Greg Oden’s Injury Has Everyone Confused, Frustrated

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• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 10:04 am
  I actually said a month BEFORE that fateful draft that I felt Durant would be a MUCH better pick. In fact, I wrote about it for Ball is life. It was actually my first column for ‘em. I love being right

• Moose Posted: Feb.25 at 10:09 am
  Sam Bowie?

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 10:12 am
  i told everyone in my first blog on ballislife months before the draft that Durant was a much better pick and even said Oden was nothing but the next sam bowie. I was dead on. DEAD ON.

• Allan Posted: Feb.25 at 10:13 am
  I am not too excited about this big man anymore as I was before he was drafted. But still, let us all give him a chance to prove himself with the mental grind of the NBA game . . .I still hope to see Greg Oden proving all the skeptics wrong.

• TADOne Posted: Feb.25 at 10:13 am
  Portland has some sh*tty luck with big men.

• nick Posted: Feb.25 at 10:13 am
  a “bone chip” sounds not good. I have no medical knowledge of any sort, but i do know that, by and large, bones aren’t supposed to chip. Not good.

• Kiran.n7 Posted: Feb.25 at 10:16 am
  Durant was the safer pick…, Portland took a risk with greg and paid for it. “the best young center of the dacade”… yeah right!!

• Bryan Posted: Feb.25 at 10:22 am
  Yeah you were dead on. A 20 year old with 40 some odd games of nba experience has no chance to improve.

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 10:23 am
  Bryan, it’s not that he cant improve, its the INJURIES.

• Bryan Posted: Feb.25 at 10:29 am
  I just think its a little short sighted is all. He has a bone chip in his knee ok great. Its easier to get injured after sitting on your ass for a year then jumping right into the highest level. I think when this guy is 25 everyone is going to be eating their words is all.

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 10:33 am
  Bryan, he got hurt, then he got better, then he got hurt, then he got better then he got hurt. Seriously, it’s a pattern that stems from HS to College to NOW. It’s not something NEW. This isn’t just two isolated incidents. It also shows precedent that he HEALS EXTREMELY SLOW. Even the Portland higher ups are surprised by it. Seriously. His legs will always have problems because one is shorter than the other by more than an INCH, plus that uneven stance will give him back problems. Also notice that he doesn’t walk like a 21 year old guy, he walks like he’s older than Bill Walton. And that’s not a joke on how old he looks in the face. That’s my dead serious view of it.

• Ryan Jones Posted: Feb.25 at 10:49 am
  You reach your 70s, your body starts to break down. Nothing surprising here.

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 10:50 am
  hahaha

• david Posted: Feb.25 at 10:58 am
  Ugh, serenity now. Its really frustrating as a Blazers fan to see this. Especially after my season tickets have doubled in price since the 06-07 season.

• CHE Posted: Feb.25 at 11:01 am
  Can you say Surgery Number 2?
  Oden will never play a full season of NBA basketball ever in his entire career (which will be 4 years).

• ciolkstar Posted: Feb.25 at 11:09 am
  Sadly, (GO is a cool guy, I feel bad for him) Walsh is pretty much right about all he’s said here. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant’s star is on the riase and seems to have limitless potential.

• ciolkstar Posted: Feb.25 at 11:10 am
  …and from the jump I though “Chipped Patella” would take Oden WAY more than the two or three games missed they originally projected.

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 11:13 am
  yeah, I feel bad for him too, just like I felt bad for Sam Bowie.

• Doc Funk Posted: Feb.25 at 11:15 am
  Things will start to turn around for him when he gets hired at the MacMillan Toy Company.

• scott Posted: Feb.25 at 11:15 am
  Kevin Durant > Greg Oden

• Mo Charlo Posted: Feb.25 at 11:23 am
  HATE HATE HATE

• Collin Posted: Feb.25 at 11:32 am
  sometimes it is very frustrating being a diehard blazer fan.

• Cizzo Posted: Feb.25 at 11:42 am
  Progress is a very very very very slow process with Big Gregg but he’s young even though he looks like Lebron James daddy.

