Greg Oden: How Good Can He Be as a Redshirt Rookie?

There is no doubt in my mind, that—barring injury—Greg Oden will be good.  Not good amongst today's NBA centers, but all-time good.  All-Star good.  Hall of Fame good. Okay, I think he will be GREAT. We haven't seen Oden on a national stage since his Ohio State days.  After sitting all of last year out with an injury, he is ready to go for his NBA rookie season as a Portland Trail Blazer. Aside from possibly being 35, Oden has an advantage over most rookies—an extra year to learn the game, build his body, and improve the skills he will need to be successful in the NBA.  In order to see the potential for Greg Oden, I will be looking at some of the NBA’s great big men who were top draft picks in the past two decades, and comparing their games.  I have listed each player's rookie stat-line including games played (G), minutes per game (MPG), points per game (PPG), field goal percentage (FG%), rebounds per game (RPG), blocks per game (BPG), ... (link)