Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess, has 3rd MF surgery

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

Well, it's news anyhow. And at least a positive development that that ankle clot is gone.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

Larry Miller said he knew about Roy's knees. I don't remember KP commenting on it, but I may have missed it.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

I'm sure we'll find out in 3 months after yet another "setback" occurs.

It's hard to not be cynical over the guy at this point. I've convinced myself that it's just never going to happen for him in Portland, so if it does, it will be an unexpected surprise for me.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

At this point, Brandon's contract is an issue for Paul Allen, but has no bearing on the salary cap. May as well just let it go.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

Oden will be lucky to play (by play, I mean sit in street clothes on the bench) for the MLE next season, but I'm sure there is an owner out there of a decent team what would be willing to waste their MLE on him. I could see Mark Cuban taking a chance just for the hell of it.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

you know you are arguing with yourself right here...right?

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

So if Oden has successful surgery but doesn't play the entire season, then takes less to go with another team; how would many in here respond?

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

Good way to protect your emotions indeed.

Paul Allen for one, he's come to far with Oden to give up on him. Larry Miller and Oden are tight, and LM is basically the GM. If Greg want's it, the Blazers will give him one more chance in Portland.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

"Good luck."

He's not a slave although he's effectively been an indentured servant for the past 4 years.

The bottom line is that he was drafted and paid for his potential; it didn't work out -- the team knew beforehand that his knees had been red-flagged at the combine, they knew one leg was significantly shorter than the other and they took the gamble and lost.

Maybe this is a minority opinion, but I think this should be a mutual divorce; he hasn't worked out for Portland and Portland hasn't exactly been a picnic for him either. If he can go somewhere for the vet's minimum or a very short MLE type deal with only partial guarantees and resurrect his career with a change of scenery, some more vitamin-D, and a different training staff then I wish him well ... and I'll root like crazy for LaMarcus to stuff the ball down his throat when we play against him.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

I'm all for having Oden sign an extention . . . of course that is assuming he doesn't have some joint problem with his hands that would prevent him from actually signing the extention.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

Well then if it is going to be a "mutal divorce"; that would mean Oden would do a "sign and trade". Mutual divorces are when both sides get something amicable in return. If that's the case, then I would be fine with it.

Now if you are talking about Oden leaving for nothing; that would be more referred to "A husband or wife cheating on their partner, then files for divorce afterwards". In that case, then I will have a problem with it.

#1. I don't think Oden is a slave.

#2. Oden does have a obligation, just like marriage to have compassion on a team that has stood by you for so long.

#3. A marriage isn't slavery either; yet both sides willingly work for the other to obtain a better goal. So far, Blazers have given everything possible to Oden. We will see just how much Oden responds and returns to the Blazers.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

And many think they know anything about what Greg thinks and feels...

It all depends on how good the Blazers are at the end of the season and additional talent we pick up. If it's apparent we're destined a top team in the West by the end of the season it will greatly enhance the probability of him staying. That's what it comes down to IMO, and of-course how much MGMT believes in him and their chances to win the West next season(s).

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

GTFO with that nonsense. Indentured servant. He's been paid tens of millions to play 82 basketball games in 4 years. We should all be so lucky.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

This is not a relationship and it is nothing like a marriage (unless you want to compare it to an arranged marriage), this is a business. End of discussion.

As for signing and trading him, why the hell would anybody part with any kind of asset to get this guy? He is not going to be getting a ton of offers that exceed the minimum IMO and the Blazers would be fools to offer anything more themselves.

Ultimately Greg has fulfilled the terms of his rookie contract which has no provisions for playing time, games played or anything else really. He was chosen to play here in the hopes that he could do something for the team ... he hasn't and he probably won't. So like any other draft pick that busts, the player gets to go their own way after their rookie deal expires. If the team was so deadset on keeping him, they had every opportunity to extend him which they (thankfully) did not. Because of that Greg gets to go where he pleases -- whether that's dental school or another team.

Get over it.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

Did Greg get to pick his employer? No, he was told where he was going to be playing for the next 4 years with no power to change his fate. Indentured servants typically get paid, but instead of being paid on the back-end they typically work to repay money given on the front-end.

He was certainly well compensated, but that doesn't change the fundamental nature of his contract and employment.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

Maybe a better comparison would have been joining the military? Usually when you come out of basic training or boot camp you're told where you are going to go, later on you sometimes get a little more say in picking your duty station.

Regardless of whatever analogy I use, I don't think his experience in Portland's fishbowl market has been especially good, I don't know that he should trust this training staff and he would probably want to have a little bit of say in where he tries to finally get on track with his career vs. staying in a place that he'll never be able to live up to the expectations and hype that accompanied him coming out of school.

I guess if people want to believe that he somehow "owes them" that's their business, but I think it's fucking ridiculous.

 

Re: Wow, Oden is just a fricking mess

I think it's ridiculous that a team is penalized for sticking with their guaranteed high draft pick. The problem with your analogy is Oden has a guaranteed money set. Our team, no matter how hard we kick and scream was on the hook for the entire contract. We were forced to stick with him. If there was a clause for teams to get an Amnesty for a top 10 pick; then you have a great point. Problem is, you make it seem like Oden had no choice and the Blazers did. That's not the case either. The team actually has no choice. Oden did. He could very easily said he doesn't want to go to Portland and played another year in Ohio. He would be the #1 pick the next season.