college games and didn't exactly dominate is just absurd.

Oden is going to be a pretty good player,but you guys are out of your damned trees when you start acting like he's going to be an all time great.Exactly what is the basis for this?What has he ever done at any level of the game that screamed all time great?

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STOMP

I saw greatness jumping off my screen with Greg every time I watched him. His combine numbers did the same. 2 time HS player of the year seems an indicator as does dominating the three lotto picks in Florida's front line while leading an underclassman OSU team to the championship game.

But what do I know... I was the same guy predicting greatness for Paul when he was coming out.

STOMP

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaQprMCe20A&NR=1

Reep

I think it is realistic to think of Oden becoming the same level as Shaq. They have a lot of similarites with size and strength. Shaq had amazing touch on his hook, which Oden hasn't shown, but Oden has a better overall shooting touch and is a much better defender and is more fit than Shaq ever was.

All time great may be a bit much. But, at the same time Greg is a long way from his ceiling. He has a lot of talent and is an incredible athlete. Because he is still developing physically, nobody really knows what he is capable of becoming. On the low end, I think a bigger version of Amare, on the high end, a more balanced version of Shaq without the free throw liability. Only time will tell.

Five5even

The idea to remember here is that everyone that is saying no is basing their rejection of the trade on a "Greg Oden is going to be..." statement. Whereas CP3 "is" already. There is no certainty with Greg at this point, although we all would have high hopes he turns out to be the David Robinson clone we all wish for. I personally take the certain point guard that i know will run my team for the next decade with Roy and LMA and then i look for another big man by trading away my pieces like Jack, Martell, Travis, Channing and Sergio.

But that's just me...

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5EVEN

Bill Walton
Charles Barkley IS Ron Burgundy

e_blazer1

These kinds of threads are fun to think about, but that's about it. Any GM in the league would do double backflips at the thought of adding either Paul or Oden to their roster. Paul's a proven commodity now, while Greg is both unproven and is recovering from a major knee injury, so I suppose any unbiased vote would have to go to Chris at this particular juncture. Two or three years from now, after Greg's maybe lead the Blazers to a title and someone dredges up this thread, we may think it's laughable that some of us would have traded him.

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Blazermania is BACK!!!

sasaint

ABSOLUTELY! Never trade proven greatness for potential. Flip the coin over - definitely trade potential for proven greatness. Does anybody remember Ralph Sampson and his unlimited potential? Even so, if Oden is half as good as the optimists expect, Portland will be a title contender next year if the current roster stays healthy and gains experience playing together.

HOWIE

I hear ya, but if equal in talent? I wouldn't trade big for small. I shouldn't have used the word never, there are exceptions as you pointed out. Sure I'd trade Joel for CP3 as Joel is being replaced anyways. While Oden hasn't played in the NBA yet, I think his career will be just as good if not better than CP3.

I'd love to have CP3 as our point guard, but there are more quality PG's out there then there are quality C's out there, and Portland has to legit C's.

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chairman

When Paul wins a championship then I will say yes. Until then I say never trade big for small.

On another note, although I like Chris Paul more, I think Deron Willliams is even slightly better. (And in the end will be more durable than Paul)

Balian

Which path is more likely to get us to a championship the easiest? Having a dominant big man will. Besides, a good point guard is easier to get than a once in a generation dominate big man. I don't see us winning a championship with Joel as the starting center.

RoyToy

The only player you can think about trading Oden for is LeBron. No one else.

Reep