Greg Oden Not Close To Returning
Added on Mar 15, 2011 by Scott in
2 Comments
Four months after undergoing the second microfracture surgery of his young career, Trail Blazers center Greg Oden says he is a long way from returning to the court. He delivered the news via a Monday interview on Blazers.com. The 2007 number one overall pick has missed two entire seasons and played in only 82 games since being drafted.
The long, slow process of rehabbing his knee has prevented him from setting a timetable to resume his career:
“I’m nowhere near there,” Oden admitted. “I mean I just started doing two-leg squats like two weeks ago. I’ve got like a month and a half of just doing that. Putting weight on one leg, that’s all I can really do right now.”
Oden is scheduled to become a restricted free agent in the offseason. When and if he’s cleared to play, it seems unlikely Portland would bring him back. At 23, he’s still young enough to make an impact down the road, but a seven-footer with two bad knees constitutes a risky investment for any team bold enough to sign him to a contract.
The Trail Blazers can’t help but wonder “what if.” Injuries to Oden and All-Star guard Brandon Roy have left them scrambling to compete in the loaded Western Conference. At this point, Oden’s future is in serious doubt. Three major knee surgeries in four years is difficult to overcome, no matter how determined he is to get healthy.
Source: CBSSports.com
2 Comments
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March 16, 1:28 pm
I’m praying for you Greg!!! I don’t believe it’s over!
March 18, 6:12 am
I’m a Portland local and while obviously I’ve been disappointed with Oden’s injuries I’m definitely not disappointed with him as a person. Even with all of the trials he’s faced he’s conducted himself with complete class and has never lost his optimism, kindness and generally positive disposition. I’m not a doctor so I have no clue about his longterm medical prognosis, but if there’s ever been a guy worth rooting for it’s Oden. It’s easy to say now that the Blazers screwed up by not taking Kevin Durant who has blossomed into a scoring machine (and is also a class act) but given the choice of taking a big man when they already had Brandon Roy in the backcourt they made the right move at the time. In any case, even though Oden’s on-court contribution to the Blazers has been minimal I’m glad he’s a part of the organization and the Rose City.