• Young C Posted: Feb.25 at 11:48 am
  Now let’s just hope that Slam doesn’t put him on another cover until after he puts up all-star numbers. Also, let’s hope Slam doesn’t put Durant on another cover until after the Thunder get some decent jerseys

• RV Posted: Feb.25 at 11:53 am
  The curious case of Greg Oden……..can we start calling him Benjamin??

• Gumdrop Posted: Feb.25 at 11:54 am
  Durant could wear a wooden barrel with straps and he’d still deserve a cover.

• Bballrehab Posted: Feb.25 at 11:58 am
  Greg seems like a good guy, but I don’t know, sometimes it looks like he’s lost on the floor. And sadly when things begin that badly most of the time they keep going that way.

• J.B Posted: Feb.25 at 12:00 pm
  sam bowieeeee.

• Mr Unbreakable Posted: Feb.25 at 12:04 pm
  Poor Greg, he looks like a cool guy, hope he’s not d next TMac…

• doyouwantmore Posted: Feb.25 at 12:40 pm
  Greg’s big and old-looking and there’s probably a physiological reason for it. There are two types of big guys. There are guys like Shaq who are just genetically freakin’ BIG. I wonder if Oden isn’t one of those people with an abnormal thyroid gland or something that makes them grow far too quickly for their bone structure to handle.

• Anton Posted: Feb.25 at 12:51 pm
  Hope he gets back into it, he has grandkids to feed

• SteveA Posted: Feb.25 at 1:15 pm
  Mr Unbreakable…I think GO wishes he was the next Tmac. At this point he looks like the next Mr Glass.

• Diogo Posted: Feb.25 at 1:27 pm
  Greg Oden or Bill Russel?

• Justin Posted: Feb.25 at 1:42 pm
  I actually said a month BEFORE that fateful draft that I felt Durant would be a MUCH better pick. In fact, I wrote about it for Ball is life. It was actually my first column for ‘em. I love being right i told everyone in my first blog on ballislife months before the draft that Durant was a much better pick and even said Oden was nothing but the next sam bowie. I was dead on. DEAD ON

• Bobby_Dimez Posted: Feb.25 at 2:02 pm
  Michael Olowokandi..Michael Olowokandi..Michael Olowokandi..Michael Olowokandi.. ANOTHER DRAFT BUST IN THE MAKING!!Michael Olowokandi…..

• catalan Posted: Feb.25 at 2:05 pm
  Bob McAdoo, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Kevin Durant…

• Caleb Posted: Feb.25 at 2:10 pm
  “I love being right i told everyone in my first blog on ballislife months before the draft that Durant was a much better pick” Really? You did? You were right? Like, seriously?!?! Each time you post this I AM BLOWN AWAY.

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 2:11 pm
  Caleb, the second and third time i posted it, it wasnt me. Really. Hahha

• Rob Posted: Feb.25 at 2:26 pm
  BUST

• Sparker Posted: Feb.25 at 2:31 pm
  i was just wondering: how many of you also wrote off andrea 20-10 bargnani? can you please form a single file line?

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 2:34 pm
  Sparker, I wrote him off because I hated the Dirk comparison- it was a crappy evaluation. I admit I was wrong. There. He still isn’t number one pick

• Phil B Posted: Feb.25 at 2:46 pm
  Portland didn’t draft Oden because he was the better player, they drafted him because, if healthy, he would bring the things they felt the team needed to win. Obviously, health is the issue here. Who knows what the future will bring. But when he’s able to stay on the court, he’s been excellent for the Blazers. So too early to say bust, in my opinion. That’s a good point by Sparker, I had started to write off Bargnani and now he’s doing much better. I would be fine if it takes Oden that long to develop… although, I wish it would come sooner. All this being said, Durant is a hell of a player.

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 2:48 pm
  Phil, they drafted Oden because they said he was a big man that comes once every twenty five years. They said he was the best big man prospect since KAREEM. I’m sorry but that’s what they SAID. I’m just being real. And Bargnani wasn’t written off for being injury prone. he wasn’t even written off. We just know he shouldn’t have been a number one pick. Period.

