Was Greg Oden More likely to be injured last year?

by kajuayn on Oct 4, 2009 9:24 AM PDT

This may need to be a fanshot...I don't actually know the difference between the two...so feel free to explain it.

Now, more after the jump.

This post starts with Kevin Garnett...Why do you ask? Well, Garnett looks awful, but this video sparked something in my mind. For those you you that play basketball, and are good, think about playing with someone who doesn't know how to play or is nursing an injury or just moving 4 mph slower than everyone else. Their movements are awkward and unpredictable. Often their play ends up in someone getting injured, or nearly injured.

It seems to me that the brain is able to calculate and coordinate the potential movements of you and others to avoid injury. Knowing what movements are likely to happen in a given situation are crucial for this. When someone does not move in a way that fits this mold, it makes it hard to compensate. This discrepancy can lead to disastrous results

Since Greg Oden was clearly favoring and protecting his repaired knee last year, it lead to him getting injured during the season. His movement was not fluid like at Ohio State. He was very choppy and looked like the one guy who is really out of place. Many of you have said something along the lines of: "he looked like a 7ft guy who is playing basketball not a basketball player that happens to be 7ft." That uncoordinated aspect of his game, coupled with his enormous size compared to most players, made him more susceptible to injury. Also, big men are more likely to have leg injuries (look at Yao), so it seems that Oden had significantly higher chance of getting injured than the average NBA player before accounting for his cumbersome movement.

Therefore, Oden's new confidence and conditioning should make a WORLD of difference for his ability to stay healthy. I mean, look at how much better Oden is moving here, courtesy of our very own, Ben (Mucho thanks for the video Ben. That definitely quenched my thirst for blazer basketball...until tonight...Is Blazerfest televised/available online for free?) Or you could see Oden over the summer at the July training camp, here or there.

That's just my opinion...but to come full circle...KG needs to let himself fully heal...he CLEARLY is like only 70% if that. I find it absurd he recently said he had no knee problems, and his knee was "pain free"...Uhhh does he seem himself out there?

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Yea that makes a lot of sense

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I see where you're going...but no

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South Park: "We didn't listen!"

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Comments

Sure he was more likely last year. Any time you are not confident of the activity you are doing you are more succeptible to injury.

That doesn’t mean he’s in the clear this year, though. Unfortunately the dark cloud of injury possibility will follow Greg his entire career…at least until he plays 2-3 season without missing significant time.

by dario argento on Oct 4, 2009 9:52 AM PDT reply actions

I think there will be vids after the fact but I dont think it is live. (fanfest)

by tevisthe4th on Oct 4, 2009 9:53 AM PDT reply actions

I believe he is less likely, but mostly due to weight.

Here is a quote from Oden’s agent pre-draft.

“I’ve also heard an unrelated rumor — which did not show up in the Orlando physical — that another team is expressing concern about the long-term health of Oden’s knees.

“We haven’t heard anything about his knee,‘’ said agent Bill Duffy, who represents Oden in association with Mike Conley Sr. "One thing we are aware of is that his hip alignment is off. One of his legs is longer than the other, but he’s obviously had that for a long time.’’

This is a stated, known problem. I do not believe Oden’s injury came from impact, but rather wear from his legs being different lengths. When moving, impact starting at the feet and moving up to his hips happen at different times. One side of his body has to compensate for the other.

This would also explain why he looks so uncoordinated out there. He is basically trying to play ball on steps, with 7’ 300 lb guys hanging all over him. You try to look coordinated doing that. Add in the injury and a knee that no longer feels attached to his body and you have what he looks like on the court. He also had the injury where bones became unattached in his foot. This also indicates disproportionate stress in his body. This is a much bigger problem than one team physical trainer or a pilates instructor.

I have stated before, even prayed that the Blazers management would get this guy into Posural Alignment Therapy. Pete Ogoscue heads this up and is a “Dog Whisperer” type of person in his profession. He probably needs help getting those legs closer to the same length and a 15+ minute routine he does each day to keep those hips in alignment.

With additional weight on his body and you are screaming for something to break. That is why I think he is less likely to be injured this year and why it was not as big an issue at Ohio State. He was light on his feet and minimized the amount of wear he is putting on that knee. Ultimately, as with the new modern medicine movement, the cause of the problem needs to be addressed, not the symptom.

Land Rondo.

by loyal_blazer on Oct 4, 2009 12:15 PM PDT reply actions

That is a good point

i do remember seeing those reports around draft time. But then again, that would contribute to his clumsiness and therefore his injuries last year. There was nothing he could do about the microfracture, I am more so referring to the dings that he received in season last year.

by kajuayn on Oct 4, 2009 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree...kind of...

Everyone has one leg a little longer than the other. Greg is no exception. I don’t believe the length (about 1/2 inch according to the report I saw) is significant.

As far as looking uncoordinated is concerned, he looked pretty good tonight. He was moving well and was comfortable.

I do agree that his weight and the knee were both factors last year. I expect much better things this year.

http://myteamrivals.typepad.com/trailblazers/

by BlazerNation on Oct 5, 2009 12:16 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Spot On

I agree that the “longer leg” issue is not much of an issue at all. As you pointed out, it’s far from uncommon and 1/2" is not a big enough difference to cause much of a problem. Even if it were, it could be easily remedied with the purchase of some orhotics.

I feel that the main issue his knee brought about was the fact that he was unable to do squats or other leg exercises. This left his lower body ill equipped. Couple that with the fact that I, personally, feel that he tried to add too much muscle and bulk too quickly and it left him heavy and slow on his feet with generally poor conditioning.

Being about 40 lbs heavier than the last time he played competitively I feel would only add to his growing frustrations. It is like having to learn to play again in a whole new body.

I wish I spent more time playing catch with you and less time training my body and mind to kill you...

by 1badbadger on Oct 5, 2009 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions

The reports say half an inch

I beg to differ. Watching tapes of him last year, even from walking, you could see one half of his body sink much deeper when walking. He swivled from left to right.

I agree 1/2 inch is normal, I dont think that is what we are really looking at here. 1/2 inch also probably would not cause significant hip alignment issues. He appeared to be already wearing an insert at the scrimmage. I also read an article last year where he stated he used one.

Land Rondo.

by loyal_blazer on Oct 5, 2009 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Let's examine greg's in season injuries

after recovering from microfracture surgery. In game one, Greg lands on Bynum’s foot resulting in a sprained ankle. Greg’s other injury was a bumping of the knees midway thought the season. In neither case was the injury a result of a lack of coordination or reflexes. Rather, inadvertant contact between two players caused the injury.

I agree that as one ages and loses ability you become more likely to sustain an injury (Mutumbo is a perfect example of his body breaking down). But in Greg’s case, you’re hypothesis doesn’t meet the conditions of greg’s two injuries last season both of which involved a collision of two players..

by NWfan on Oct 4, 2009 1:27 PM PDT reply actions

I remember that play where he stepped on Bynum's foot and thought he looked really clumsy, almost stumbling to it. I think there is a good chance a more fleet-footed Greg would have avoided that injury.

by dario argento on Oct 4, 2009 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, getting his coordination back from playing basketball every day for the past year will help a ton

He was pretty clumsy, and bumbling mistakes that lead to injuries like that happen more often when you’re clumsy.

He seemed to step on someone’s foot, from daily reports, every few days in practice before last season started.

The Maggette knee thing was sorta unavoidable, and as a guy aggressive drivers will challenge I hope he wears some knee pads. I trust his knees, even his micro knee, don’t need a brace for structural reasons, but padding to avoid knees banging again couldn’t hurt.

by Mortimer on Oct 4, 2009 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions