Greg Oden Talks Rehab, Weight, Roy, Game 6
by Ben Golliver on Apr 27, 2010 6:30 PM PDT
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PrintTo my knowledge, the only public contact between Greg Oden and the media over the last few weeks has come via 95.5FM's "The Greg Oden Show." About three weeks ago, Oden's show was pretty bizarre. He discussed staying off of his knee completely and his plans to spend the summer at home with his mother. The next episode I listened to featured zero questions and answers about his health.
Oden was back on the air with Jay Allen and Kenny Vance this afternoon, revealing his plans to attend Game 6 in person. Here's a link to the audio.
Once again Oden's interview is not overwhelmingly optimistic. More than four months past his surgery date, Oden reports that he is still not participating in any basketball activities and has "a ways to go." Oden also says, "I don't have no discomfort or soreness, I don't even see that much swelling actually. So the big thing now is just worrying about everything around it and getting me to trust my knee again. Sometimes I still go up the stairs one-legged."
Here's the full transcript of this week's Greg Oden Show.
What went wrong last night?
I don't know. I couldn't tell you. I just remember the first couple of minutes I'm all excited. Then I go to the kitchen to get something to eat and I come back and I'm like 'What is going on?' It was just kind of frustrating to me. Everything just made me mad. We're going to get this next game and it's going to be good.
What changes would you make in Game 6?
Well last night I just felt like we didn't get enough shots. I felt like we were hitting our shots ok, we just need to get more shots. I would hate to say that we have to play faster because that's what Phoenix wants but if we play better defense that's definitely going to help us with the amount of shots we get.
Have you been able to gauge the mood of your teammates?
I haven't really talked to anybody. But, you know, I can kind of guess. They're trying to figure out what's going on. We're playing good one day and play bad the next day. I just think they're going to try to worry about that and figure that out.
How's the rehab and conditioning coming?
It's coming along. I still have a ways to go. It's coming along. The knee is feeling better. No problems with that.
How does the knee feel?
I don't have no discomfort or soreness, I don't even see that much swelling actually. So the big thing now is just worrying about everything around it and getting me to trust my knee again. Sometimes I still go up the stairs one-legged. I just gotta trust it and get the other parts of my leg stronger and it will be feeling a lot better.
Have you talked to Joel Przybilla?
I have not. I haven't had a chance to him and see where he is at or what his next step is.
You'll be attending Game 6?
Oh, I definitely will... I will definitely be there on Thursday. I definitely want to be there to support the guys and be around the guys and hear they are feeling and what they think is going on.
People are upset at Amar'e Stoudemire's physical play. What would you do if you were playing?
Doing the same thing. It's the playoffs. I think guys come out there and they just turn up the physicalness. Everyone wants to give cheap shots and just get the adrenaline. I know guys sometimes do that for their teams, to get them going. I'm mad he's doing that against us and I wish I was out there to hit him with one back. If I was out there I would probably be doing the same thing.
Have you gotten a feel for why this series has been so up and down?
I have not. I think it's the team after they get beat, they go in that next practice with a serious look on their face and they go to work. And they bring that to the next game. I mean you can think that after one of the teams wins one they give a little sigh of relief that they got one in the playoffs. So I just feel that the team that loses goes in and works harder that next day.
** Greg Oden's cell cuts off. **
What's your role offensively next year?
I want to continue doing what I was doing and get better. Be a low post presence. Be a powerhouse as some put it. Get back into shape. It'll be the summertime so we'll definitely have time to figure out how I'm going to fit into the system.
How much did you weigh during the NCAA Championship against Florida?
I think I was 265.
What weight do you want to play at next year?
Around that weight.
What were you weighing before you got hurt?
I think I was about 270. Between 270 and 275.
What are you doing in your rehab right now?
I'm not doing basketball things now. Just doing things to help get my quads strong and that's about it. Walking on it is a lot of rehab for it to, they say.
Do you feel that your size makes it more difficult to stay out of foul trouble?
Yeah, it definitely is. We're so much bigger, those little guys just have to jump into us and if we hold our ground they fall back and we get the foul called on us. I felt bad for Dwight last night. I was watching some of them, some of them I even jumped up and was like 'Man, how you gonna call that?' When a guy stands there with his hands straight up. Sometimes it's unfair but this is the game we have to deal with.
Thoughts on Brandon Roy's return in Game 4
That was definitely a great moment. I definitely hope he feels good with playing and with playing two games and practices. I definitely hope that he is able to continue it. I was definitely excited for him and excited for us when he came back.
What's it going to take for the Blazers to even this series?
Defense. Definitely keep Phoenix under 100 points. I think we've got their number when we do that.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter
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Confidence in his knee could be a long term issue
I had 3 surgeries on my knees before I was 18 and I know I pretty much gave up competitive sport as I didn’t feel comfortable relying on my knees anymore. If he has similar issues after being betrayed by his joints numerous times now it could be problematic. Sure he will have all the help he needs to make sure this doesn’t happen though….
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
I was thinking the same thing. I only had one major knee surgery in middle school after injuring it in Track.
Dr. Roberts actually performed the surgery. He did a great job, but I never regained confidence in that knee again. I never ran track again and I am hesitant trying new things like skiing or anything that could compromise my knee. It’s a definite mental barrier that he’ll need to overcome. Even if you don’t feel pain in the knee anymore, and you’re in great shape, it’s hard to trust the knee again.
"That was NAAAAAASTY"
LOL
Maybe they could make a reality show out of it. Between the NBA, NFL and Football there would definitely be enough work….
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
defenitely all about confidence...
also breaking bad habits is tough. Good thing we have Camby next year as a mentor and a solid starter/backup to ease Greg back into the game.
GO ODEN
It will be great seeing him there on Thursday. I hope he gets better quick, and does some basketball related activities this summer. Sounds like he’s gonna be with his mom, which is cool, but he will be so rusty for next season. I hope he can help us out in Game 6 with just his presence.
Not to nitpick, but he left the game to go into the kitchen for food?
Wow. Maybe I’m weird, but once the game starts, I’m glued to my TV except for commercials. But I make darn sure I’m back before play starts again.
the man 7'0''
he has to eat
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
2 down, 14 to go
by thomasikehara on Apr 27, 2010 6:42 PM PDT up reply actions
And is a bit slower than usual at the moment ;-)
Some people also just can’t watch when things get tense for their team. Like George Karl admitted/demonstrated in his ESPN interview.
Wow, that IS nitpicking!
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
But MA! I gotta go to the bathroom.
The "aggressive" team doesn't get the calls. The calls determine who is allowed to be the more aggressive team.
by BlazerFann4Life on Apr 28, 2010 7:20 AM PDT up reply actions
I gotta agree
I’m just a fan/season ticket holder, but come game time – it’s game time. I don’t miss a play, unless it’s a blow out, even then I got one eye on it. If I played for that team, you couldn’t pry me away. Especially when we start out like last night. I’ve been known to throw things, if someone gets in the way or won’t shut up.
Am I OCD?
Nope, I was thinking the same thing.
When the game is on, I’m watching the game. I use the commercials and halftime to take a leak or grab something to eat. I’m just a fan, not someone they pay millions of dollars. I like the guy, but you would think he’d be glued to the screen when HIS team is playing in a pivotal game in the playoffs.
He probably missed like 5 possessions
Like people said, he’s moving a bit slower. It’s the beginning of the game. He may or may not watch film on it. Kind of a ridiculous thing to be worried about, especially given some of the other things he said.
by Seven06Renault on Apr 27, 2010 11:39 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe?
Frankly I think fans are/should be crazier about watching a game on TV than players…
maybe a bit OCD ;)
actually – my guess is it has to be immensely frustrating for him to watch. I’m no athletic prodigy, but played competitive sports for years, and it’s super hard to watch a team struggle when you know you could be helping.
fixed
Oh, I definitely will… I will definitely be there on Thursday. I definitely want to be there tosupport the guysdunk on amar’e and be around the guys and hear they are feeling and what they think is going on.
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
2 down, 14 to go
No one asked him why he's not sitting on the bench in street clothes while his team makes it's playoff appearance?
Is he even in Portland?
Miller, Camby and Howard FTW. Love me the geezers.
why dont you get mad at joel too?
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
2 down, 14 to go
by thomasikehara on Apr 27, 2010 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I am not mad. Joel should be there, too.