• underdog Posted: Feb.25 at 3:00 pm
  I love how everybody said, that Oden was going to be a huge bust. C’mon stop lying to yourself, it doesn’t make you smarter.

• PDXFAN Posted: Feb.25 at 3:01 pm
  Y’all are some serious haters. Dude just turned 21… he’s gonna be fine. They drafted him to be the best role player in the NBA, not a superstar. Anybody that had a serious knee to knee collision would be out a week or so… nobody in Portland is stressin about his injury. Why is nobody talking about how Bynum will have missed more games than Oden this season?

• Doc Funk Posted: Feb.25 at 3:04 pm
  I thought Oden would be 15, 13, and 3 blocks his first year playing. This is why you should never listen to me.

• the baconator Posted: Feb.25 at 3:06 pm
  Is it safe to say by now that Greg Oden might go down as the biggest question mark in NBA history? He’s shown flashes of dominance this season, but has been hindered by injuries throughout. I’m thinking he’ll end up joining Len Bias and Penny Hardaway in the “What-if” Hall of Fame

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 3:08 pm
  PDX….ODEN WAS THE NUMBER ONE PICK. ODEN WAS EVALUATED AS THE BEST BIG MAN PROSPECT SINCE KAREEM. And Bynum wasn’t picked ahead of the best young scorer in the entire NBA. Portland didnt pick him to be the best role player, they picked him to be a hall of famer. Why else do you come into the draft saying “he’s a big man that comes along once every 25 years” you DONT say that unless you have more expectations than that of a role player. Don’t even come with that crap. Portland is fine without him as a team anyway so I don’t know why Portland fans are so defensive. Just admit it, Oden is injury prone. THat’s all I’m saying.

• Justin Moore Posted: Feb.25 at 3:12 pm
  Everyone hop on the Oden bandwagon now!

• ciolkstar Posted: Feb.25 at 3:29 pm
  The fact that Durant is going absolutely bananas right now doesn’t help Oden at all. Those two will be inextricably linked throughout their careers.

• seppo Posted: Feb.25 at 4:40 pm
  Durant is the future of the league. There is no player in the league who has more swagger than him. It justs feels like he can score whenever and however he wants to.

• h00paholic@hotmail.com Posted: Feb.25 at 5:08 pm
  MR. J. WALSH
  You cant predict someone getting hurt. and saying who was the better number one pick, because every team out there dont need a Greg O. or a Durant type of player. They pick who best fits their team. Taking nothing from Durant who is a great player. Greg just ran into some bad luck. And he is already better than sam bowie. Maybe he could be the next Justin Walsh and just be lucky.

• sab Posted: Feb.25 at 5:30 pm
  “Just admit it, Oden is injury prone. THat’s all I’m saying.”
  noooooooo, you seem to be saying “look at me, i’m so great, i said this would happen”. and ignoring the fact that no-one cares…

• Justin Walsh Posted: Feb.25 at 5:32 pm
  yes sab, I’m also requesting a sensual massage from everybody who disagrees. You gotta be kidding. Im just relishing that I’m right FOR ONCE. I don’t think I rock or something, I was wrong about bargnani, wrong about DJ Augustine. Just let me have my ONE victory haha

• Witness Posted: Feb.25 at 5:42 pm
  oden is still beast.

• Dacre Posted: Feb.25 at 6:02 pm
  Oden meet bus.

• Bryan Posted: Feb.25 at 6:05 pm
  F*ck em Justin even if I sort of disagree with you. So far you’re right I think eventually you’ll be proven wrong is all. But everyone trying to straight call you out is a jackass.

• sab Posted: Feb.25 at 6:11 pm
  yeah Bryan, go Keyboard Warriorz, lol. i just thought those two sentences were pretty ridiculous - “that’s all i’m saying” how come you’ve posted 20% of the comments on this topic then!! you could’ve kept it much shorter if that’s all you were saying…

• Jukai Posted: Feb.25 at 6:17 pm
  Co-sign Sab. Bryan is backing up Justin because Bryan will make twice the fuss when he is eventually right about something (that day hasn’t come yet).

