I've noticed the oldest players in the NBA now, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, and Grant Hill, all missed extended periods of time early in their careers with injury. Camby in particular, seems to average about 50 games per season. I wonder if there is a connection there. If the time off eased the wear on their bodies? Perhaps Oden can draw some inspiration from Kurt Thomas, who missed almost all of his 2nd and 3rd seasons with injury. The Mikes were talking about Oden possibly coming back in January. And I wonder if there is any possibility that he can come back and have a good career like Camby/Thomas.
In January?!?!?! Really?!?!?! I had to watch the Denver broadcast so I didn't get to hear anything. What did they say?
if he ever comes back and plays well and helps the blazers win games, it will be gravy. not counting on it, so anything good that happens will be a pleasant surprise. if not, no biggie at this point
We need him. He is what makes us a championship contender. Otherwise we're very good, just not the best.
It would be to have him back so that Nene, Howard, B. Lopez, Bogut, etc. have to remain on Oden (size). Then LMA would eat normal PFs alive. Very convenient that LMA without Oden still draws the double team against Nene though: part necessity, part strategy, part reputation.
I think he's going to have to be brought a long slowly. Very slowly. If he makes any kind of real impact on either end I'll be shocked. But I'd be just happy enough that he's back on the court.
Ah shit, while we dreaming I want Wilt Chamberlain on my team dunking over all five opposing team members 100x in a row, with elastic arms. Yeah, that's it.
Please. Enough already. Oden is done. The less I think about him, the better I feel about the Blazer's chances.
They said he'll be back Jan. 1? We got it made!! Woohoooooooo!! yeah!! After all these years, my ship has finally come in.
I don't think this word "evidence" means what you think it means? If this were a court case, I'm pretty sure the prosecution could get a conviction. That is to say there will never be proof, but holy balls there's a mountain of evidence.
There is a mountain of evidence to show that he's injury prone. However, there is none that definitively shows that his career is over. I'm sure you know that though.
To be specific, they said mid January, however they sounded more like they were hoping than truly expecting. I would love to see Oden return, but I have to admit that if he does come back, i will be super-freaking nervous every time he steps on the court. Just too much of an injury laden past.
Okay that's long enough! Let's get the next daily Oden thread started. Woooooooo!! I'm still jumping with joy. By the way, you don't need definitive proof to convince a jury. The jury has already voted and gone home while you were at the punchbowl celebrating. I'm running outside to alert friends and strangers. Could be January! Yeaahhh!!
The corpse isn't cold, but damn he's looking kind of blue and that pulse is awfully weak and thready.
Yeah, because he's 23 he's already approaching his career being over. When he's 24, he'll get a microfracture, then again at 25, then at 26 he'll get another on the other leg, then 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 etc. Good work Detective Nikolokolus.
Grant Hill's injury situation looked just as bad as Oden's. No Hill is not the same player he was, but he has been very productive. Instead of being a once in a generation center Oden could become an above average Center. There have been other cases of players missing multiple years with injuries and returning to a productive role.
Big Suke talked about the age thing; NFL trainers told him that his knee was in such bad shape he couldn't play again -- at age 22. I think having all these injuries at his young age just makes it worse.
To miss his career, Oden only needs an operation about every 3 years, since it takes him that long to recover from pain. What detective evidence do you have that Oden's hypersensitivity to pain will stop?
