GO is still in Indy. Safe to say, he doesn't hold a candle to Brandon in the heart department. Oh, and Joel is back in PDX. He was apparently seen at Dorenbecher for a community service even last week.
• A week before the end of the regular season, Greg Oden told the media he would be traveling with the Blazers during the playoffs, and was looking forward to the experience. So where has the 7-footer been? In his hometown of Indianapolis, rehabbing.
Oden is gone with Blazer management’s blessing. The thinking was, when he is around his teammates and not playing, Oden takes it hard. He is better off being at a distance from all the action.
The Blazer center is almost six months out from December knee surgery. All indications are rehab is going well and he will be ready to go for October training camp. “I don’t think there’s a doubt,” Pritchard said. “He’s going to be fine.”
I haven't talked about Oden on this board. On my previous board, I defended him against the many trolls that this board doesn't have. When Blazer fans there ranked the most important Blazers, they said Roy, Aldridge, and maybe Pritchard. I said 1) Paul Allen, 2) Oden, and 3) McMillan. But finally my Oden support is becoming tepid.
With Oden, every excuse in the book has been used to avoid basketball. Before his true injury, he already showed a pattern of escapism. Before his first Summer League, he couldn't make it for some workouts. In Summer League, he caught a cold so he couldn't play full minutes. Then he had the tonsils and stopped playing. After a couple of weeks, the normal time to recover from a tonsillectomy (I had one in the 1st grade) he just didn't feel like playing in the US tryouts, a crucial learning experience. Then came the exhibition season and he was totally out of shape. Then he tried to play and he was always out of breath, dragging his tired body around the court. Then he got injured in the first game because he was out of shape from not playing all summer. On and on. All along, Pritchard said he'd be better later if he didn't play now. Then later, it was obvious Oden couldn't play now because he hadn't played before. Pritchard's draft choices reflect upon him, so it's in his self-interest to praise any players he decided to acquire. Most GMs are tougher on their employees.
Then an injury came not during activity, but from sitting on the couch. Early this season, I vaguely remember that he didn't want to be seen standing at a football game or some sport so he left and hid. Now he's too shy to go to Blazer games and claims his leg hurts too much to appear in public for even 5 minutes. You'd think the guy could show up at games next to the team for some minimum time. I think he's shy, unaggressive, and will never grow up until the lax Pritchard gets his own head straight on this issue so he can straighten out Oden's attendance.
I still think he will eventually be a top center. But not requiring even minimum attendance to watch tapes and practices only delays his development. If we have to pay much to sign him it will be a hard decision.
