Greg needs to play limited minutes when he comes back

by oden is GOD OF WAR on Oct 28, 2008 11:45 PM PDT

Yes, he got hurt very early in the game. Yes the plan of playing him less minutes probably wouldn't have helped in this game as he got hurt on the second play. But Greg is very high on the list of important players for the long term plans of this team. The primary goal of the team for Greg should be to get and stay healthy, and as of right now, Greg has rolled his ankle causing him to miss playing time and practice twice in a month. Not coincidental or unlucky I believe. He is just heavy and kind of clumsy right now, understandably considering he's coming off a major surgery. They should decrease his minutes significantly until he gets lighter, more nimble, and more agile. The likelihood of rolling your ankle is much higher when you're weight / conditioning is sub par.

Greg may yet become a durable 75-82 games a year stalwart player, but not if he never gets a chance to get healthy and in good NBA game shape. How many foot / ankle sprains is he gonna have before constant injuries will weaken his frame? I don't want to find out. I hope they bring the kid gloves and bubblewrap back out and get that kid on the eliptical and in the pool to get some of that weight off before putting him in the grinder.

BTW don't expect him back for a week or two at least if it is a sprain. I've had foot sprains before, and they DO NOT heal overnight. Yes, they are varying in severity, but still need a week or two usually at least.

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so true...

to be honest i would be more inclined to have him come of the bench when he does come back.

by Enigmah on Oct 28, 2008 11:59 PM PDT reply actions

I agree.

Less pressure for the big guy is a good thing and I think that will happen coming off the bench. Also, the first unit looked more comfortable with Joel than Greg last night. This probably wouldn’t be a long term fix, but until the rest of the first unit starts clicking (who knows, might take 1 games, might take 10) and Greg feels a little more comfortable out there I think brining him in with Rudy is a good thing.

by erastus25 on Oct 29, 2008 7:56 AM PDT up reply actions

I just hope it's not a high ankle sprain

by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Oct 29, 2008 1:43 AM PDT reply actions

I just want Oden to play.

I don’t care if he dominates. I would just like to see him play a whole regular season game. So frustrating. I want him to do well, and I would draft him again.

My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.

by OCBlazerFan1 on Oct 29, 2008 7:31 AM PDT reply actions

Horrid idea

Take off the kid gloves, and not just with Oden. This team was passive last night and it caused the blowout, and that passivity came from Nate and the Blazer organizations treatment of these players during this preseason. They are professionals, they need to play through some pain if they are hurt. There is a difference between being hurt or being injured, and it appears some of these guys need to figure it out, and having the team hold them out for a week everytime they hic-up is not helping.

by usmcr3049 on Oct 29, 2008 7:54 AM PDT reply actions

I don't think that's what the OP had in mind.

He’s just saying that we need to slow down a little bit with Oden. Give him fewer minutes so he can start getting back into game shape in an extended period of time. Also, how exactly has this team been babied? All of the injuries so far have required surgery except GO and everyone has come back on schedule or ahead of time. They’re a young team and they got overwhelmed last night. They’ll do much better on Friday at home against an opponent not quite as good as the Lakers.

by erastus25 on Oct 29, 2008 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Spoken like a Marine!

But you do have a point. Nate himself did say that he hadn’t prepared the guys for the intensity the Lakers threw at them. As I wrote in my own fanpost above, that was a taste of playoff-level defense, and apparently the guys just hadn’t practiced at that intensity. (They sure didn’t see it in the preseason games.)

But it’s interesting that the one guy unphased by the intensity and the media spotlight was the “rookie,” Rudy Fernandez. There’s no substitute for big-game experience, and Rudy has it in droves. The next time around, the other guys will have a bit more of that experience under their belts, so they should handle the pressure at least a little better. You grow by baby steps…

"We don't back down to nobody." --Joel Przybilla

by hurryup09 on Oct 29, 2008 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions