Greg Oden has would have no luck, if he didn't have bad luck. Oden is out 2-4 weeks with a "sprained right ankle," after an MRI revealed nothing substantial. The Portland Trailblazers first round pick, of 2007, had "micro-fracture surgery" ending his whole 2007 campaign, and in the first quarter of the first official game of the year, he is down with the "ankle sprain." The big man for the Trailblazers was to be a huge impact, in the paint, on the glass, and doing battle with the whole array of Western Conference big men (such as, Shaq, Duncan, Bynum, Staudomire, and a big mix of others). However, as of now, Portland will have to lean on either a substantially smaller line-up, or they will go with a substantially less talented rotation of big men.
The Western Conference is by far the superior conference, as whole, and the Trailblazers were looking to take the sixth thru eight playoff spot, with Oden in the line-up. As the NBA is looking to the "next big thing" (no pun intended), Oden was a poster boy, coming out of high school. In the next two weeks, he was to go against Shaq, Yao Ming, Dwight Howard, and Tim Duncan (with that line-up of Centers, it might be good he was hurt, when he was, keeping him fresh). Those match ups will not be happening in a row, but will be happening later in the season. Two to four weeks are not the end of the world, and the NBA season is a hard, long, and grueling one, especially for the big men (of the league).
Portland's GM & Owner, players and fans were all holding their collective breaths. They can now exhale, knowing Oden is not out for a substantial period of time, looking at big weight gain and rehab. However, their is still going to be some major questions for Greg this year. The twenty year old, shot blocking guru, will be considered injury prone, until he isn't. This is not a fair shot at such a young man, but the bigger you are the harder you fall (pun intended), there is more wear and tear on a big man's body, and the physiology of big men, playing a sport at the level they do and against other alike, is a situation for critical mass. Stepping on a foot, is a potential broken ankle, every dunk is a potential ACL/MCL tear, and even just knocking knees in the paint of the NBA can break/dispose a knee cap (ask the Laker's Andrew Bynum). Time will tell, but I am sure the NBA, all of Portland's team and fans, and the fans around the NBA (not to mention fantasy basketball fans) are all pulling for "Mr. Oden" to come back, bigger and stronger, with a well rested body, for the remainder of the season. All eyes will be on Oden, when he emerges from the tunnel, in two to four weeks.
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The Western Conference is by far the superior conference, as whole, and the Trailblazers were looking to take the sixth thru eight playoff spot, with Oden in the line-up. As the NBA is looking to the "next big thing" (no pun intended), Oden was a poster boy, coming out of high school. In the next two weeks, he was to go against Shaq, Yao Ming, Dwight Howard, and Tim Duncan (with that line-up of Centers, it might be good he was hurt, when he was, keeping him fresh). Those match ups will not be happening in a row, but will be happening later in the season. Two to four weeks are not the end of the world, and the NBA season is a hard, long, and grueling one, especially for the big men (of the league).
Portland's GM & Owner, players and fans were all holding their collective breaths. They can now exhale, knowing Oden is not out for a substantial period of time, looking at big weight gain and rehab. However, their is still going to be some major questions for Greg this year. The twenty year old, shot blocking guru, will be considered injury prone, until he isn't. This is not a fair shot at such a young man, but the bigger you are the harder you fall (pun intended), there is more wear and tear on a big man's body, and the physiology of big men, playing a sport at the level they do and against other alike, is a situation for critical mass. Stepping on a foot, is a potential broken ankle, every dunk is a potential ACL/MCL tear, and even just knocking knees in the paint of the NBA can break/dispose a knee cap (ask the Laker's Andrew Bynum). Time will tell, but I am sure the NBA, all of Portland's team and fans, and the fans around the NBA (not to mention fantasy basketball fans) are all pulling for "Mr. Oden" to come back, bigger and stronger, with a well rested body, for the remainder of the season. All eyes will be on Oden, when he emerges from the tunnel, in two to four weeks.
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