Miller, Camby and Howard FTW. Love me the geezers.
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 28, 2010 8:20 AM PDT up reply actions
Joel is there
Joel is in the locker room. During practice, he is in the training room. Joel is here.
Oden is on the couch at his mom’s. During practice, he is on the couch at his mom’s.
by ItsMrHarris2u on Apr 28, 2010 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Joel had better NOT be in the locker room
That’s where the showers are.
I am Spartacus and I approved this message
by EngineerScotty on Apr 28, 2010 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions
This has already been hashed over--incredibly, in my opinion
No doubt there’s a good reason GO hasn’t been planted behind the Blazers’ bench in the earlier games. I wish fans would get off this guy’s back. But obviously that ain’t gonna happen.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
by hurryup09 on Apr 27, 2010 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
haha nice! I didn't see there was an entire fanpost on this subject!
take it easy hurry. It’s tough to keep up with 25 new fanposts a day. The article implied he was with mom in some other state? Is he in Portland?
Seems like a touchy subject.
Miller, Camby and Howard FTW. Love me the geezers.
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 28, 2010 8:22 AM PDT up reply actions
They talked about it on the show that he has a hard time sitting there with his knee for the entire game.
I can attest to that, my knee still hurts when I have to sit in the same place for a long time.
"That was NAAAAAASTY"
completely right.
The major rehab on my knees after getting new knees was sitting in a chair that didn’t recline. You get to the point that you don’t even want to get in a car because of the increasing pain.
hg
Yes, I had a knee reconstruction back in the day, and sitting was always an issue
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
I do hope GO and the training staff realize there can be too much of a good thing
I read the trainer saying that GO’s patella had been hard as a rock—nothing flimsy about it at all. He said (sorry—no link) that the patella fractured because of the torque created by GO’s extraordinarily strong leg muscles. But I didn’t read any suggestion that the staff would scale back GO’s future quad/hamstring workouts as a result.
Seems like common sense, and certainly these experts are way ahead of me on that. Er, right???
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
Lots of big men - Camby is one - injured a lot early in their careers. I think they have to learn their limits and play within
them, it probably takes a while.
they also "grow into" their bodies
Bowie played in the NBA until he was 33, his legs didn’t remain healthy until his late ’20s
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Thanks for the encouragement larue :(....
I am still hoping that Greg comes out of the tunnel dressed to play on thursday.
If nothing else, just to mess with Phoenix .
Til the wheels fall off.... Marcus Camby
Go Blazers !!
I have a hard time buying that a person with a perfectly healthy bone
can have said bone broken in half purely by the force exerted on it by the body’s muscles. From what I’ve read, the tensile strength of most hard bone is close to 10,000 lb/in^2 (although it can be as low as low as 4,000 lb/in^2).
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
And yet medically that is one of the causes of a fractured patella.
When leg puts too much opposing force on the bone, it can break.
"These are dreams that we have." --Rudolfo Fernandez
that physically does not make sense
Muscle tissue is just not capable of exerting the force necessary to exceed the tensile strength of healthy hard bone. I think the patella would have to be already damaged from something before it could be broken by muscle pull.
Average upper boundary for Stress Generated by standing high jump in quadricep muscle: 280 kPa or 40.6psi
again, the tensile strength of the average adult human femur is between 10,000 and 12,000 psi.
I haven’t found a figure for the tensile strength of a patella, but even if it was only able to take pressure 1/100 that of a femur it should still be able to hold easily unless there was some pre-existing damage. Remember this is pressure, not force, so this is the material properties of the bone itself that would have to be weaker, not just the bone being smaller.
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
Yet there is ample evidence in the medical literature
of injuries similar to Oden’s, where a contraction of the quads causes the patella to fracture. This isn’t a “why did Oden’s kneecap break, maybe this theory explains it” case, this is a case of a common injury which has been studied by medical science extensively.
I am Spartacus and I approved this message
by EngineerScotty on Apr 27, 2010 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Well if you say it's an accepted case
then i have to accept that, but i still don’t understand the failure mechanism.
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
I don't think you are on the wrong track
I have a seriously hard time believing the break wasn’t related to the bone chip caused by the knee-to-Maggete-kneebrace collision….
by blacknoiseNW on Apr 28, 2010 9:43 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree 100%
I know the Blazers have proclaimed long and loudly that the two incidents were unrelated. But how fantastic a coincidence would that be?
I’m led to wonder if the Blazers (and even their orthopedists) aren’t denying a connection between the two injuries for legal reasons. This franchise was burned by Bill Walton back in the day, remember, when he sued the team and its medical staff for their handling of his foot/ankle injuries.
Perhaps the Blazers erred in not inserting a screw into GO’s patella to reinforce it following the bone-chip injury. Just speculating here, of course. I’ve had multiple knee injuries & surgeries, but I ain’t no orthopedist.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
got to believe them
I also wonder about the chip, but you have to give them the benifit of the doubt.
There is no reason to think the break didn’t occur in a different spot than the chip, we have no x-rays. If the Dr. says they are unrelated, then the break most likely did not cross the chip lociation, meaning they were unrelated.
Im totally speculating, and only play a Dr. on BE.
by ItsMrHarris2u on Apr 28, 2010 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't think so...
Bilateral patellae fractures represent a rare entity, accounting for approximately 2.9% of all lesions interesting in this anatomical district. In most cases found in the published work, they are described as stress fractures or as complications of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, renal failure and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Although many pathogenetic mechanisms have been supposed, none have been proved for certain. Insufficiency fractures of the patellae are rare events and no data has been published on their incidence.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119419438/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Additional research on spontaneous patellae fracture indicates that these events are almost always tied to another medical condition…
by blacknoiseNW on Apr 28, 2010 9:55 AM PDT up reply actions
The Blazers' own trainer says that, when they drilled the hole into GO's patella, they found it to be rock hard
So that rules out most of the pre-existing conditions referred to in that quote. Again, that would seem to take us back to GO’s patellar bone chip caused by his knee colliding with Magette’s metal knee brace.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
Yeah - the reason I posted that was really for this nugget:
Insufficiency fractures of the patellae are rare events and no data has been published on their incidence.
on the other hand, this is from an apparent authority on the subject:
- Indirection Trauma:
- indirect trauma that causes fractures can be due to jumping or,
more frequently, to unexpectedly rapid flexion of the knee against
fully contracted quadriceps.
- natural anatomy and biomechanics of knee, as previously described,
create tension, three-point bending, and compressive strains in
patella that exceed values sufficient to cause a fracture.
- frx resulting from indirect injury tend to be < comminuted than those
from direct trauma, but they are displaced and are often transverse.
- articular cartilage is less damaged than with direct trauma.
However, there were two incidents preceding Oden’s injury: 1) was the bone chip incident from the knee-brace collision in the prior year; and 2) was the minor knee injury (knee-to-knee) that occurred just days before the fracture. For all the apparent consensus that natural anatomy/biomechanics can cause the fracture – the consensus is also that it takes a combination of direct (collisions) and indirect (jumping) causes.
by blacknoiseNW on Apr 28, 2010 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions
hmm...I tested it - took me to the scientific journal abstract that I pulled the quote from
by blacknoiseNW on Apr 28, 2010 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions
yeah?
The idea is that spontaneous (normal biomechanics) fracture is rare – but highly undocumented.
Even for those events that do occur, it is relatively impossible to say that there wasn’t something else going on.
by blacknoiseNW on Apr 28, 2010 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions
I think the patella would have to be already damaged from something before it could be broken by muscle pull.
Oden’s same patella was “chipped” by Maggette’s knee brace less than 12 months before the December dislocation
we know the doctors have said that the 2 injuries are unrelated…but still…if they mis-diagnosed the previous fracture why would they make their “mistake” public info?
Kind of like “if Greg had caused his microfracture of his other knee in ’07 by fooling around at a certain restaurant in Vancouver, why would the Blazers want that news to become known outside the organization?”
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
OK, many readers would ask, "Why should be care?"
The answer is that, if in fact GO’s patella fracture was actually attributable to his collision with Cory Maggette’s metal brace, then the myth of GO’s fragility is weakened. If we also question the “immaculate knee injury” that supposedly led to GO’s microfracture surgery (getting up off the couch too suddenly?), then the myth is pretty well shattered. (All you’ve got left is GO’s college wrist injury and that “one leg is longer than the other” nonsense.)
