Acclaimed rookies show room for improvement

Years from now, when someone asks Kevin Durant what was his "Welcome to the NBA moment," he sheepishly will tell the person about the first NBA Summer League game he played in and how DeSagana Diop sent his first shot flying toward the stands.

Greg Oden's "Welcome" moment was worse. He fouled out in his first NBA experience as a Portland Trail Blazer. That won't be anything to brag about either.

Oden picked up 10 fouls in 20 minutes in the Blazers' 74-66 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday at Cox Pavilion on the first day of the NBA Summer League. The No. 1 overall pick in last week's NBA Draft was despondent as he faced the media after managing just six points, two rebounds and two blocked shots.

"I didn't play well," said Oden, who is battling a sinus infection. "I've got to play harder. I have to be able to get into a groove. I never got into a groove."

Durant, the Seattle SuperSonics rookie forward, also struggled in his debut, missing his first five shots against the Dallas Mavericks. But Durant, who was the No. 2 overall pick, eventually settled down and finished with 18 points in 30 minutes as the Sonics fell to the Mavericks, 77-66.

"It was tough," Durant said of his first outing as a professional, which was witnessed by a packed house of 2,500. Most stayed to watch Oden later in the evening.

"I started off slow. But my teammates picked me up, got me the ball in good position and I was able to score a little bit."

Both players had a severe case of jitters. And given all the hype and their lofty status as the top two draft picks, it was virtually impossible for either to live up to the fans' expectations for immediate greatness.

"It is pressure out there because of who we are," Oden said. "We have to live with that and perform."

Said Durant: "I'll remember how nervous I was. But my teammates did a great job of calming me down."

As far as dealing with pressure, Durant said it wasn't a factor for him Friday.

"None at all," he said. "This is basketball. I'm going to try to get better every day, as a basketball player and as a person. I want to keep being aggressive. It's a lot faster than what I'm used to. It's a lot more intense.

"But I had good shots; they just weren't falling. In this game, you can't make every shot. I could have shot the ball a lot better but there's always the next game. I'll be more relaxed, and I'll shoot it better."

Brandon Heath, the former San Diego State star guard who is playing with Durant this week in Las Vegas, said despite the fellow rookie's struggles, he can tell Durant has a lot of gifts as a player.

"He's very talented," Heath said. "He's a problem because he can't be touched. He can take it to the hole, or he can spot up and shoot it. He's definitely special."

Oden showed flashes of brilliance. He had a huge block on Leon Powe midway through the fourth quarter, and he hit a nice hook shot in the key during the third quarter.

But he never found a rhythm because he was in foul trouble. He had three personals just three minutes into the game and by the fourth quarter was playing with eight.

In previous years, that wouldn't have been a problem in the summer league because no one was allowed to foul out. This year, a 10-foul limit was instituted, and Oden reached the end of the line with 2:47 left in the fourth quarter.

"It's a different game," Oden said. "They call it different. There's a lot of things you can't do, a lot of hand movement, hand checking you can't get away with.

"It's strange getting 10 fouls. I usually get thrown out at five."

Durant, who shot 5-for-17 from the field, said he'll get over the shaky debut and knows this won't be the last time one of his shots is rejected.

"Everybody gets their shot blocked," he said. "This is the NBA. I'm not going to get down on myself. I've just got to keep going."