We didn't get to see the
entire debut of Greg Oden for Ohio State, but we saw enough: the kid
really understands shot-blocking. His balance and anticipation are superb, and
unlike Patrick Ewing in his early years, Oden doesn't throw the ball away and
give it back. He retrieves it. He scored 14 points, had 10 boards,
and five blocks - in 23 minutes. It was a Russellesque performance in
miniature. If you look at the
picture on ESPN Saturday night, he even has his body in a pose that looks
quite like Bill Russell actually. Some of the old black and white photos
of Russell were amazingly beautiful because he managed to move his body around
the game action.
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