Of course, we’ll probably never know the truth in either case. But for those of us who take the official versions with a grain of salt, the alternate explanations suggest GOOD NEWS. Namely, that Greg Oden’s supposedly fragile lower anatomy is perfectly sound. (OK, cue the jokes about the soundness of GO’s “lower anatomy.”)
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
When they said "one leg is slightly shorter"
I didn’t know they were talking about the third leg…
I am Spartacus and I approved this message
by EngineerScotty on Apr 28, 2010 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions
same thing with Bowie
Blazer fans (and NBA observers in general) were pessimistic that Sam would ever return from his broken tibias and play again. But he did, for years. I’m not worried about Greg, I just don’t like “coverups” because they can remove the scrutiny from the organization (medical staff) and place it on the player
Like Bill Walton said back in the ‘70s, when a team doctor says a player’s injury return status is “day to day” then eventually the fans will treat the player like a jake (slacker). When I hear accusatory sentiments about Oden, I only hope he doesn’t get the feeling that Portland’s fans are down on his future, because we shouldn’t be
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
sounds like an idea
for an episode of Mythbusters!
“Hey! Jane come over here, we’re going to try something…”
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Can we get him to wear a jersey and report to the scorers table while Rocky is playing?
I have a suspicion good things will happen.
Great plan
The Suns would suffer a shock to their nervous systems they wouldn’t recover from.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
Oh & G.O. stay off the stairs & out of the shower!
Bath’s only please.
Somebody step up! - Mike Rice
preferably the baths with doors like the commercial with the old guy stepping into his bath.
"That was NAAAAAASTY"
by luv4LMA on Apr 27, 2010 7:25 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I sure hope
That GO isn’t just sitting on the couch all day and eating at his moms house in Indiana. It would seem that it would be better for him to be in Portland and working out with the trainers. Originally it was supposed to be a 2 month healing process for the patella and then another 2 months to rebuild the quad muscle that suffered atrophy during the patella healing. He was injured on Dec 5th and it has been well over 4 months. I guess what concerns me is I have heard a few interviews of Greg and he just doesn’t seem to be progressing or very motivated. With the extension of Canby’s contract and Kevin Durants success I just hope he isn’t at his moms sulking as we have seen him do in the past.
On game day, I leave the turkey alone because it is some chemicals in that thing. Nate Mcmillian 11/26/09
I'm devastated
Where is he? He should be here with the team. Should be running, he’ll be so far behind again this fall, help me.
by doomsdaymachine on Apr 27, 2010 7:25 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Blake G the Clips 1st round pick had the same injury.
He missed the entire year. Relax G.O. will be fine.
Somebody step up! - Mike Rice
Lol...how does that help at all?
“Hey, some other guy had the same injury. He missed the entire season and his future is uncertain. So don’t worry, our guy will be fine!”
Uh...here's one person
Me. You have to be dubious of anyone who misses their entire rookie season due to injury. And that’s why my opinion towards Oden currently is one of “restrained optimism,” wavering in the middle between the two extremes (HE’S STILL GONNA BE A HALL OF FAME CENTER OMG and BUST!!!!!!!!!!).
Funny how
I haven’t seen anyone calling Blake a bust, yet.
he's on the clips
him being a bust was a given.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
by mittsabishy on Apr 28, 2010 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions
^^LOL^^
"Batum must be french for: being at the right place at the right time" -
-StudMuffin15 @ Rufus On Fire
"Juwan "The Clipper Killer" Howard" - Natedog1977 @ ClipsNation
" I would trade our entire team for Brandon Roy"
- Slick4President @ Indy Cornrows
by FiveOhThree-RipCity!! on Apr 28, 2010 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions
Cases are different
1. The guy picked directly after Oden won the Rookie of the Year award, just won the scoring title, and is generally considered to be one of the best players in the game with a very, very bright future. The guy picked directly after Blake is currently in the D League.
2. The hype around Oden during his freshman year at OSU and then around draft time matched the hype that surrounded guys like Kareem, Ewing, and Lebron; there was seemingly no doubt that the guy would turn into a franchise center. The hype around Blake during his freshman year at Oklahoma and then around draft time was like, “Yeah, great prospect, but we’ve seen a lot of guys like him and we’ll see a lot more.”
3. After Oden missed his first year, nobody was really calling him a bust. It was only after his statistically underwhelming rookie year (nine points per game, seven rebounds per game, a couple blocks a game and four fouls a game) that the “bust” whispers started, and only after this injury-plagued season have those whispers really turned into shouts. Blake hasn’t had that post-injury chance yet; if his first two seasons play out like Greg’s, I can guarantee that people will begin calling him a bust. Fair or not.
Speak to the fans before game six.
I think it would beneficial if came out and spoke to the fans before game six in front of the RG crowd. Greg’s still a huge part of the franchise and he needs to be out in front of the fans for its been almost six months since he has went down and its time to re-connect with his fans.
I don’t know if it’s because I am still depressed from last night, but I am really starting to question Greg’s heart. I think it is obvious we should have drafted Durant, but I don’t blame KP for drafting Oden, I wanted that to happen too. But considering how well Durant is doing, if you were Oden wouldn’t you be doing everything you can to get back out there? He is worried about putting any weight on his knee almost 5 months later? He could have one of the best seats in the house for these playoff games and he’s not even there to support his teammates?
He is making millions of dollars a year and he doesn’t seem to care.
I hope I am wrong.
I bought season tickets the week after we drafted him.
I want him to be all that we dreamed he would be.
In the meantime, I just want him to show a little heart. Show me you care…..
smh
Hello ladies. Look at your man. Now look at Brandon Roy. Now back at your man. Now back to Brandon Roy. Sadly, he is not Brandon Roy.
smh
Hello ladies. Look at your man. Now look at Brandon Roy. Now back at your man. Now back to Brandon Roy. Sadly, he is not Brandon Roy.
i saw all the heart i need from greg for the first 1/4 of the season
when he was the only player that cared.
questioning this guys heart is just plain stupid.
Hello ladies. Look at your man. Now look at Brandon Roy. Now back at your man. Now back to Brandon Roy. Sadly, he is not Brandon Roy.
by Dirty Socks on Apr 27, 2010 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
I'm pretty sure he has a great team behind him guiding him through rehab.
They are the ones deciding how much activity is appropriate. I would absolutely not question his heart.
"That was NAAAAAASTY"
SMH
"What people need to know is that those pictures were taken a year and a half ago, and I've grown since then." - Greg Oden
by dario argento on Apr 27, 2010 9:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Dude
smh
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
What does SMH mean?
"Batum must be french for: being at the right place at the right time" -
-StudMuffin15 @ Rufus On Fire
"Juwan "The Clipper Killer" Howard" - Natedog1977 @ ClipsNation
" I would trade our entire team for Brandon Roy"
- Slick4President @ Indy Cornrows
by FiveOhThree-RipCity!! on Apr 28, 2010 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions
"Shaking My Head"
Miller, Camby and Howard FTW. Love me the geezers.
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 28, 2010 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks for the update Ben
I was encouraged by his statement
I felt bad for Dwight last night. I was watching some of them, some of them I even jumped up and was like ’Man, how you gonna call that?
Jumping up from the couch takes some strength in his knees/legs.
I think Greg is wisely low-keying his progress after clearly being setback from his intended playoff this year timetable. Let him show where he is at training camp and beyond. That may surprise us.
Blunder take down the l@kers, spurs take down the mavericks, jazz take down the nuggets, Blazers take down the suns then blunder take down the jazz and bucks come out of the least = home court throughout the playoffs for the Blazers.
or maybe he had some catapult action going on from u know what
Fan of Greg Oden, Joel Przy, Batum, and Andre miller
lol
Elitism - It's lonely at the top. But it's comforting to look down upon everyone at the bottom.
by thankyouforblaze on Apr 28, 2010 4:07 AM PDT up reply actions
He's been on TV more then he's been on the court
I’m kind of tired of seeing GO all over the place. I want to see footage of him studying film of Hakeem’s footwork and eating asparagus. I don’t want to hear about how he can’t watch all of the games and that the team isn’t getting him game film. I mean, he makes 5+ million, right? Less interviews, less TV shows, less banners, and less endorsements—-until he makes a difference on the court when it counts.
I know that’s incredibly unrealistic, but it’s what I want to see nonetheless.
I'm just not crazy about player nick names...
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Apr 27, 2010 8:06 PM PDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
what did we do to deserve this
Man im tired of wondering about Greg, his health, his mentality, his professional growth, his everything!.. Dang! Our hopes for the ring are centered on two players who break down more than a 89 ford focus and a third who is as soft as a baby’s bottom.. We have huge problems!. I have hopes just like all blazer fans.but this is redundant. Also do you really think he wants to do the “On the go with G.O.”? He probably taped it in two days and hopped on the first plane smoking!.. Congrats to bedgers! He’s coming to game 6 because of us!. Paul Allen came out of the closet about KP because of J. Canzono and to a lesser extent us!. They do read and gage Blazersedge. I have proof but not links. Lol, trust me, you ladies and gentlemen are very relavant.. Umm I got off my point. Im just miffed at our luck and extremely scared about our future..jus sayin
if it can be conceived it can be achieved
by lyfefindsaway on Apr 27, 2010 8:51 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Ford Probe?
I don’t think a Focus was made that year…
Maybe a Fiesta? or an Escort!
The Escort – now there was a real dog!
by greenknight on Apr 28, 2010 12:17 AM PDT up reply actions
I've still got a '97 that's running fine
Mitsubishi engine, they just go and go
I won’t defend the pre-97 Escorts
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Sigh...I feel bad for Greg. It must be killing him to not be out there. I know it's killing our guys.
When I heard him say he still goes up the stairs one-legged sometimes I got pretty bummed. That is NOT awesome progress. Here’s to next season…again. Thanks for the post Ben, as always.
"What people need to know is that those pictures were taken a year and a half ago, and I've grown since then." - Greg Oden
it is sad
Make no mistake i’m not saying he dosent have heart or dedication. I blame management! Also dont stone me to death for this but. I blame his moms! she should have shut it down and came to portland!. This city and its represenitive blazers have made all her wildest dreams accessible and available!
if it can be conceived it can be achieved
by lyfefindsaway on Apr 27, 2010 9:28 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Especially ...
… when you factor in that’s why she moved to Indianapolis from Terre Haute. They gave her a job. Most big cities will do that to steal talent.
"Still a ways to go"
Well, next season IS “still a ways to go.” It doesn’t begin for six months, and even when it does Greg will likely start out by backing up Camby and only playing 20 minutes a night. All that matters is that, gradually but eventually, he becomes a franchise C. Still not out of the question.
No way he was "around 270-75"
But it would be nice to get back down there for his sake.
Have to say, boy doesn’t sound too pumped up to get better. Sounds like he’s getting used to not playing much.
"These are dreams that we have." --Rudolfo Fernandez
When I read those numbers, my face automatically morphed into the Dwight Howard, "you've got to be kidding me," look that he gives the refs after he is called for a foul
I mean, really! Really! He is expecting us to believe that? During that period of time we couldn"t get a solid figure on his weight. If his weight was anywhere near that range, they would have been publicizing it rather than hiding it. Not to mention that his body did not look to anywhere near as fit as it was at OSU.
Now lets just assume Greg does not know what his weight is—not—and that he is just giving us his best (most optimistic) guess. Should that be satisfactory for us or for the team? The man is getting paid millions to play basketball or at this point , to at least get himself in the best shape possible for next year.
None of us have proof that we are being lied to, but I am definately willing to call a foul on this latest example of lazy defense. I have been a fan from the time he was at OSU, but even I have to admit that this non-sense is getting old.
"It's a team game." Please, feel free to factor that into your statistical analysis!
by KINGofMACct on Apr 28, 2010 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions
What are you talking about? He looked really thin this year.
Last year, maybe, but this year? He appeared to be in great shape.
He has yet to be in great shape as a Blazer! He has never stopped huffing and puffing.
He looked really thin this year.
He was a little thinner than before, but still a long way from his OSU playing weight. I believe Rice, Barrett and co were guessing that he was in the 280-285 range, which would likely mean he was actually heavier than that.
As I said in my post, no one but Greg knows for sure, but I am calling foul on this one—the lighter weight is not believable to some of us who have been watching his weight carefully. I have long believed that it is THE KEY to his future success or failure. I want to actually see his weight down to 265—it would tell us a lot about how much he is willing to sacrifice in order to bring another title to the Rose City.
"It's a team game." Please, feel free to factor that into your statistical analysis!
by KINGofMACct on Apr 28, 2010 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Actually, he was playing at 390 lb this season!
Seriously, come on: GO looked in fine shape before his injury. Was he at his college playing weight? Certainly not, but how many NBA players (or everyday folks) retain their college-age weight three years down the road? It’s called the maturation process.
Check out photos of Wilt Chamberlain at Kansas, then photos of him in his prime. You think he would have put up the numbers he did in the NBA with the body of that beanpole college kid? Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Bob Lanier, et al would have snapped him like a twig.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
Nate has said he wants him at 260-265
Now Greg is saying it. He needs to, “Just do it!”
Also, he was huffing and puffing a lot last year—he is still being limited by a lack of oxygen uptake—if you call that being in shape, I do not know what to say. I know the injuries are playing a role in it, but he just has to get it done and then let the results of his work show on the court.
Next year will be his fourth year with the Blazers! It is time for him to grow up and do the things that are required of him in his chosen profession. What real good does it do anybody to have an overly defensive fanbase claim that his only real, “issues,” involve injuries.
His weight is and has been a legitimate issue. I can see why he might want to fudge it, but that is not what is best for him or the Blazers’ championship hopes. Do you really think he was 390? I don’t. He was probably about 100 lbs. under that weight. And I am not just playing weight guesser in order to be smart. Having followed his weight issue carefully, that is my honest opinion about his weight.
"It's a team game." Please, feel free to factor that into your statistical analysis!
This comment might make you want to puke....
But it is SCARY to think how good Portland would be with Kevin Durant right now.
With Roy, Camby, Aldridge and Miller, would they be favorites to upset the Lakers?
I think the rest of the league says a prayer of thanks every night for not letting that happen.
“Oden recovering form injury” is starting to be reminiscent of Yao and McGrady.
with a healthy greg oden
the league would be asking who the favorites would be to upset US.
we’d be favorites to DOMINATE the lakers.
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
If we had Durant
We probably wouldn’t have Camby.
The eternal optimist
by I can't think of a good screen name... on Apr 27, 2010 11:45 PM PDT up reply actions
With Przy down that means we would be a slightly better version of OKC
KD and Roy would probably be producing at about 80% of what they do now. LA would have far less touches so would probably put up Jeff Green like numbers (even though he is clearly better) and we would likely not have Batum or Miller. Probably a better team this year but definitely not championship calibre and not as good as what we could have next year. You can’t predict injuries like what we’ve had this year, or like Greg has had for 3 years now, so you have to aim for the best possible outcome. That is Greg with all the other pieces we have now assembled.
Miller-Roy-Batum-LA-Oden with Camby – Bayless – Martell – Rudy – Dante is championship calibre. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed. We deserve a great year next year and Greg deserves a year to focus on playing ball not rehab.
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
I think with Oden healthy the Blazers would be a lot better than OKC
You can’t just look at individual production. What Greg would bring is physicality. He even mentions it himself:
Doing the same thing. It’s the playoffs. I think guys come out there and they just turn up the physicalness. Everyone wants to give cheap shots and just get the adrenaline. I know guys sometimes do that for their teams, to get them going. I’m mad he’s doing that against us and I wish I was out there to hit him with one back. If I was out there I would probably be doing the same thing.
That is the big difference he would make. It isn’t just the points and rebounds, but his presence at both ends of the court. Offensively, he provides a post scoring threat that frees up Aldridge to do what he does best. He also takes some of the pressure off of Roy and Miller’s drives, because interior defenders have to worry about this 7’ behemoth.
Defensively, he changes shots, can rotate to penetrators, and can provide a physical presence that Marcus Camby just doesn’t have.
by hercher on Apr 28, 2010 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree.
I was talking about how we would look if we had Durant rather than Oden – like a slightly better OKC team IMO. With Greg this year we would be a chance at making the finals. Durant>Oden for this team IMO. We will see if thats accurate next year.
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
or
Batum
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
in response to
If we had Durant We probably wouldn’t have Camby.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
We should make any posts concerning "what if we got Durant"
Insta-deleted.
by Jackattak on Apr 28, 2010 9:31 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Not at all
Being “in denial” is actually the opposite. The ones who whine about the decision of Oden over Durant are the ones in denial. The truth is that we got Oden, not durant.
Even if we get blown out in game 6
That’s no reason to not be hyped for next season. Oden or Camby on the court at all times..those rebounds make me giddy!
Nate will play Juwan
Just to kill that dream
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
Howard may be offered a contract for next year
but at this point it’s not a given he’ll be on the Blazer’s active roster, next year
I expect to see more of Dante
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I think Howard will likely be gone
But he’ll have done a wonderful job and left a lasting impact on the franchise. There’s no substitute for the influence he had on the Blazers’ youngsters this season. I’d be cool if Howard returned as an assistant coach when he hangs up his sneakers.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
I’ll believe in Greg Oden when he makes it through even 70 games of a season. Until then I’m now a skeptic. It’s seeping into my bones. Hope I’m wrong like I was wrong about Andre Miller.
"You know, when you are in the game, you hear 20,000 people behind you, you don't feel anything."
- Nicolas Batum on playing through his shoulder injury during the 2010 playoffs.
some other people listed as centers:
shaq has played 70 or more games 7 seasons out of 19
Joel " 4 seasons out of 10
Camby " 4 seasons out of 14 (didnt hit 70 till 8th season)
Bynum " 1 season out of 5
Jermaine Oneal " 7 seasons out of 14
making it through “even” 70 games might be a little high of a standard.
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
MAR-CUS CAM-BY clap-clap-clapclapclap
I's take 61 like last year
every time if he was playing at the level he was at the start of this year. Playoffs games are non-optional though….
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
this is why three centers is not too many
seasons like 2009-2010 (where you lose 2 centers for 41+ games) are rare, but if you have 3 of them, odds are you’ll have a starter and quality reserve 90% of the time
and it all 3 are healthy for the post season? They can play defense and rebound aggressively and not have to worry about foul trouble
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Well done
As others have pointed out, defensive-minded centers are ideally positioned to sustain injuries. They’re right in the path of all the action—kinda like linemen in football. You won’t find any “iron men” down in the NBA’s trenches. Not if they’re doing their jobs.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
I don't like what I'm reading/hearing ...
… at all. It smells a lot like a guy who is apathetic and does not want to discuss basketball. It sounds … pedestrian … like an Indiana Pacers fan. I have all of the love in the world for Oden. He is from my home town, I wear his threads every time they play the Pacers, and continuously defend him. That being said, the psychoanalyst in me is not sensing a bit of passion in his tone. He is not even keeping contact with his teammates, which is troublesome. I remember in one of his last interviews he said that he couldn’t get Portland games where he is … which is not true. He is a millionaire; there are plenty of outlets for people to buy NBA packages in the greater (and lesser) Indianapolis area. His repetitive use of the word “definitely” sounds like he is trying to convince himself or others of something. Big guy said it like 15 times; three times in one response and four in another. I dunno. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m just not feeling it. Contract year, guess we’ll see.
I would find it hard to want to play basketball if it resulted in my constantly being injured and having to sit around or rehab
See his passion after getting a full season in relatively injury free and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It will happen, I simply can’t imagine his body is incapable of playing basketball when that is all he has done in his adolescent and adult life. It will get better, I’m not being pessimistic yet.
One more big injury though and I’d imagine his first full season won’t be in PDX. At that point I would be mortified.
Nicolas Batum AKA Mr. Third Quarter
On Josh Smith "He's strong as a 2nd curtain"
On Lebron "...it's hype, he's not a defender"
On Aaron Brooks "He's tiny, he has a small body but he's super fast and has a real gesture"
On Steve Nash "First we'll have to try and stop this Canadian guard, a young kid with a bright future!"
On Defense "They all piss me off with Dwight Howard...Guys like Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest were legit defensive men of the year. For me that's the profile of a denfender.
On The Playoffs "I don't want Dallas to win because I don't want Rodrigue to be NBA champion, I would be pissed. I don't want him to be NBA champion in his 1st year, this bastard....I put myself in mode asshole!"
He didn't pick up ...
… basketball until he was nearly in high school. Not sure how much that factors into it, though.
Greg's fire may seem like it's burning low, right now
but it hasn’t gone out, and once he’s healthy again, his desire to smash will be reignited. Oden has heard a lot of “experts” question his greatness over the last few years, and that chip on his shoulder is pretty sizable. I look forward to the day when he can prove all of his doubters wrong
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
This interview put some SERIOUS holes
in my conspiracy theory. It hurts… I’m not gonna lie.
Still my favorite Blazer to watch. He is like a present from your rich grandparents: it could be really fantastic or lousy, but it sure as heck was fun to open.
Marcus Camby was gaining energy again as the game wound to a close, much like a vampire sucking the life out of a dainty maiden. Amare Stoudemire, on the other hand, looked daintier and more maidenly with every possession.
Is GO being ostracized?
He said he hadn’t spoken to his teammates. I wonder if they’re more tired of him, his hype, abs injuries than fans are. If so, I feel bad for him. He must be really embarrassed. I bet he cringes when he sees his ads etc on tv or hears them on the radio (well, he probably doesn’t see them much being back East).
Still, money isn’t everything; just b/c he’s making seven figures right now doesn’t mean he could be hating his life and the way things turned out. Some people (such as I) care about feeling part of a team and doing one’s best. Despite his millions, he could be a very lonely guy right now. Not necessarily, but it’s plausible.
As for me, I’m not worried about him as a player. The Blazers were pretty good this year despite a hurt Roy, Nic, et al., missing a center (until Camby), PG woes until Andre took over late, and negative/absent Rudy. I think of GO as a pure bonus. If/when he returns, I’ll be pleasantly surprised and excited. Meanwhile, the team isn’t bad w/out him. No?
by Cepstrum on Apr 28, 2010 3:11 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Everyone on here is acting like...
children. I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE! How many times does it have to be said? The NBA is a business. The Blazers are not some Parks and Rec or AAU team.
1) They don’t have to be best friends in order to play well together. I’m not saying that they don’t hang out or enjoy the time that they have together. But it’s not like they all buy houses on a street in Lake Oswego so they can be together all the time. They are a collection of athletes from all over the country with their own friends and their own families. THE WORK TOGETHER! Can you name one player on the Lakers that likes Kobe Bryant? Do you think that Odom or Bynum call Kobe over the summer to see if he want’s to hang out?
2) If Oden can’t play basketball, why does he have to be within 1000 miles of the Rose Garden or training facility? There are 100’s of competent doctors and athletic trainers east of the Mississippi river. If you were sick, would you want your employer to make you still come into work. “I know you’re sick, but just sit in your chair and not do anything, ok?”
3) The guy can’t get up to eat during a basketball game?! COME ON! What, was he gone for like 2 minutes? The Blazers were up by 12 points, you’d think you were safe to get up and get a sandwich or do a victory dance. Like someone else said, the guy is 7 feet tall and weighs 270 pounds and plays professional sports. Do you know how many calories a guy like that has to consume? Michael Phelps is half that size and consumes over 10,000 calories a day.
4) The guys is 22 years old. He is a kid and he spent 1 year in college. Criticizing his speech for saying the word “definitely” too much? Every young kid has their word. I have friends that say “Right on” or “awesome” or “DEFINITELY” in every sentence. It has nothing to do with him trying to convince anyone of anything. It’s just a word that he uses frequently.
I know that this site is for Blazer fans who don’t get enough just watching basketball games or reading articles, but 90% of the comments on this thread are analyzing Oden’s words like a 13 year old girl would analyze the 10 words that Justin Bieber said. “Does he LOVE me?! Does he know I exist? I think he looked at me when I was at his concert? I could see him staring into my eyes. You only give that look to someone you really love.”
Get a grip guys…
by Brandon James Smith on Apr 28, 2010 5:49 AM PDT up reply actions 5 recs
Agreed...
but you have to remember these are the same people who gave up on Miller when he showed up to the first day of training camp a bit over weight and a few seconds slow. I mean the guy must not care and lacks heart…cause and effect. Perfectly sound logic except the guy’s missed one game in his professional career due to injury. Sensationalism at its finest.
by westsportsbias on Apr 28, 2010 7:44 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Ummm
Interesting take, but why’d you write it in a reply to me? I didn’t do the things you were criticizing (analyzing his diction, living in Indiana, getting food during a game, blaming him for being out if touch with his teammates). Perhaps you meant to direct your comments to someone else. ?
by Cepstrum on Apr 28, 2010 9:28 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Yours was just the last post at the time...