• BETCATS Posted: Feb.25 at 6:25 pm
  i think Oden can be great WHEN HEALTHY and have repeated that fact many times. But that day hasnt come yet. However, everybody should keep their pants on and stop trying to buttfu(k Oden for having bad knees. He’s not the first/last big man prospect with them, and he will eventually get the job done.

• man Posted: Feb.25 at 6:36 pm
  i think the only reason so many ppl are having a discussion about this is because he was drafted before durant. I wish KD was drafted in 06 so ppl would leave the old man in peace.

• Joey E. Posted: Feb.25 at 7:39 pm
  no matter what happens, he’s never gonna be as good as Durant. He may not be Bowie, but maybe he’ll be Hakeem? Should Houston have drafted MJ 1st? HELL YEAH. but they took Hakeem so you can’t be mad at them at all. Same thing I think.

• CP34MVP Posted: Feb.25 at 8:41 pm
  Sam BOWIE!

• aotearaw Posted: Feb.25 at 8:41 pm
  Olowokandi- Part Deux

• Dacre Posted: Feb.25 at 9:16 pm
  Joey E. saying that Oden could get within the realms of Hakeem but will never be as good as Durant just sounds like the most backward comment I’ve read here since nbk used to prance around the posts….Infact it’s worse…
  I am not confused by Odens injury-ness. I KNOW it amounts to THE quintessential example of a wasted #1 draft pick. He was all hype and he will be out of the league in 4 years.

• djpatlok.com Posted: Feb.25 at 10:04 pm
  I’m curious if there have ever been any injury-prone big men, who stopped being injury prone and went on to successful careers? *or else we should stop talking about Bynum too*

• jay Posted: Feb.26 at 12:38 am
  this does not sound good. i am guessing it is pretty bad….and i am with other board members….a bone chip does not sound like a day to day injury…we shall see!!!

• paintrain Posted: Feb.26 at 1:13 am
  straight haters. Its been one year. It took Amare a year to get to close to form, and he’s still improving. Give Oden three or four seasons and we’ll see where we’re at. He’s a beast, championship road runs through Portland

• Dacre Posted: Feb.26 at 2:36 am
  sorry, this is different…this guy came into the league injured. He hid it from a lot of people and i think even the hype surrounding the kid hid alot of his flaws regarding his health generally and his stamina and endurance particularly. REGARDING INJURY PRONE CENTRES…unfortunately “Ol’ Greg” is looking like SAM BOWIE, the very much sort after centre taken in the NBA DRAFT the very pick before MICHAEL JORDAN - its uncanny almost that, this pick was also used to get a centre because the BLAZERS had Clyde Drexler and in their own right had the sg positon filled very well there… Zydrunas Illgauskas was one centre that comes to mind; fighting back from very bad feet and a “prone-ness” to injury in that way…but I dont think it’s something just any big guy can do, big guys are heavy, they wear their bodies out… so sure I would like to have Greg Oden be a productive healthy young man in the NBA….I just don’t see it happening. AND PORTLAND should have known this from their VERY OWN history.

• Joey E. Posted: Feb.26 at 2:51 am
  Dacre, your right. I guess what I’m trying to say is that just because Durant is better than him now doesnt mean he’s gonna be a bust. Even if Oden puts up 17/9, KD is gonna be going insane and people are still gonna be saying that POR should have taken KD. I just used Hakeem for poetic justice. I know we’re just saying he’s injury prone because its the Blazers and they drafted Bowie over Mike, but I think what each of them wins will dictate whether Portland made the right choice. ugh, do you get it kinda? Hakeem wasn’t a bust by any means, but it wasn’t until his 2 rings that made him a legit pick for Houston over MJ and his then 3 rings.

• BT Posted: Feb.26 at 5:48 am
  They were right, he is a big man who comes along once every 25 years..how long ago was it that bowie was drafted again…? All jokes aside i hope he recovers cuz the blazers are gna be dope for many years and oden is just the cherry on the top… and why is everyone sleeping on lamarcus? hes better anyway, at least for now.

