Garcia: Advice from Grant Hill to Greg Oden

Art Garcia from NBA.com, a superb scribe who I had the pleasure of meeting at this year's Summer League (when the outside temperature in Las Vegas was nearly 100 degrees higher than it is today in Portland), has a really thoughtful look at advice for Greg Oden. From someone who knows what he's talking about when it comes to battling back from long-term injuries: Grant HIll.
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"The thing he has to realize is you go from being a great high school player, with all those accolades and attention, to being a great college player, his team got to the finals and he was the first pick in the Draft, and sometimes you feel what you do defines you," Hill said. "It really doesn't. It's a bit of humbling experience, but it's a good experience in that it gives you perspective and understanding. At some point you're not going to play anymore. It's hard to realize that when you're young, so hopefully down the road he'll learn to appreciate the difference."
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How's this for a stat: Despite missing his entire first season and 3/4 of this season, Greg Oden has played almost twice as many games in his first three years as a pro (82) as Grant Hill played from 2000-2003 (47). Remarkably, Hill is still contributing in the NBA 7 years later. There's some perspective for those looking to write off Oden.

-- Ben Golliver | (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com) | Twitter

about 2 years ago Ben Golliver 16 comments 2 recs |

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Comments

The only people seriously writing Greg off

are those that are scared he does come back.

by pdxlifer on Dec 10, 2009 9:44 AM PST reply actions

this, along with his servicable playing lately, gives me some faith in juwan as well

i think he can play

14736251

by appel82 on Dec 10, 2009 10:01 AM PST reply actions

this, meaning grant hill's age

14736251

by appel82 on Dec 10, 2009 10:03 AM PST up reply actions

Rec

by JusChilln345 on Dec 10, 2009 10:02 AM PST reply actions

Heart warming

seriously good persepective, great article.

myspace.com/marktwainindians

by mark twain on Dec 10, 2009 10:24 AM PST reply actions

sorry, perspective.

myspace.com/marktwainindians

by mark twain on Dec 10, 2009 10:25 AM PST up reply actions

VERY NICE!

I should not sarcastically mock someone I don’t completely agree with.

by pxilpooshr on Dec 10, 2009 10:35 AM PST reply actions

i love grant hill

bayless leaves over my dead body
Start Andre (in a 2 guard lineup)
"Good defense always beats bad offense."-Al Iannazzone, Yes Network
if you should strike Oden down he will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine
#52

by thomasikehara on Dec 10, 2009 11:11 AM PST reply actions

+1

Always supporting Greg Oden.

by blazeraddict on Dec 10, 2009 1:47 PM PST up reply actions

well that helped my spirits

Stoudamire had many of the same challenges and I really hope Greg reads this.. Ben if you see him be sure to pass along this link so he can read it in case he hasn’t seen it

Just a minor setback for a major comeback.
#52
Now it's YOUR time.
#7

by GreatOden'sRaven on Dec 10, 2009 11:21 AM PST reply actions

There is nothing good or bad about this year (injuries and all).

It’s a matter of the decisions that we make from here on out. It is like lifting weights, you break the muscle down in order to build it up. We are going to be better because of the knowledge we are gaining this year. It is about staying positive while facing reality. And I for one am having a good time rooting for a franchise that is willing to do things the right way.

I don’t feel sorry for Greg at all. Things happen. He is going to recover fully and continue to live out his dream. No gloom or doom in that. Greg already is a lucky man—it is gravy from here on out—and I do think there is going to be a lot of gravy.

#52

by KINGofMACct on Dec 10, 2009 11:23 AM PST reply actions

One angle that doesn't seem to get mentioned

What if young bigs are more injury prone because their still deeloping body cant handle the rigors of the NBA until they are 23-4? I know that there are many counterarguments to be made, but the list of promising young bigs to have serious leg injuries is pretty long. Amare, Bynum, Oden, Nene, Martin, Speights, Chandler, Bogut, Ilgauskas, Jefferson, Krstic, Yao, Przy, etc. Lets hope Oden rebounds like many of these guys hae

by momomoses7 on Dec 10, 2009 12:08 PM PST reply actions

warning..... rant..... it's a short one though....

HE WAS A #1 PICK!!!

there’s some perspective for ya.

take that ben!

The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
Head Czar of Amerika <--- Mortimer said so so there!!!

by faith on Dec 10, 2009 12:32 PM PST reply actions

There was some talk on the radio about whether the Blazer injuries might be related

Kenny Vance said of course they weren’t because everybody’s got different injuries etc.

I saw the other day that someone brought up that McMillan teams have a history of being injury prone and I would also contend that a vast majority of the Blazers injuries have been stress related.

Does there need to be some re-evaluation of how much rest players bodies are getting? Especially guys like Greg? Obviously we don’t want his conditioning to suffer, but perhaps he needs scheduled rest just as much as the workouts and training.

Rooo-D!

by truls on Dec 10, 2009 1:06 PM PST reply actions