Obviously you didn’t write all of those things. You did question if he was being “ostracized by his teammates” which has to do with my first point. I certainly didn’t intend to single you out above the rest. That’s why I said “Everyone on here…”
by Brandon James Smith on Apr 28, 2010 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Every young kid has their word. I have friends that say "Right on" or "awesome" or "DEFINITELY" in every sentence
Clyde used to say “no doubt about it” all the time and he was 10+ years older than Greg is now
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
James "Hollywood" Robinson . . .
“Most definately” or “well, most definately” in response to every interviewer’s
question. As a ex-teacher, the most annoying repetative word is “like”.
“Well, like I went to the store today and saw Larue, and like he was hanging out,
and like he was just standing around . . . " Sentences that run on forever, linked by
“like” . . .
It's GO time !
Actually ...
… I was not one of the ones criticizing Miller. I’ve liked him since Denver. But, to compare Oden to Kobe is just silly. Kobe has shown he has grit. I do not like him, but I never doubt his desire to play basketball. To get so up-in-arms about people making minimal observations about Oden is either denial, homerism, or both. Why so much anger?
I will probably regret responding to you, but...
There is no anger… And I have a pretty strong case against denial and homerism also. Not once did I claim he wasn’t a bust of epic proportions. Do I believe that is the case? No, there are other #1 picks that have shown no sign of productivity even when healthy (see: Darko Milicic). Do I believe he has been a disappointment? Yes.
That is besides the point. I did not say anything about his quality of basketball at all. What I did do was question the reasoning and logic of the comments on this thread and now I will question yours…
Since you didn’t fully comprehend what I wrote, I’ll break it down for you.
1) Basketball teammates don’t have to be best friends and a lack of communication between players when they are not on the court does not mean that one player is being ostracized by the others.
2) Injured Blazers do not need to stay in Portland and away from family and friends in order to rehab and prepare for the next season.
3) It is ridiculous to criticize someone because he got up from the couch to get something to eat during a basketball game. It doesn’t say anything about his or her level of commitment to the sport or the team.
4) Repetitiously saying “Definitely” does not mean that someone is trying to convince anyone of anything. It is just a word that he used too many times in one interview.
I would say the same things if people were using the same logic to critisize Carlos Boozer or Kevin Durant (my two least favorite basketball players). My comments were not laced with anger, denial or homerism. Just frustration with ridiculous and childish reasoning…
by Brandon James Smith on Apr 29, 2010 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions
doesn’t mean he could be hating his life and the way things turned out. Some people … care about feeling part of a team and doing one’s best. Despite his millions, he could be a very lonely guy right now
Don’t project Rudy’s feelings on Greg
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Can u blame the guy for being dishearted
Imagine watching one of your body parts destroyed like his knee was while simply doing something which he has done millions of times. Everything takes its toll you know. All the jokes about his age probably get into his mind and maybe he accepts the fact that his body is also way far ahead of his age. Just cant blame the guy. If there is no success next season then we have to simply accept reality without disrespect to anyone.
Fan of Greg Oden, Joel Przy, Batum, and Andre miller
Good luck Greg Oden
I just hope he is saving all the money he’s making now and living on the cheap.
I delcare a state of Blazermania!
by BlazerFann4Life on Apr 28, 2010 7:33 AM PDT reply actions
Good luck neighbor!
Can’t wait til you’re back in the ‘hood Downtown and we start seeing you in the area again, Greg. Get well soon. I’ll know you’re back when the OHIO STATE Christmas lights on your pad are lit back up. ;)
Greg Oden?
So many question marks suround Greg Oden. Everyone has their own. Let’s be honest though, from any POV this wasn’t how anyone expected or wanted Greg Odens career to unfold.
When you suffer from injury and setback and as much public exposure as Greg Oden you can’t help but be surrounded with questions however debating “how” he is watching a basketball game seems petty and useless to me.
Sure as a fan I have questions about Greg Oden. But there is no interview he could possibly give that could put aside all the questions. I can listen to a few minutes of an interview or read a few paragraphs and quotes and I could speculate and psychoanalize but I’m probably not going to understand Greg Oden any better. Imagine how few people have any tangible insight into what it must be like to be Greg Oden. Basicly as a kid, he’s hyped and hailed and built up as the next Duncan/Wilt/Russell. He’s embraced and used by the media, the system and The N.B.A.. He’s drafted, comes to a franchise and a city and is treated like a sports deity even before he has scored a single regular season basket. Then mostly due to the non-cooperation of his physical body it all unravels. Can I relate to that? Can you? Maybe some people have some insight, similar challenges, similar injuries but overall The Greg Oden experience is pretty unique.
So I have to put a question mark after Greg Odens name. But I’m not going to try to offer too many answers. As a fan, I’ll say he’s still a young kid. He’s a young kid that has been blessed with unique opportunity and advantage and almost simultaneously cursed with huge challenges and disappointment. I’ve heard things that make me think he’s faced it well, and I’ve heard things that make me wonder where his head and heart are at, but I haven’t got the answers and maybe Greg Oden himself at this point hasn’t got the answers within himself to give, there are only questions. I think the questions are fine, but let’s try to be mature and intelligent about the questions we are asking. The fact that he decided to get up and get a snack while watching The Blazers play is hardly the basis for damning evidence of any fault other than having the munchies.
Greg Oden? As a fan I have questions, even hopes and fears but I have few answers. I have to insulate myself from attaching expectation to Oden anymore. I’m not attaching any expectation to Greg Oden. Perhaps that is what Oden is doing himself? Could you blame him if he just felt he wanted to get away from The N.B.A., The Blazers, and all the questions for a while?
As a fan of The Blazers the only answer I have concerning Greg Oden is that I wish him well. I wish him well for my own selfish reasons of wanting to see him become a dominating center for The Blazers and I wish him well for himself personally because he’s faced a lot of adversity and challenge in an enviroment that I don’t think I can do anything but imagine.
The questions from The Franchise, The Media and The Fans will all appear naturally and instantly but the answers will only come from Greg Oden himself with time. I think it’s fair to say his N.B.A. story hasn’t unfolded as anyone thought or hoped, but I also think it is fair to say The Greg Oden story isn’t over, whether that ends up being the story of a multi-time All-Star or a very tall Dentist….I don’t think anyone knows….
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Apr 28, 2010 9:40 AM PDT reply actions 3 recs
the fair-weather fan style of some Blazers fans urks me
I remember when we drafted him – the elation and giddiness that everyone had
I remember when he appeared at Pioneer Square and it was so packed with enthusiastic fans just to see him in person
Now he gets hurt – and everyone starts questioning him, doubting him, criticizing every word he mutters in an interview, it’s ridiculous.
Before he got hurt this year, he was the best center in the Western Conference – 11ppg, 8.5rpg, 2.3bpg – in 23 minutes a night!!! Amazing stats…
Just stop doubting and hating – be real Blazers fans and support this guy – his development and success is the key to our title aspirations
by rip_city_swagger on Apr 28, 2010 9:42 AM PDT reply actions
Poison or the Cure?
Fans aren’t perfect nor should they be expected to be, and I’m not sure that 100% constant support of all things wrapped in Red and Black is being the best fan.
When you say “doubting” I read question, and I think it’s legitimate for fans to have questions about Oden. Yes we should strive to avoid “hate”, but having doubts about Oden and questions? I think that’s perfectly natural. As I said above, I just think the answers are going to be slow in coming and that nobody probably has them right now.
It probably isn’t fair or right, but fans that are bitter are just people that are disappointed. A lot of fans just want what was sold to them. What was sold to them was the dream of a Russell, Shaq, Duncan Hybrid player. Oden was suppose to be teamed with Aldridge and Brandon and helping us become one of the legitimate title contenders by now, and of course that just hasn’t happened. So you get the bitterness and sometimes the hate…and it isn’t fair but it’s part of the landscape of sports celebrity and fandom. Do I blame these fans? No. They’re as much victims of media hype and the machine of the business of the N.B.A. as Oden himself. So that segment of fan doesn’t irk me, I don’t bother. People have the freedom to blindly support or question and doubt….it’s all part of being a fan. Again as I said, personally I’ve reached a point with Greg Oden where I continue to wish him well, and I hope the best for him both personally and professionally but I myself am just waiting for the answers. As a fan I’ve been disappointed, and I think it’s in my best interest and probably Odens as well if less people attach expectation to him. I’d LOVE to see him become healthy, develop and become key to numerous and repeated title aspirations…but I do not attach those expectations to my support of either The Blazers or Oden. What will be, will be and if you attach expectations you are just setting yourself up to eventually become bitter. Plus I think what has been shown is that no one person is the only “key” to title aspirations. This franchise survives, it goes on, whether Oden becomes a franchise center, or a Tall Dentist with a limp.
