Hooped Up

There has been some speculation floated out there that the Blazers could become involved in helping the New York Knicks unload disgruntled Stephon Marbury in exchange for the bloated contracts of Darius Miles and Raef LaFrentz. Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard chuckled at the idea on Thursday, saying he could bring up the “C-word” (culture) as a reason, but instead, he opted to comment on the current team.

Oregonian

I have been awed recently by the sight of Greg Oden, who has been practically living in the Blazers weight room now that he is off his crutches. The first thing that pops out is his upper-body. His shoulders are bursting, and his biceps are now cut and defined. And get this: A high-ranking Blazers source told me that Oden today still has the same body-fat percentage (7.8 percent) as he did when the Blazers drafted him, yet he has gained nearly 30 pounds, bringing him near 280 pounds.

Oregonian

The Portland Trail Blazers got Greg Oden and felt like they won a championship. The Seattle SuperSonics settled for Kevin Durant, thrilling fans disappointed by the trade of All-Star Ray Allen to Boston.

The Trail Blazers ended months of debate Thursday night when they chose Oden over fellow college freshman Durant with the No. 1 pick in a highly anticipated NBA draft.

Portland opted for the 7-footer who can dominate a game with his defense over the sensational scoring of Durant, who would have been the No. 1 pick in many other years after one of the most outstanding freshman seasons in NCAA history.

But franchise centers are hard to find, and most believe the Blazers got one.

CNN SI

Alright, now that it is essentially official that both of these players will pass up their final 3 years of the college experience in order to pursue a life in The League I feel safe discussing (a) who I think is the correct pick at the #1 spot (b) who will actually get picked at that spot (c) and who i think will in the long run be the better NBA player. Here goes:
The Sporting Rambler

Ohio State center Greg Oden (along with teammates Mike Conley and Daequan Cook) is expected to declare for the NBA on Friday, ending months of anxiety by NBA executives and NBA fans who feared he might return to college. Whewwwwwww . . . Two weeks ago we gave you five reasons why Kevin Durant should be the No. 1 pick in the draft. I received a lot of feedback, both pro and con, including some from folks who thought I’d lost my mind. Think again. While the argument for Durant is persuasive, there might be even better reasons to take Oden with the top pick.

ESPN

According to a pair of sources close to the situation, Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook will release a joint statement Friday morning with each declaring for the NBA Draft.

Oden will sign with an agent, most likely former track and field star Mike Conley Sr.

Conley and Cook will not sign with agents in order to preserve their eligibility.

FoxSports

Greg Oden will enter the 2007 NBA draft, his father said Friday.

Oden, the 7-foot, 280-pound freshman center who led Ohio State to the NCAA title game, is widely projected as the top pick.

Greg Oden Sr. said he was comfortable with his son’s decision.

“Why not, as long as he finishes school in the offseason?” the elder Oden said. “He’s the kind of kid that, even though he’ll have a lot of money, he needs to do more than just basketball.

“They had an exciting season, but why take the chance on him getting hurt?”

Oden and fellow Ohio State freshmen Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook are planning to meet this weekend in Indianapolis.

Mike Conley Sr., the former director of elite athlete services for USA Track and Field, has been certified as an NBA agent and is opening a representation firm.

“He (Conley Sr.) is going to manage (Greg),” Oden Sr. said.
The younger Conley, a 6-1 point guard, and Cook, a 6-5 shooting guard, also are expected to put their names in the draft, Oden Sr. said. If they don’t sign with an agent, they could return to school.

Indianapolis Star

Maybe now folks will realize there’s more to Ohio State than Greg Oden.

The big man finally looked like a freshman, getting mired in foul trouble as the top-seeded Buckeyes fell behind by 20 points before halftime. But senior Ron Lewis and fellow freshman Mike Conley bailed out Oden and lifted Ohio State past Tennessee, 85-84 Thursday night in the semifinals of the NCAA South Regional.

ESPN

Mike Conley Sr., who coached Greg Oden in summer basketball and has known him since he was in sixth grade, has decided to start a sports representation firm.

The company will be called Mac Management Group after the founder’s full name, Michael A. Conley.

“I just need to start putting things in place, not knowing what any of the guys are going to do,” Conley Sr. said Monday, referring to several college players he knows who are in the position of making decisions about declaring for the NBA draft. “They’re definitely going to do something this year or next, so if I’m going to do it, I need to put myself in the position to be ready when the time comes.”

Conley Sr. said starting a firm should not be viewed as any indication that Oden has made a decision about whether to go pro this year. Ohio State is in the Sweet Sixteen, and Oden has said he won’t make a decision about his future until the college season is complete.

Indianapolis Star