Don't doubt Oden's resolve

by Odenrising on Dec 6, 2009 2:20 PM PST

First of all I have to say that I am a HUGE Oden fan, just look at my signature, if you have any doubt. Whatever you think of this post or where I am coming from you can refer to that first sentence.

Yes Oden's injury list is impressive. Yes they have slowed his progress. So what! His impact on the game is undeniable. I'm with Dave on this one. Oden was, is, and remains the right guy for this team. Probably any team that doesn't have Dwight Howard on it for that matter. He came back from Micro, a fx wrist, chipped patella, and a tweaked ankle. He will come back from this as good or better than ever.

Why? There is something about Oden. Having met him and watched him on the court and sidelines (I am a season ticket holder) Oden has a quality. A uniqueness. Call it a strength. He doesn't complain or point fingers. His comments are always team first. He is polite and unassuming in person. He obviously has a tremendous work ethic. He is probably the ultimate good guy on a team full of them. As I said in a post below. If you can come back from MF a patellar fx should be a cakewalk.

Fate apparently has chosen a difficult road for this particular man. Giving him a tremendous amount of talent and skills and then throwing everything but the kitchen sink in the way to prevent him from realizing his potential. We have seen now just what he can do on the court. We have seen he can come back from injury. Do you doubt he can't do it again? I do not....and maybe just maybe fate/ luck or whatever you want to call it, will finally smile on GO and let him be.

O.R.

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cant wait for him to say

“I’ll be back for the play-offs”

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

by thomasikehara on Dec 6, 2009 2:38 PM PST reply actions

I'll be honest

I hope he isn’t.

Jameer Nelson, among others, tried to come back too earlier and got hurt again this year. I’d rather he take the extra time and come back at full beast strength.

"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely

by skywaker9 on Dec 6, 2009 2:54 PM PST up reply actions

I agree...

and this made me really mad:

http://www.blazeoflove.com/2009/12/end-of-greg-oden-experiment.html

by sevyms on Dec 6, 2009 2:55 PM PST reply actions

There was no maliciousness in it

And he was providing honest analysis, if a little gloomy. With a little more bad luck, this team turns into the Titanic, and doesn’t get better for a long while.
Too soon, maybe. But not piling on or anything.

by TheThinWhiteDuke on Dec 6, 2009 10:02 PM PST up reply actions

Let's hope

that Greg can be a rich man’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He kept getting hurt his first four or five years in the league, and has been durable his last 10 years or so.

by PABroncofan on Dec 6, 2009 3:38 PM PST reply actions

whew thot u ment talent wise

Odenized

by CroRupt on Dec 6, 2009 5:54 PM PST up reply actions

Or a Joel Pryzbilla...

seems like the big guys in particular sometimes have to learn how to stay healthy. Greg needs to learn the limits of his body in a sense. Just my opinion/guess.

by Escrote on Dec 6, 2009 5:58 PM PST up reply actions

Interesting point

Greg does like to pogo-stick around. Maybe he can learn to be more in control, and avoid injury better?
Here’s hoping.
At least it’s different body parts, and not like Sam’s broken legs and Big Z’s feet.

by TheThinWhiteDuke on Dec 6, 2009 10:04 PM PST up reply actions

He has made no impact.

In fact it’s been 2.5 years of non-impact. We saw the signs of the impact he could have made, but we’ll never know at least for another year and possibly longer. Why is everyone so willing to keep waiting?

by kellex-BoL on Dec 6, 2009 5:01 PM PST reply actions

I believe

I’m done with the doubters and the see I told ya so’s. I’m way done with seeing something good come of this. All I’ve got left is patience.

As for moving forward, I hope Brandon didn’t quite learn his lesson like many of us were hoping. Because i’d be fine if he put 275 pounds of weight on his shoulders and carried us through to the next round.

by jiminut on Dec 6, 2009 5:07 PM PST via mobile reply actions

I don't doubt Gregs resolve one bit. I think he will come back.

However, we now HAVE to admit that we just cannot depend on this guy anymore. I really hope we keep him, because his personality is just so great, but we can no longer have any hope to build a team around him. We need to find a 3rd piece to put with Brandon and Lamarcus, and we need to be willing to trade ANYONE to get that piece. We have role players sitting over in Europe to fill out our roster after a big 3 or 4 for 1 trade. We need to take some drastic measures if we want to contend for a championship.

Oden fan for life

by dario argento on Dec 6, 2009 5:25 PM PST reply actions

We all hope Oden comes back better than ever, and plays 10 more years without another injury.

I don’t doubt his resolve to recover and succeed.

But we also have to be realistic about his body. This is his 2nd non-contact major leg injury in two years. We have seen this twice before in Blazer history. We must now revise our strategy to build a future championship team. It would foolish to go on thinking nothing has changed.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Dec 6, 2009 5:31 PM PST reply actions

I agree

If we don’t give up on him,Greg will be the anchor to a Blazer championship. He knows the mental setbacks that can happen when battling back from injury and I am sure he won’t be making those mistakes again. I look to see him back in game shape by next year ready to dominate. Along with a healthy Nic.

by Ragermack on Dec 6, 2009 5:37 PM PST reply actions

I think Greg will be back next year...

but I don’t think this team can build around him anymore. We need to get a rotation of 3 solid bigs that can produce. I would like to see something like LMA, Pryz, and a David Lee or Paul Milsap type player. The you have a rotation of 3 solid bigs and whatever Oden gives us is house money. Anyway… at least Paul Allen doesn’t have to worry about Greg getting a huge contract.

by Escrote on Dec 6, 2009 5:57 PM PST reply actions

wow

so much “glass half empty” talk. I guess that is what happens alot after something like this. But can we all just take a step back and look at this from a non-fan point of view?

Greg was injured again, nothing related to another injury he had in the past, just injuried. That doesn’t mean this team will not resign him or extend him, it doesn’t mean his bball career is over. It doesn’t mean when he comes back that he will ground bound. The “sky is falling” posts, comments, and article by even national media types are a bit overboard. Greg will rehab and be back, just like Bynum did, like Grant Hill did, like Big Z did, like Yao did, or like any other player who has been injured did. His career future is still very bright, he is only 21 years old and his play through 20 or so games this year was fantastic, infact his stats were amoung the top players in the league! There is nothing that should lead anyone to assume he will be back next year, infact he should come back better than ever as he will have another summer under Bayno to refine his offensive and defensive abilities.

The Blazers will extend him, surely not to a max deal, or even a long deal to start, but this injury will not change the way the Blazer view Oden. He is still THE piece to bring a championship to Portland, this changes nothing along that future. It only delays it, which is the frustrating part of this all. This season should have been the season where the Blazers learn to trust Oden more and involve him more, thereby making the team much better. Now that will have to wait until next year, but it will happen, and when it does this team can be very special.

As fans we will have to suffer through another season without Greg, other fans and media types will pile on about how the Blazers should have taken Durant, but we can take it, because when Greg comes back, and the Blazers coaching staff can create an offense that uses Roy, LMA, and Oden to their potential, the team will get payback.

Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?

by usmcr3049 on Dec 7, 2009 1:04 PM PST reply actions