That’s kind of the story of life and existence, you never know what or how something is going to unfold. I supported this team as best I could when we had Telfair at PG and Ha Seung Jin was our developing center. Good luck Oden….whatever happens….isn’t too hard for me to do.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
There is no ...
… doubting or hating. Nor should those words be exacted because I choose not to view the world through Rose Garden-colored glasses. I did not call Greg a bust. This isn’t just one injury … which is what you are seemingly making it out to be. I’ve followed his work ethic dating back to middle school and know someone who has personally coached him. I am not turning my back on him as a fan, I am being objective. The comparisons to ‘Dre are unfounded too. I don’t care what ‘Dre does in the offseason, because obviously it works. Comparing a guy who doesn’t miss one game to a guy who has missed most is a poor construct. Someone please murder the word “hater/hating/hates/etc.”
Are you kidding me?
“Now he gets hurt- and everyone starts questioning him”? Ya, he has only played 82 games in 3 seasons! You can say that about Roy, because he has been hurt alot this season, but no one has questioned his head or his heart. The reason we are all so down is because everyone has the fear (rightfully so) that while this guy is continuously hurt, Durant will be continuously tearing apart the league! Thats what makes this all so painful and URKS ME! It is a cruel twist of fate, no let us piss and moan cuz it aint getting any better
Smile, you're on a poster!
by RoysOurBoy on Apr 28, 2010 10:21 AM PDT reply actions
And to see the loathsome Oklahoma City franchise succeed with Durant
…kills me. As a kid who grew up with the Sonics, watching Seattle fans get b___holed by the league, all of these things tell me “why do you bother caring about this ridiculous sport that abuses its fans.”
And yet, I keep at it. Such is my Blazer love. Oh well.
Don't lie, it's because of Durant
The fact that their a**hole owner deported them greedily and maliciously from Seattle probably plays into it a little, but come on. Who on the Thunder is there to hate? Russell Westbrook? Jeff Green? Eric Maynor? If we’ve got the league lead in “nice, non-hateable guys,” OKC is a close second. Don’t lie; you just want them to lose because if Durant wins a title the 07 draft choice officially becomes MJ/Bowie-esque. Don’t get me wrong, I would hate to have that happen too (Oden becomes a bust and Durant becomes a legend; ugh, even typing it and seeing it on the screen kills me), but I’m not going to hate the Thunder just because of that. It seems immature.
" IRKAGE " at the lack of GO time !
and I would like to snap “Stickman” Durant in half with my bare hands.
Then we’ll see how he heals and whether Simmons, et al moan and groan
about him as a BUST !
IRKED, IRKED & IRKED
at
COINCAST !!!!!
It's GO time !
Definitely.
He definitely says that word a lot.
...and that's the bottom line 'cause nicolas batum said so!
Speaking of Blake Griffin....
I haven’t heard a word about him. Is he coming back? Is his experience an omen for G.O.?
Think Portland will change it's drafting philosophy from here on out?
FROM taking the player that is the perceivable ‘best fit for the current roster’ TO ‘the best overall player’?
It’d be interesting to see how Blazer management would deal with another #1 draft choice.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Maybe it's just impossible to forecast injury proneness
Remember that Kevin Durant couldn’t lift his own weight in the draft evals. Who was to say he wouldn’t have been more injury prone?
Is this really, "definately," only, about injuries at this point?
"It's a team game." Please, feel free to factor that into your statistical analysis!
by KINGofMACct on Apr 28, 2010 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions
Mostly.
Durant’s been healthy, Oden has not.
When Oden played this season, he was excellent.
I am Spartacus and I approved this message
by EngineerScotty on Apr 28, 2010 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions
Yes he has been good when healthy
I have long believed that he has the talent to be great, not just good. And I think he is going to have to be great for us to win a championship—something I would like to see above all else.
And yes, there have been a lot of silly questions asked about GO—I think going back to Ohio last year and back to his mom’s house this year are among them. Yet, at the same time, there are questions about his behavior that do get my attention—even if I am trying to reserve judgement to a certain extent.
His relationship with his teammates has come up repeatedly—this concerns me. His propensity to foul. His lack of assertiveness on the basketball court. His weight. His conditioning, even when “healthy.”
The emotional issues that he himself has brought up, including feelings of alienation, depression, and homesickness. And now, with this latest injury, I think people are questioning his work ethic, if for no other reason than the lack of information. People want to know what happened to the timetable for his return and just how much time he is spending on his mom’s couch.
"It's a team game." Please, feel free to factor that into your statistical analysis!
by KINGofMACct on Apr 28, 2010 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions
The timetable for Greg's return that people are focusing on is the
timetable Greg set for himself, not the timetable his doctors, trainers and the team set for him. Everyone involved, except Greg, has said Greg will be back next season.
#52
I agree with this
Things NOT to worry about with regard to Greg: his interview skills, his emotional issues, his “non-commitment” to the team by staying at home for his rehab instead of being in Portland, the amount of sleepovers he has with his teammates.
Things to worry about with regard to Greg: the health of his knees, his development as a player.
I agree
his injuries during his freshman year weren’t concerning. But one leg being shorter than the other (as Greg’s is) can certainly throw the total balance of the body out of whack making a person more susceptible to injuries. No?
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
In my opinion...
…that’s not applicable in retrospect to Greg Oden. When he was entering the draft he was not only considered (I think) the best FIT for a team with Brandon, Aldridge but he was also considered by most as being the best overall player. I don’t care what many people and GM’s are saying in retrospect….Greg Oden WAS the consensus #1 pick for everyone. Given the hype and expectations surrounding Oden, coupled with the recent success of Duncan and The Spurs and Shaq with both The Lakers and The Heat, I don’t really think anyone would of passed on Oden and taken Durant.
So why would Portland change philosophy? When they picked Oden they were not only taking a player they felt would fit a need, but also the player despite what many might say today, was considered the best overall player.
You can’t predict the future. Even now, what if Durant injured himself and never played another game and Oden comes back and dominates the league at center for a decade? Would Portlands draft philosophy suddenly be correct and Seattles/OKC’s suddenly wrong? No…in my opinion whatever the future holds for Oden he was the correct pick at the time, for Portland or anyone with the #1…the only caveat I’d add to this would be how much knowledge Portland might of had about Odens physical make-up. If there was real tangible evidence that Oden had physical problems then Portland should of had the resolve to pass on Oden, but if it really wasn’t evident, then I do not blame Pritchard or The Blazers for making Oden the pick because he was the pick to make at the time.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
Krang
I think after Portland had both players in for workouts prior to draft day – Pritchard stated something to the effect of what’s in my response to EngineerScotty.
Durant was the more talented individual will Oden suited Portland’s needs according to position for Championship success.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
That's the difference between Oden and Bowie, though.
Portland DID draft the guy they were thinking was the best overall player. Back in ’84, it was widely believed that Jordan was a better overall prospect than Bowie (Akeem, minus the H, was the consensus #1 pick that year)—and the Blazers, even then, were criticized for drafting for position rather than talent.
In 2007—the Oden vs Durant choice was a tossup. I was torn on the subject myself.
And it ain’t as if Oden hasn’t shown he can play at a high level—he was putting up beastly numbers in the first quarter of the season before getting hurt.
Now, if the Blazers drafted Oden against medical advice—then shame on them. THAT would require a shift in draft philosophy—and you’ll notice that last summer, the Blazers passed on DeJuan Blair about three times. The “he wasn’t on our draft board” business I have a hard time buying—part of preparing for the draft is planning for a contingency that a guy you weren’t expecting to get, drops down to you.
But Oden over Durant wasn’t a case of position rather than BPA. Position and team needs had an affect, certainly—the Blazers needed an interior beast more than they needed a scorer. But there wasn’t any pre-draft consensus that Durant was a better prospect—if anything, the Blazers made the “safe” pick at the time.
