King Jerm vs. King Jerm. Yes. Jerm battles himself like Cassidy about this year’s NBA draft potentials.
King Jerm’s Pick: Kevin Durant
Let’s look at a stat line: 25 pts and 11 rebs. That sounds like a dominant player, don’t you agree? This is just a one reason why Kevin Durant should be a #1 pick. Not only did he win the Naismith Award, he also won every other collegiate award offered. He led his conference in scoring, something Oden failed to do. He also played the whole season. This man is NBA ready. There is no 3-5 year window for him to learn the game. Yes, he is on the thin side, but with the right trainer he will gain that muscle he needs. The knock about him not lifting 185 lbs is nonsense; he only has to lift 1.5 lbs! If you want an impact player this season, take Durant. If you want another project in the making, take Oden. With the NBA shifting gears toward big men being playmakers, the big man in the middle may be obsolete. Oden is the player of yesterday, Durant is the player of the future. With Nike putting up 60 million on Durant and Oden only drawing 12 million, that shows you who the more marquee player is.
King Jerm’s Pick: Greg Oden
Greg Oden is 7 feet tall and 250 lbs of straight beast. How many times does a gem like him come by? Let’s not forget that he played most of the season with his offhand! The guy injures his right wrist, and develops his left wrist while rehabbing his right wrist. His stat line isn’t as dominant as Durant’s; 15 pts 9 rebs, but his impact carried his team to the National Championship. Did we forget the 25 and 12 he put on the Gators. The guy isn’t pure offense like Durant, but he is a GAMECHANGER on defense. Oden averages over 3 blocks a game! Yes, he may have to adjust to the NBA game, but who doesn’t. Taking a 7 foot man-child number one isn’t such a bad idea, especially one with the potential of Greg Oden. Look back in the past at previous overall number one picks: Yao, Tim, Shaq, David, Ewing, and Olajuwon are a few that come to mind that were picked before some scoring machines. There is no guarantee that Durant will shred defenses like he did in college, but Oden will still grab those boards and block those same shots. If you’re all about hype, go with Kevin. But if you want substance, your obvious choice is Greg Oden.
