Oden aiming for 100 percent

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noknobs

noknobs

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"I hear a lot of different stuff," the Trail Blazers' injured center said. "I hear everything from 'Stop getting hurt!' to 'Get well, we're here for you,' to 'You can't be here! You should be rehabbing.' And I hear it at all hours of the day.

"I just smile and keep on walking," continued Oden, who speaks in gentle tones and tends to smile regardless of the topic of conversation. "You've got to. Portland is small like that. You don't want to do something wrong here, because if you do one bad thing with Portland, you get a bad little reputation. You know people start to watch you, with all the bad stuff that went on before [during the 'Jail Blazers' era]. You can't do nothing, you really can't say nothing. You've just got to deal with people saying those things and just keep moving."
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When I met with Oden last week in Portland, he made it clear he is not going to hurry back until his body feels ready. The Blazers -- who did extend Oden's rookie contract by the Nov. 1 deadline, making him a restricted free agent next summer -- are on board with his approach.

"They tell me you're probably not going to be 100 percent," Oden said. "But I'm like, Why not? What's wrong with trying to get out there and get back to 100 percent where my whole body is feeling good? I don't see any harm in that. Even though this is a contract year, I'm trying to look out for a long career; I'm not trying to look out for the short term. I want my body to feel good, I want to go out there and feel like I can perform with the best."
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"I spoke to some experts and they say it's in my hip," Oden said, pointing to his right side. "I had a hip fracture when I was in sixth grade, and I saw one guy who said that could have something to do with your pain over here [as he pointed to his left knee], that it's just throwing you off a little bit. It doesn't happen right away, but sometime down the line it's going to happen."
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omfg....
 
I don't mind Oden waiting to be 100% healthy but if it rolls around to all star break and he isn't back yet then i'm throwing in the towel. We are gonna need him in the playoffs at peek condition and healthy, its probably gonna take 30 games to get him used to the system and his body back in shape again, thats my guess at least.
 
translation....

you will be lucky to see me play this season
 
BLAZER PROPHET said:
Memo to Greg: Get your ass out on the floor and play.
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This is what the franchise gets for not getting some kind of extension worked out with Greg, he's got to think of his career and his value around the league now instead of what's best for the team. Coming back less than 100% would probably limit his production, and risk further set backs, and without a contract to insure his future you can't blame him for not wanting to do that.
 
Jayps15 said:
This is what the franchise gets for not getting some kind of extension worked out with Greg, he's got to think of his career and his value around the league now instead of what's best for the team. Coming back less than 100% would probably limit his production, and risk further set backs, and without a contract to insure his future you can't blame him for not wanting to do that.
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I don't know but it's all crap to me. This organization has done nothing but put his health and recovery first, supporting him all the way for three injury riddled years and many millions of dollars. If this guy can't get his ass on the floor and try to play through perhaps a little pain then fuk him, I'm done with him. If the docs say he's cleared then tell him to play - he has NO excuses then.
 
Jayps15 said:
This is what the franchise gets for not getting some kind of extension worked out with Greg, he's got to think of his career and his value around the league now instead of what's best for the team. Coming back less than 100% would probably limit his production, and risk further set backs, and without a contract to insure his future you can't blame him for not wanting to do that.
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Yeah, I get that. It's just frustrating that he's more or less cleared to play, but won't. He'll never be 100%. Roy's playing- and he's really hurting. Greg needs to step up.
 
BLAZER PROPHET said:
Yeah, I get that. It's just frustrating that he's more or less cleared to play, but won't. He'll never be 100%. Roy's playing- and he's really hurting. Greg needs to step up.
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It's so frustrating, I have given him every benefit of doubt and never before ripped on him, but if he is cleared to play by our docs and the LA guy agrees then there are just no excuses.
 
That quote certainly doesn't sound like he enjoys Portland very much.
 
Blazinaway said:
It's so frustrating, I have given him every benefit of doubt and never before ripped on him, but if he is cleared to play by our docs and the LA guy agrees then there are just no excuses.
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Has he been cleared to play? We don't know that. They might have agreed that he needs to take it slow and is not ready yet. Just because he wants to wait until he is 100% doesn't mean the team thinks he's ready now.
 
