Greg Oden Injury Means He Is Officially a Bust
by Joe Gerrity Correspondent
With Greg Oden's most recent knee injury it's become apparent that he is an injury prone player.
Fans may argue that he's simply unlucky, unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but knee injuries have a tendency to recur and he is showing that his body doesn't withstand them at the level needed to be a successful NBA player.
With the news that he will miss the rest of the season, the former number one pick will now have missed two thirds of all regular season games and all playoff games since being drafted.
Frankly, he doesn't put up fantastic stats even when he's healthy.
Let's look at how he stacks up to another famous Bust, Sam Bowie, through three years in the league.
First off they were both picked before superstars. Although Durant isn't quite there yet, he will be before too long. His scoring stats are a thing of legend already.
Oden: 82/246 games played (33 percent), 23 minutes, 11.1 points on 60 percent shooting, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 4 fouls
Bowie: 119/246 games played (48 percent), 29 minutes, 10.8 points on 51 percent shooting, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 3.7 fouls.
It's pretty clear that these guys are very similar players with a very similar history of knee injuries. Bowie was able to eventually play a few successful years, but his growth was stifled by all the time off the court and he never really developed into the player many thought he would be.
One is labeled the biggest busts in sports history. Given their historical similarities and the quality of players picked after them, it's foolish to continue giving Greg Oden the benefit of the doubt.
If Greg was putting up 20-10 nightly it would be one thing, but he's not. He's merely an average center, who is unable to stay out of foul or injury trouble long enough to be effective even in the limited role that the Blazers give him.
