Portland Trail Blazer fans experienced a crushing blow with the news that Greg Oden, the number one overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, will be spending the entire season on the sidelines. He was heralded the future of the franchise and though he still might live up to that hype, he'll have to wait at least an entire year to do so.
Oden's injury is similar to the one Amare Stoudemire endured a couple seasons ago, which means that Oden should be able to heal and have a lucrative career. However, there are many concerns that his injury woes won't stop with his knee. There have been reported concerns about Oden's back, he missed half of his freshman year at Ohio State with a broken wrist and this summer he had surgery for tonsillitis. The list doesn't seem to have an end, which must scare Blazer fans.
Still, Oden's young and his upside is through the roof. At 7 feet tall, Oden has the explosiveness and athleticism rarely seen in a player of his size. Losing him this season means the Blazers will have to rely more heavily on Joel Pryzbilla to anchor the Blazers' interior defense. Przybilla isn't the worst player in the world, and is actually a pretty solid back up. However, he's had injury issues of his own to worry about and probably won't come close to matching what Oden would have brought.
What is scary about this injury is that it will likely mean another lottery pick for the Blazers next season. With young stars like forward Michael Beasley, point guard Derrick Rose, shooting guard O.J. Mayo and others, the 2008 NBA Draft could be just as strong, if not stronger, than the 2007 NBA Draft. Imagine adding one of those names to a roster that already includes Greg Oden (who will hopefully be healthy by the 2008-2009 season), LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy.
The pressure will now turn even more to 2007 Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. Expect big improvements for Aldridge, who played last season behind Zach Randolph. With Randolph gone, Aldridge will be the go-to-guy in the paint.
Moreover, with Oden out of the picture, more attention will be given to Seattle Supersonics' rookie forward Kevin Durant, who was the number two pick overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. Durant and Oden were supposed to be the top two candidates for 2008 Rookie of the Year. Durant is expected to be a shoe-in winner now.
It's important to remember that even though Oden's season is lost, his career is not. This is not another case like Sam Bowie, a center whom the Blazers drafted in 1984 one pick before Michael Jordan was taken. Bowie's career was plagued with injuries and disappointment. Oden's situation is completely different and writing him off so early would be a mistake. In the meantime, expect big things from Roy and Aldridge.
Phil Partington - Phil Partington is a writing enthusiast of many years and has been published in national magazines, web publications and other media ...
