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C Greg Oden (All B1G, All-American, Defensive Player of the Year, Butler Assistant Coach)

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osugrad21;1311133; said:
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This guy is comparing Oden's injury problems to those of former Portland players Sam Bowie and Bill Walton.

Oden's latest setback unsettling

It is not upon the Blazers now. But there is some unsettled staring toward the cosmos.
Oden's long-delayed debut couldn't have gone worse for him and his team Tuesday night in Los Angeles. He looked a little slow, then appeared to be limping, then never saw action in the second half as the Lakers coasted to a 96-76 victory. And on Wednesday, it was revealed that Oden had suffered a mid-lateral sprain of his right foot and will miss two-to-four weeks.
Here is what is not fair: Bringing up the specter of Sam Bowie.
Here is what is impossible not to do: Bring up the specter of Sam Bowie.
I do so with little enthusiasm. Bowie, for those of you unfamiliar with one of the unluckiest scenarios in NBA history, was famously drafted by Portland before Michael Jordan in 1984 and never got a chance to show his potential because of various lower-extremity injuries. It goes without saying (so why am I saying it?) that Bill Walton had already established the painful Portland pivotman precedent by going down with a foot injury in 1978, the year after the Blazers won their only championship.
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There seems to be no reason in Portland to pull out pro sports' favorite pastime, "The Blame Game." True, there were predraft concerns about Oden's general health. "He just looks so grizzled," one exec had said. But no one went so far as to say that those concerns would've kept his franchise from drafting Oden at No. 1.
The selection of Oden over Kevin Durant was not controversial. (Though I am on record as believing that Durant was the better long-run pick.) The Blazers were appropriately cautious with Oden's rehab last season when he did not play, and did not rush him back this season when he was apparently ready. If this injury bugaboo turns out to be a trend, no one will be at fault. But that won't make it any less unfortunate for a franchise familiar with injury misery.


Entire article: Greg Oden's latest injury is unsettling for the Trail Blazers - Jack McCallum - SI.com
 
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I hate being wrong. Except when it's about Greg Oden.
by Bill Simmons
simmons.jpg
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images






First impressions matter more in basketball than in any other sport, and they can be savored only in person. Players can't hide behind pads or helmets, so we can stare at them, evaluate every move they make: running, jumping, walking, even ogling the cheerleaders. We can see every ripple and tattoo. If they're lazy, we can tell. If they have a lousy attitude, we can tell. If their teammates dislike them, we can tell. It's the most naked sport, if that makes sense.
And if we happen to be watching a potential franchise center, we can tell right away. I remember watching young David Robinson stroll out of the tunnel at the Boston Garden as everyone made the same sound: "Whoa." Young Hakeem possessed so much raw athletic ability, he could barely harness it; watching him play hoops was like watching a 15-year-old driving a Formula One race car. Young Dikembe altered every shot within 12 feet, and eight blocks per game seemed realistic. Young Shaq had the highest ceiling of all: I specifically recall leaving the Garden thinking, It's all over; nobody has a chance against that guy.

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Monday, November 10, 2008

Greg Oden back in action

Besides the timing of shoot around, the other news out of Orlando yesterday was Greg Oden's return to the practice court. Oden had been rehabbing with a variety of off-court exercise coupled with some light on-court shooting, but yesterday Oden ran, jumped and (lightly) bumped with the team at the Magic's practice facility.

And he looked good. I didn't get a chance to talk to him after shoot around, but it didn't look like he was experiencing any pain. Granted, it was a hour long shoot around that basically amounts to a walk-through of Orlando's bread and butter plays, but it was great to see the big man getting up and down the court again, especially considering there was some concern that he wouldn't even make the trip.

Important to note though that just because Oden participated in yesterday's shoot around doesn't necessarily mean he's ready to get out and play in game situations. The team is scheduled to have a full practice tomorrow in Miami, so it's possible we'll know more about Oden's status after that. It's possible we'll get an update pre-game tonight, but my gut tells me that, at the very least, they'd want to run Oden through a whole practice before coming to any conclusions about his status for the rest of the trip.
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Oden looks like he's ready to play

MIAMI - Feigning irritation, Steve Blake traipsed three rows into the stands behind the basket at AmericanAirlines Arena and retrieved a basketball being used for the Trail Blazers practice.
"Come on, Greg!" Blake said. "Keep the ball inbounds."
The ball was there courtesy of Greg Oden, the promising, yet often injured rookie center, who on Tuesday took part in his first full-speed practice since suffering a sprained right foot in the season opener.
And Oden didn't just participate. He had just made a convincing statement that he is ready to return for tonight's game against the Miami Heat, spinning through traffic for a two-handed dunk, punctuated with a two-handed slap to the backboard. As the ferocious dunk went through the rim, the ball ricocheted off his knees into the stands, sending Blake scurrying like a kid searching for a foul ball in a barren stadium.
It was one of those moments when assistant coaches and players looked at each other and smiled.
After the 90-minute practice, Oden reported no pain in his foot, while his teammates and head coach all said there is no doubt that the 7-footer is ready to play.
The only thing left in the way between Oden playing against the Heat tonight was a positive report from Oden after he awakens this morning.
"Have to see how it feels when I wake up tomorrow," Oden said. "But I felt good today."
The news was not so encouraging, however, for Blazers star Brandon Roy, who did not practice because of spasms in his lower back, which started during the final minute of Monday's 106-99 win at Orlando.
Roy said if the Blazers would have had a game Tuesday night, he would not have been able to play.
"It's a wait and see," Roy said after practice. "Obviously, I'm hopeful to play tomorrow. I will continue to get treatment. A big sign will be how I feel in shootaround tomorrow morning."
So it will be the season's most anticipated shootaround this morning at 11:30 a.m. EST, where the fate of two of the team's three pillars will likely be determined.
Coach Nate McMillan, however, didn't seem overly concerned, going as far as to predict that Roy plays while exuding cautious optimism that Oden will awake with spry feet.
"See that guy over there in the white T-shirt?" McMillan asked, pointing to team athletic trainer Jay Jensen, who was across the court icing Oden. "He's a wizard. He works miracles."
If Oden does play, McMillan said he will probably continue to start Joel Przybilla and bring Oden off the bench. The only way he won't use that tactic is if Jensen determines it is best for Oden to play while he is still loose from warmups.
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Entire article: Oden looks like he's ready to play - Behind The Blazers Beat - The Oregonian - OregonLive.com
 
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Oden says he's ready to return

MIAMI (AP) -- Greg Oden says he's ready to play.
The Portland Trail Blazers center says he'll play Wednesday night against the Miami Heat, even though the team is listing him officially as a game-time decision. Oden has missed the Blazers' last six games because of a sprained right foot suffered in Portland's season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Feels good. I'm ready. I'm excited," Oden said after Wednesday's shootaround. "I'll hopefully play the full game tonight."

Entire article: Greg Oden says he will return to the Blazers' lineup Wednesday - NBA - SI.com
 
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