Surprise Surprise...Greg Oden out for the season

The Blazers announced Wednesday night that Greg Oden(notes), who has yet to play in a game this season, will undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee this Friday and miss the rest of the season. In case you forgot, Oden also missed his entire rookie season due to microfracture surgery, although that was on his right knee.

This is the third time Oden has suffered a season-ending knee injury. Last December, he fractured his left patella and missed the rest of the season. He has played in just 82 regular season games nearly three and a half years after being selected first overall in the 2007 NBA draft ahead of Kevin Durant(notes).

It's tempting to call Oden a bust, but this kind of injury history is colossally bad luck more than any sort of personal failing. Perhaps the Blazers could have done a better job checking Oden's knees before drafting him, but it's hard to find people who were predicting the sort of knee trouble to this extent at the time of the draft.

At this point, it's hard to think that Oden will ever get a real opportunity to fulfill the massive potential that had him pegged as the best American big man prospect in a generation. Only Kenyon Martin(notes) has also had microfracture surgery on each knee -- and he still has a great deal of athleticism after returning last season -- but he at least had a pre-injury career to build on when he returned to the court. Now in his fourth season with the Blazers, Oden has yet to create a clear role for himself on the roster. How can you count on a guy who's so rarely available to play?

It's a sad turn of events for a man who by all accounts has worked hard to become a valuable player. Unfortunately, it's unclear if that hard work will ever turn into substantive production.

All we can do now is wish Oden good luck and hope he can complete what would be one of the most impressive comeback stories in the history of the league. But we have to be honest: the odds are not fantastic.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Greg-Oden-just-can-t-catch-a-break-out-for-the-?urn=nba-286903

This is Sam Bowie all over again. Imagine Durant with the Blazers.

Feel bad for the kid.

Yeah this is sad. The guy just cant get healthy.

he is too old to play bball.

I'M SHOCKED!


yes Z, I still have a giffy going on.

Imagine how good the Blazers could be if they could get him healthy.

timthebim wrote:

Imagine how good the Blazers could be if they could get him healthy.

it will never happen he is like 60

sucks for Oden

does sound like Bpwie all over again

actually Bowie had a better first 3 years

timthebim wrote:

Imagine how good the Blazers could be if they could get him healthy.

He's not even any good when he's on the court. Worthless draft pick

bobbitt15 wrote:

timthebim wrote:

Imagine how good the Blazers could be if they could get him healthy.

He's not even any good when he's on the court. Worthless draft pick

Yeah Oden wasn't that great in my fantasy league the year he played most of his games. Biggest letdown since Bowie or Bias.

I'd still take his career over Kwame Brown and Darko Milicic.

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

I'd still take his career over Kwame Brown and Darko Milicic.

How at least they get on the court.