http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/asksam_101119.html The sad and really shocking news about Greg Oden requiring another micro-fracture surgery and missing this year and the 2011-12 season being very uncertain raises a question. From your extensive experience with the NBA what NBA player went down to injury who you think would have been the best NBA player? I am thinking about Jay Williams motorcycle accident as a candidate. Oden seemed primed to be a force in the NBA. Bruce Roberts Sam: And no matter what every scout, GM and journalist says, I never heard anyone then saying they'd take Durant first. After all, Durant was a big time Big 12 scoring force, but he could have been Beasley. No one knew for sure then. He was certainly a good player, but not better than the center of the era in an era with virtually no low lost big men. Even then I didn't see Jay as a super player of the level of a Rose, though potentially very good. You can point to Len Bias, who died of a drug overdose, a tragic case, or even Ben Wilson, shot in Chicago when he was one of the best high school players in America. I think Austin Carr would have had a much greater career if not for serious injury at a time knee issues were more debilitating than now given the surgeries available today. There was Maurice Stokes illness as he would have been one of the great ones and his story needs telling again in one of those ESPN documentaries with what Jack Twyman did. I remember going to the great Kutcher's fundraiser game they had annually for Maurice. Their documentary on Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic was terrific, and Drazen would have been a top player for many more years. Bill Walton may have been the greatest center even if not for more than 30 surgeries, and he still was a Hall of Famer. He would be my No. 1 choice for injury misfortune even though he did have some pro career and one title. Portland has to be the most cursed franchise in NBA history. There's Yao now whose career is closing. It's an arguable topic. What would Grant Hill have become, McGrady, Penny Hardaway, Danny Manning, Bernard King, Ralph Sampson. Sorry, Sam Bowie was always just going to be OK.
Sam is stupid. He says that before the draft, Durant was as questionable as Beasley or Bias before their drafts. I was reading that Durant was an inevitable great. Scouts saw that the choice was between the best forward of the decade and the best center of the decade. Then Sam ends his ramblings with a putdown of Bowie. What a potpourri of stereotypes. He's probably paid to fill air time.
I would be for re-signing GO, if I felt like he wanted to be here. All this time I have never felt like GO likes or wants to play in Ptd. Putting aside Oden's health risks at the time of the draft (and there were reports warning about his knees) . . . the reports that bothered me were Durant and Oden's commitment to the game. Durant was pegged as living and breathing basketball . . . and this plays out to form as he resigns with his small market team for max years with no player option(s) and says he loves OKC and just want to play basketball. Oden was questioned about his love for the game and he has had long rehabs, been questioned about his partying and drinking and really hasn't shown much of a passion for the Ptd trailblazer organization, IMO. Re-sign him? Not for one year where he slowly rehabs his way back and then becomes an unretricted free agent. Basically I think if Oden ever gets a choice, he is out here.
Marcus Camby never had the injuries or the surgeries that Oden has had. Oden's age, given his serious injuries, is irrelevant.
Say that Greg stayed in college and had all of these injuries. Then we took him with a late first/early second in the last draft. Everyone would be gushing about how much talent he has and that we got a steal. We just need to lower expectations and let the negative Nancy's in the national media have their fun making jokes.
That's been my concern too. He's just had such a horrible string of set backs in Portland (with all the pressure of being the savior of the Blazers) and it makes me wonder if he justs wants a fresh start somewhere else when he's ready to play.
I'm with you I don't think he has anything personal against Ptd or the Trailblazers . . . but this isn't home for him and really I'm guessing the last four years have been a struggle and negative experience for him. Probably wants to get a new start with low expectations. (You're going to love my new screen name)
Easy... your new screen name is "Spud is the diety I worship". Couldn't you go with something more subtle? Everyone knows that already.
Well it was going to be something like that (only with a guy twist ). But then everyone would see right through my tough as nails no women get to me persona . . . so I opted with something else. Besides declaring my faithfulness to you, I almost went with "B's_Knees" . . . yes that right, my new screen name is better than B's_Knees . . . how can that be?
Okay, I'll admit it, Treaty of Batum is pretty clever. Here's my problem with it... what happened when you went by Kiss My Darius? horrible knee injury. Then Kiss My Cheeks? just horrible. Then It's GO time? 3 horrible knee injuries. Your choice of names seem to be part of the problem. Are you trying to kill Nic?!?
Isn't that screen name just the bees knees? I hope I didn't jinx Batum (I tend to do that with players and social life). I appreciate your concern but no worries, should Batum go down with a season ending injury, I can contact Denny Crane through my verizon phone and switch screen names at no addittional costs . . . doesn't cost me a thing. (Now that I have offically gone with ToB, you are free to use B's_Knees . . . get it, bees knees,Brandon's knees, Blazers knees. . . I'm just on a roll today . . . and you get to profit from my sudden spark of creativity by taking that screen name . . . I'll be looking for the switch.
Grant Hill had a 14.2 PER in the playoffs last season and a 16.4 for the regular season, which was his best since his Orlando days. I expect and hope for more out of Oden. Grant Hill was a solid role player for PHX on a team that has yet to make a Finals.
Diet can make a huge difference in bone strength in a very short time. Something simple as a shortage in Vitamin D, or E, or calcium or phosphorous can make your bones so brittle you can feel it. And correcting your intake of these nutrients can strengthen bones in a matter of weeks.
Tsk - tsk. Haven't you been paying attention? There is no pattern to his injuries, no common thread, it is all just random bad luck.
This board can't campaign for a change in trainers unless we have a superlative candidate. I nominate Maris. Let's all get behind this. Even if you fail, Maris, at least you're in the front row for a season. Can't lose.
Now that is funny giiven the numerous and extra lenghty post that were always put out after each injury explaining that GO isn't injury prone.
