It's too bad for the Blazers

I know this has been covered by a lot of people on here. I've read fanpost after fanpost on this. I also know that I could comment on someone's fanpost. But I guess I just feel the need to do my own thing here.

When I saw Oden go down last night at first I honestly thought it was Martell Webster. But then I heard Mike Barrett say "oh no, Greg. The Blazers don't need this."

I saw Greg go down and I saw him start rolling around. Then I said to myself "maybe he just tweaked it." A couple times when I've played I landed wrong and tweaked my knee and it HURT. But there was no serious injury. But this injury comes right when I stopped worrying about him getting hurt and right when I could just watch him play without really worrying about anything.

This was the first time since the 2000 western conference finals game 7 against the Lakers that I felt like crying. That's no joke. Before this year started I felt like this was the year. That this was finally time for the Blazers to rise to the top of the NBA. When I saw Oden go down I felt the season was over. I think this team will make the playoffs but they won't be a high seed. It just seems as though everything that could go wrong for the Blazers has. If Roy or Aldridge sustains a serious injury then that will really kill any chance of the Blazers making the playoffs.

Another negative about the Oden injury other then the team effect is that now the believers that Durant should have been picked over Oden will continue to come forward. Which is still ridiculous. Roy is having trouble playing off the ball with Andre Miller. Brandon needs the ball in his hands. So does Durant. It wouldn't have worked.

But what pisses me off even more is the people who feel like the Blazers should give up on Oden. I say give him one more year. If he goes down next season then start looking elsewhere. Oden is the key to the Blazers winning a championship. I think all Blazer fans know that.

The Blazers clearly won't give Greg a huge contract extension and if they do then they're stupid. Not saying Greg is going to be a bad player. I think we have all seen in the first 20 games what he can be. Also he didn't tear an ACL or something like that. He fractured a bone which is probably out of all the season ending knee injuries, the best that could happen to him.

I still believe Oden is the Blazers future. I believe the team knows that. Now this being a contract year for Oden and if the Blazers don't choose to re sign him they can still match any offer that a team could make. But I don't think they should do that. I think that would ruin Greg's morale. But on the flip side it could really inspire and motivate him. But I think they should just sign him to a 2 year deal and not for a lot of money. But Oden can do everything to come back. But the problem is that injuries are something you can't control. They just happen. I think people forget that. It's not like Oden is out there trying to get hurt.

I think that something like this is what the Blazers needed to bring them together this season. It sucks that this is what it would take but it is what it is. Also a positive to this is that you have Pendergraph and Mills getting healthy. Maybe you can give them some minutes and see what they've got. Show them to the rest of the league and see what you can get for them. Maybe you can bring Freeland over finally and see what he's got. I know it's hard to see now but there are positives to the Oden injury. They just may not add up to wins.

But with all that said, I will continue to believe Greg is the future of this team until he comes back next year and is either a flop or he gets hurt again. Watching Greg play this season was a treat for me. It sucks that all of us have to wait until next October to see him play again. But I really hope and pray that Greg bounces back from this. I can't stand all of my friends and the media calling him the wrong pick and that he's a bust. I want to see him succeed not only because he's the Blazers ticket to an NBA title. But because he's a great guy and he's just hit a stream of bad luck. But so have the Blazers. Without Oden, the Blazers may not make the playoffs and if they do they won't get out of the first round. But look at it this way. If the Blazers get the 8 or 7 seed they may play the Lakers in the first round. They may not beat them but they'll give them a tough test and I'd love to see it. But when Oden comes back next year he'll be just fine. While this year seems like it's over as far as title hopes or advancing in the playoffs remember Oden is only 21, LaMarcus is only like 24.... I'm not sure, and Brandon is what like 26??? They have plenty of time to make it work and I have faith that it will. Don't panic Blazer fans. Everything will be just fine.