Getting Bigger

Hey all. that was probably the worst i have felt (and continue to feel) since that 2000 nightmare. but the real thing here is that Greg heal safely and return to our squad as quickly as possible. That being said, we are at a serious crossroads right now. Can and will Greg ever be fully dependable as our franchise center piece? i am not too sure and after seeing what has happened to this poor guy so far I am beginning to have my doubts. I have been one of the completely sold fans on Greg Oden's future, i am constantly defending him and believing in his ability and potential. But as we sit right now we need to make backup plans. We have to assume that Greg will be in and out of our lineups for years to come. We need to start thinking about getting reinforcements ASAP. But who and at what price?

A couple friends and i were sitting around Saturday night after getting home from the game (drinking, commiserating, drowning sorrows) and we were trying to think about who we could get to salvage our hopes and dreams. and really we couldnt come up with a realistic senario for any big in the game right now. Not one that would certainly improve our starting lineup without giving up major pieces and even then who would part with a player like that? the only thing we can do is try to rebuild through the draft. We are going to have to resign Joel and greatly overpay for his services now. and we are also going to have to start drafting bigs. our guards are set we have backups for our backups with oodles of potential between Bayless, Mills and Rudy so we really need to get some legit height. That is really the only way we can inprove on what we have without giving up a combination of Rudy, Bayless, Travis, Joel, Martell, even LA. 

We came to the realization that what Greg gives us in the future will all be extra. we cant really expect him to consistently lead us to greatness. We are going to need to go another way, just for our sanity. I mean its not as though Greg hit his knee on a player, the floor, a hard inanimate object, etc. He exploded his knee cap by jumping. This is the most worrisome part of what happened to the big fella. We may not be thinking these horrible thoughts had someone pulled a Tonya Harding on him, but my friends, this is a very 'self-inflicted' injury and it makes me sick in my stomach. 

I would like to hear some of your ideas on this. Real ideas. not bashing me for being unpatriotic. These are real concerns that we need to discuss. I am in no way saying that Greg is done done. I am just saying that he is becoming less reliable, and for us to have all of our championship eggs in his basket is more than likely a losing proposition at this point. I love Greg and he is my favorite player, but at what point do we say something needs to be done? People were out of line last year talking about his injuries and his problems, but now I think we need to seriously consider some alternatives. If anyone has some thoughts on good prospects to watch for that would be good, I really dont know what i expect with this post, but this is just something that i have had on my chest and needed to get it out there.

Good luck Big Greg! I hope you have a solid future as a Blazer, i will root for you always!