Honk once for Oden, twice if you're dumb enough to pass him up

As far as ruses go, this one is pretty thorough. Pritchard went so far as to waste Durant's time by flying him into Portland last week for a workout, then told the media that it had been "as impressive as any workout I've seen in here."

This is a massive, pre-meditated charade. On the Trail Blazers' official website, the front page is devoted to an enormous picture of Oden and Durant, with viewers asked to choose. (As of Monday afternoon, Oden had received 74 percent of the votes, Durant 26 percent). Click on either player's name and you are directed to a page full of videos, photos, audio and statistics. The website also has teased potential season-ticket buyers with a short clip of Pritchard asking, "Oden or Durant?"

Around town the team has put up billboards asking drivers to sound off on the Trail Blazers' draft quandary: Honk once for Oden, twice for Durant. Pritchard says he routinely gets emails from fans with nothing more than "honk" or "honk honk."

It's brilliant, what Portland is doing. Not so many years ago the Trail Blazers were mocked as the "Jail Blazers" and held up as an example of everything wrong with the thuggish NBA. Support around town was fading. There was talk of relocation.

Now Portland is on the verge of becoming the fresh young face of the NBA, held back only by its unfriendly time zone. More than 3,000 season tickets have been sold since the end of this past season, when the Blazers unveiled the NBA Rookie of the Year (Brandon Roy) and another young rising star in LaMarcus Aldridge, both quality young men. Troublesome Zach Randolph is still around, but if he can stay out of trouble, he gives Portland the only 23-and-10 guy in the league.

Until Oden gets comfortable, that is. Oden averaged nearly 16 ppg, 10 rpg and four blocks at Ohio State, even as he was limited by a lack of touches, poor officiating and a wrap on his right wrist that forced him to shoot free throws left-handed. He'll eclipse that 16-10-4 production in the NBA within a year or two, and he'll do it for Portland.

There are hints. Within a couple days last week, Portland hired one of Nike's top executives, Larry G. Miller, as team president while Oden was signing with the same Oregon-based shoe company. Portland doesn't hire Miller -- and Oden doesn't choose Nike -- if the Trail Blazers are going to draft Durant. I'm telling you, that wouldn't happen.

Then again, Portland could be stupid. It has been stupid before. Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan, remember. That was 1984.

Twenty-three years later, Pritchard will get this one right, unless he doesn't. Honk once for Oden. Honk twice if you're an idiot.