Of course, we all know that if we HAD taken Durant, he would have snapped in half by now, and Oden would be averaging a triple-double in buckets, boards, and blocks. :)
I am Spartacus and I approved this message
by EngineerScotty on Apr 28, 2010 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Hmmm.
Prior to the draft I remember Kevin Pritchard as stating something very similar to ‘Durant will be the guy that plays in many All-Star games while Oden will be the guy that gets a lot of rings.’
Judging from that – I see that as KP believing at that time that Durant was the better overall talent.
No?
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Actually, what KP said was in reference to Durant was
“scoring titles”, not “All-Star games”—a big difference. Were KP to say it as you put it, it would mean that he thought Greg would be a championship-level center, but not an All-Star—a ridiculous prospect. But nobody expects Greg—even if he turns into the beast we all hope—to win a scoring title; that isn’t is game.
So far, though, Durant’s got one of each.
I am Spartacus and I approved this message
by EngineerScotty on Apr 28, 2010 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions
1984 and 2007 aren't similar at all
Pre-1984, one of our best players was a 29-year-old center named Mychal Thompson who had averaged a 16-9 with solid defense the year before. Yeah, we had Drexler as our shooting guard, but he hadn’t exactly lit the world on fire as a rookie (8 points in 17 minutes). We could have easily traded Drexler (and possibly others) for our biggest need that season (power forward, not center as many people think), and then taken Jordan. It would have been much easier that way. And Bowie wasn’t a slam-dunk prospect on Oden’s level; he was seen as a project, a guy that had a chance to be great. Taking him over Jordan was considered by everybody to be idiotic at the time.
2007 was totally different. Our best center in 2006 had been Joel. We had two young, proven scorers in Roy and Aldridge. If we’d taken Durant, we would have then had to make ANOTHER move to acquire a center (possibly using Zach as trade bait). It would have been a whole hell of a lot more complicated than simply picking Oden and banking on his talent, which was considered to be “legendary” as opposed to Bowie’s “fairly extraordinary.” Predictably, nobody blamed us for taking Oden; in fact, everyone lauded us for it. And for good reason. However things turn out in the future, the Blazers made the right pick in 2007. They did not make the right pick in 1984.
In 1984 Kareem was still in his prime
Mychal Thompson and Wayne Cooper couldn’t adequately defend him, and Portland couldn’t get past L*A in the post season. Hence the need for a defensive center
Plus, Ramsay’s system called for a high post passing center (think: Walton) which was one of Sam Bowie’s strengths
(I’m not saying I agree with their decision in hindsight, I’m just laying out a few of the reasons why Jack and Stu selected Bowie at the time…)
The Blazers also had an all-star shooting guard on the roster named Jim Paxson
I recently read a book about the 1984 draft (that “changed NBA history”) and one of the back stories going on at the time was the Olympic qualifying camp that was run by Bobby Knight. Knight and Inman were old friends and when Stu called to ask Bob about MJ, the Indiana coach didn’t think he was a special-enough player to draft #2 overall
So there you go, yet another reason to hate Bobby Knight if you’re a TB fan
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
It's funny how the 20-30 somethings love to analyze . . .
history. As a History/Poly Sci/Ed major and a long time Blazermaniac/
Bball junkie, my perspective is closest to yours on this site.
It's GO time !
1984 draft - Blazers
1. We had a very good SG in All-Star Jim Paxson. Paxson was right
up Dr. Jack’s alley as he moved well WITHout the ball and was a very
good shooter.
2. Even though Clyde was not Dr. Jack’s type of system player. Clyde represented
the high flying athletic wing finisher who could play some SF and with development
would be the heir apparent to Paxson.
3. The “Lazy Bahamian” (Mychal Thompson) was a athletic, long shooter with some
shotblocking ability who was more suited to PF. Wayne Cooper was a veteran rebounding/defensive center who was not mobile enough to run the floor and didn’t
have the low or high post game to be a offensive threat. Both had skills, but not the
complete package for a center.
-———————————————————————-
4 The Blazers wanted Akeem BADLY.
5. Sam Bowie was a very good center in college. He had missed part of one year, but
had no injury issues coming out for the draft. He was long and lanky, had the ability to
run the floor (especially as the trailer on the FB) and was a good rebounder/shotblocker. His offensive game was perfect for Dr. Jack’s system as he was a high post center (ala Big Red) with a nice FT line jumper and passing ability.
His low post game was developing, but he could shoot the turnaround from the block.
No hook shot, but ???
6. Nobody at that time had any idea Jordan would become the player that won 6 titles.
He was known as the guy who hit the big shot as a freshman, even though he won
the college player of the year coming out. He was a high flyer, but Dean Smith’s system did not show his true scoring ability and gunner skills.
-——————————————————
Sam Bowie was the right pick at the time, just like GO was the right pick in 2007.
Bowie shattered his tibia. (SHATTERED) Much more destructive that MF knee surgery and a broken patella. As a basketball junkie with both knees surgically repaired, I
believe that GO will come back. Whether he will remain healthy is out of our hands.
GET WELL GO. We need you !!
It's GO time !
Meh
I respect your opinion but I’ve read too many objective articles and stories to the contrary regarding 1984. But that’s all in the past; the present, and what matters now, is 2007. And it was CLEAR that GO was the right pick, that’s indisputable. If you REALLY wanted to get technical, you could have had us draft Durant and trade Zach for a center (I remember a rumored deal being Zach to the Bulls for P.J. Brown and the #9 pick which could have been used to take Joakim Noah or Spencer Hawes), but again, the choice to draft Oden was much more obvious and logical. So yeah, we did the right thing in 2007. (1984…well, let’s just stop talking about that year altogether before I throw up in my mouth again.)
the experts in '84 knew that the Blazers had "reached" for Sam
This was not the case in ’07 with Greg
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
He most definitely enjoys saying the word definitely.
sorry…
That was definitely a great moment. I definitely hope he feels good with playing and with playing two games and practices. I definitely hope that he is able to continue it. I was definitely excited for him and excited for us when he came back
by TrailBlazerChief on Apr 28, 2010 11:12 AM PDT reply actions
#52
"Batum must be french for: being at the right place at the right time" -
-StudMuffin15 @ Rufus On Fire
"Juwan "The Clipper Killer" Howard" - Natedog1977 @ ClipsNation
" I would trade our entire team for Brandon Roy"
- Slick4President @ Indy Cornrows
by FiveOhThree-RipCity!! on Apr 28, 2010 12:00 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Bust?
After reading that transcript (and listening to the interview itself) I think it’s pretty clear either his head isn’t into the team or he’s just not that into basketball. The questions were raised at the time of the draft about whether or not Greg had a passion for the game, and now after having been absent for most of the season and nowhere to be found while the team has been in a hard fought series you have to ask if he really wants to continue to lay his body on the line and experience these kinds of setbacks for a profession he may not even enjoy all that much.
Maybe he’s just bummed because he can’t play and doesn’t want to be a downer for the team, but it sure would be nice to see just a little more fire — a little more passion.
Thank you.
That’s all I have been trying to say. It’s not being a hater. There are some really sensitive people who cannot be objective about this. Greg did not start playing basketball until almost high school. It’s not like it was a life-long passion or anything. I’m not mad at him. If he was pushed into this life based on his size and doesn’t really have the interest to dedicate time and passion to it, then I’d be just as happy for him to pursue whatever makes him happy instead of what he thinks will make other people happy.
Yes
I always got the vibe from Greg that if you could proposition him with $50 mil and to walk away from basketball forever he probably wouldn’t have to think twice about it before he took the cash and walked.
I think Greg views basketball as a means for providing a good life for him and his family and not as a passion at all. Nothing wrong with that when you’re 7ft tall. He just doesn’t have that ‘it factor’ that drives players to be great, IMO. Sort of reminds me of Aldridge in that regard.
But it could be worse – he could be a jerk. But being the nice guy that Greg is, he’ll always try to do just enough to make people around him happy for that particular moment.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Well last night I just felt like we didn’t get enough shots. I felt like we were hitting our shots ok, we just need to get more shots.
Well, even if his knee never heals up, at least we know Oden has a future as a coach…..
"I’m tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok." ~Shaq
by Max_in_Missouri on Apr 29, 2010 11:36 AM PDT reply actions
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