4 minutes 15 seconds into tonight's game against the Rockets and we watched out season get kicked in the balls. Greg Oden, who I have defended and hyped up so much over the last year that I should be on payroll as his publicist. No exaggeration here, but I would bet no one has been in more near fights about him then I. I am literally the Flava Flave to his Chuck D.
This season, we watched him make such a big strides towards justifying his selection as the first overall pick in the 07 draft. He transformed from an awkward foul machine, which he was so often last season to this year, simply becoming a presence. Defensively, you feared him and his ability to challenge any shot. He cleans glass like he as o.c.d. I'm positive he play's with a travel-sized bottle of windex in his shorts. And lately he began to make you pay for sleeping on him offensively, displaying an array of low post moves as well as often throwing down rather aggressive statement dunks. Tuesdays game recording a 13 point, 20 rebound 4 block performance against the Heat. Ladies and gentlemen, Greg Oden had arrived.
Or not. At the 7:45 mark in the first quarter, defending an Aaron Brooks drive to the hoop, Greg Oden broke his knee cap. HIS FUCKING KNEE CAP.
Poor dude. I actually feel twisted up over this. And not because my favorite basketball team just lost it's starting Center for the season. I'm twisted up because he is by all accounts a good dude. Everything I've read and everything I've heard (friends of friends kind of scenerios, but from multiple sources) have him pegged as genuine dude.
He worked hard to get back from the last injury. It was hard physically as well mentally. Not only was he coming back from an injury (microfracture surgery) that takes almost two years to get back to normal from, but he had to deal with all loads of negative shit from the press. Everywhere he went he had to hear about how he is Sam Bowie 2.0 and how the TrailBlazers once again made a mistake with their first round pick of a center.
Lets cut the bull shit and get the facts straight. The man deserved to be the number 1 pick that year. He led the Ohio State Buckeyes to the National Title Game with a broken shooting hand. Yes he played his Freshman year shooting (and shooting well) with a BROKEN SHOTING HAND. He was the best 18, the best Center in college Basketball, and he was making due by making everyone look stupid with his left hand.
We drafted him, because we had Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Martell Webster, and Travis Outlaw already. Also this was the draft when we pulled out Rudy Fernandez. If you're telling me with a franchise center in Greg Oden or another skinny perimeter player, that you're going to take yet ANOTHER perimeter player?!? Not if you value your job. Greg Oden was the perfect fit for this team and the right pick. You don't watch basketball if you think I'm wrong in this one.
Now whats happened to him since this has just been unfortunate. The injury he sustained takes two years to come back. If you don't believe me, I have mountains of evidence proving you wrong and is the subject of my favorite argument. Greg Oden rushed back so he could play ball. Both him and the Blazers were wrong. We should've eased him back. The pressure was intense and his body wasn't ready. Again, if you think I'm wrong go read about Amare Stoudimire. See how long it took him to come back.
Last year sucked because he wasn't ready. But this year, this year we saw what he could be. Monster dunks, ridiculous blocks, game changing rebounder. He was developing into what we drafted. Then he got struck again by the injury bastard.
I can't imagine what it's like trying to be an athlete these days. In this, the age of Internet where we have constant blogs, podcasts, 24/7 radio and tv shows devoted to sports, everything an athlete does is dissected on their shows (it's hard to fill up 24 hours of programing). Even if it's a stretch to find the relevance.
"Today Brandon Roy ate a Egg Salad Sandwich and jerked off at noon. Unfortunately his wife had gone Christmas shopping and he needed to relax before the game. Lets hope it pays off. Now back to you Guy in the Studio."
(I was done writing after that. From here on was written the morning after)
The Talking Heads are so much louder then they were in the 80's and early 90's. IF the draft bust talk in the 80's would've been heard at a low mummer, the 90's it would've been heard with what would be considered "outside voice" volume ( you know, that is if you were still in Grade School). Now, it's full fledged Rock Concert volume. He will not be able to ignore it. He's gonna have to use it. Use it to get motivated, Greg.
One bright side is that as painful as a broken knee cap sounds it's not damning. In 2005, Washington Wizards Forward Jarvis Hayes did the same thing. After trying to play on it afterwards was proven a bad call, he sat out from February to the end of the season. But had a full recovery and played everygame except one for the next two seasons. It can be done.
As shitty of a time for this to happen, this isn't worse case scenario. I think he believes that too. Here is a quote from him after the game, " I'm obviously disappointed having worked so hard to get where I was. This is a setback, but I'll be back. It's in God's hands now."
And if anyone is bouncing back from an injury like this, it's Greg. Shit, he's done it before.
No comments:
Post a Comment