• giogolo Posted: Feb.26 at 6:27 am
  a lot of you here don’t show their true sentiments.
  everyone wants Mr. Oden to succeed..and the only reason most are hating cuz his injuries keep disappointing everybody including himself.

• ab_40 Posted: Feb.26 at 6:29 am
  uhm duh? his body seems out of balance… his upper body is far more trained then his lower body which results in injuries. he spent a whole year training his upper body while doing littel to nothing with his upper body. your legs weigh about 1 10th of your entire weight so he gained about 50 pounds I know he’s at 270 something now but he was 290 for sure. which is bad for the knees 260 pounds on your legs while you run and jump after doing almost nothing for about a year is not gonna help get the mechanisms of your knees and ankles ready. He should’ve layed low for just a little longer. You see what’s happening now. And he’s only 21.

• jay Posted: Feb.26 at 7:01 am
  hakeem olajuwon

• PArson Posted: Feb.26 at 8:44 am
  ‘Best young big since Kareem’ … have I missed something or did Shaquille Oneal not play in the NBA? I mean Shaq is a big man and he’s won championship and stuff right … I mean that all did happen right or was this all a dream. Don’t get me wrong he didin’t do it alone but outside of Wilt who did (as a big man)? No disrespect but but Shaq at this stage of his career was as injury prone and didn’t he take a trip to the NBA finls about this point in his career…

• donlaker Posted: Feb.26 at 11:34 am
  sam bowie , bill walton, greg pace yourself
  or you will be out of basketball in 4 years.

• Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Feb.26 at 7:12 pm
  Greg Oden is only 21 years old? Is he seriously trying to pass that off? I mean look at the guy, for goodness sakes. He must have been born on a leap year and started school when he was 20 leap years old.

• Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Feb.26 at 7:13 pm
  That being said, best of luck to Oden and get well soon!

• Dacre Posted: Feb.26 at 11:32 pm
  For the record (I would still have rather taken Durant in the draft if he was available…) they say ‘you can’t teach height’…I just hope for the Blazers organisation and Oden himself that you can heal it.
  Maybe he might need to get onto the Phoenix medical staff or atleast utilise their philosophy to go OUTSIDE of treating the injury and developing the health and strength of the surrounding body parts….
  …to be continued ODEN! RISE UP YOUNG MAN .

• Peach Basket Dreams Posted: Feb.26 at 11:56 pm
  I’m always skeptical of young players with back or knee injuries. I hope that he can come back from this. Somebody on the Blazers staff needs to put him on calcium supplements or something.

• BostonBaller Posted: Feb.27 at 8:19 am
  It’s either the curse of Jordan or some weird Prtland big man curse! When Portland chose a gimpy Bowie on a rep he had in high school over Jordan God smacked them. Bill Walton, Sam bowie…Greg Oden? I hope not. At least Walton did his thing in Portland for a minute then came to us and got another ring. I believe Oden will become a good big man even with injuries and could become a great big man if he licks the injury bug. He has some serious talent but can’t desplay it or improve on it while sitting…Let’s wait and see…

• Blinguo Posted: Feb.27 at 9:07 am
  Makes my G.O. jokes in the other old post up even worse to have said. Shut it down like TMAC so he won’t be TMAC/Penny/Bowie/etc. Get well soon Oden.

• tdub Posted: Mar.3 at 3:11 pm
  Yep, so far Oden is a big, clumsy BUST. Beyond his habitual injuries, even in games he has played he is more often than not, a non-factor. Stupid fouls, lumbering around in the lane, sulking on the bench. This kid has a LONG way to go, physically, mentally, emotionally.

• tdub Posted: Mar.3 at 3:14 pm
  Given all of Oden’s problems, it was still an easy pick for the Blazers at the time. A potentially GREAT center comes along about every 10 years in the draft, so I can see why it was too hard to resist. I don’t think he will ever be great, sadly, while Durrant, well, he is already great. Bad luck, bad choice in retrospect by the Blazers, but I see why they picked Oden at the time.

• Ryne Nelson Posted: Mar.3 at 3:18 pm
  I don’t think any center who plays great defense, rebounds well, clogs the middle on offense and is a solid 7-0… and is still 21 years old can be considered a bust.