I've thought this for a little while, but I think it's entirely likely that Greg is going to need a change of scenery if he's ever going to get fully right ... that isn't to say it's impossible for him to be productive here, but with as much mental and physical baggage as he has accumulated here in 4 years he may not ever be able to overcome the psychological hurdles that are unique to his situation here.
 
Yeah I can't imagine why Greg would feel akward in Portland. People are very supportive why I remember reading on his blog after his first injury. Oh wait I'm sorry people and the media started to pile on then, and it only got worse and worse and worse. When Oden blows up in another city I'm going to have nothing but scorn for the fans of this team who shat on him day one. Sure some like me and others in this thread supported him, but plenty of assholes didn't and were VERY demonstrative about it. The media loved it too. Of course when Bynum is hurt their aren't ENDLESS exposes about what an injury prone player he is. I think even Kwame Brown got shat on less than Oden. I don't think I've ever seen a professional sports player get so shit on by his own fan base and the media for doing nothing. Oden will do well somewhere else and we'll get jack shit for it and unlike Cleveland and Toronto we won't have even got good years out of him.

What a shitty time for this team. I'll keep watching games here and there but I've cancelled my cable. This team is self-destructing before my eyes for three years now but the last 12 months have been an unending nightmare.
 
He's a restricted free agent. He can't play anywhere else even if he wanted to, right?
 
KingSpeed said:
He's a restricted free agent. He can't play anywhere else even if he wanted to, right?
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He can if the Blazers do not match an offer he gets.

Of course, he can accept the Blazers qualifying offer, play one more year and be a free agent.
 
Wow. You guys are nuts. Greg nailed Portland on the head, i'm glad he gets it. he'll come back strong and prove all you doubters wrong.
 
GOD said:
Unless there is a lockout next season and then he is an unrestricted free agent
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My guess is that the NBA would have some kind of change in the CBA that would correct this issue.
 
Idog1976 said:
Yeah I can't imagine why Greg would feel akward in Portland. People are very supportive why I remember reading on his blog after his first injury. Oh wait I'm sorry people and the media started to pile on then, and it only got worse and worse and worse. When Oden blows up in another city I'm going to have nothing but scorn for the fans of this team who shat on him day one. Sure some like me and others in this thread supported him, but plenty of assholes didn't and were VERY demonstrative about it. The media loved it too. Of course when Bynum is hurt their aren't ENDLESS exposes about what an injury prone player he is. I think even Kwame Brown got shat on less than Oden. I don't think I've ever seen a professional sports player get so shit on by his own fan base and the media for doing nothing. Oden will do well somewhere else and we'll get jack shit for it and unlike Cleveland and Toronto we won't have even got good years out of him.

What a shitty time for this team. I'll keep watching games here and there but I've cancelled my cable. This team is self-destructing before my eyes for three years now but the last 12 months have been an unending nightmare.
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It all boils down to Kevin Durant. Oden had the unfortunate fate of being the number one pick in a very strong draft. He will always be measured to Durant, and as of now it's not even a comparison. Greg had a lot of expectations heaped on him, and that's not his fault, but unless he starts to produce he will go down in history as the second biggest mistake in Blazers history. That's just fact.
 
He's cleared to play? by whom? by the Blazer-doctors that cleared him to play the last couple of times?...
Greg has already had some very upsetting injuries, don't you think it's about time he realised he needs to listen to his body and come back only when he feels 100%. If he believes it's possible, I believe it's possible and not re-signing him after this year - even if he doesn't come back at all this year - would be more foolish, IMO, then drafting him over Durant.
Part of Greg's injury problem, I think, is mental. He has to be confident in his body and in himself, to get to know his body and himself and learn how to play smarter, more controlled, more composed basketball. Be confident enough that he doesn't try to do too much, and then - he could really be a beast.
I think part 1 is waiting till he's completely healthy, 100%. Part 2 is giving him limited minutes, not "until he's healthy", until you have no choice but to play him more minutes. Give him the Jeff Pendergraph role and let him grow.
 
regarding the OP quotes from Greg, I don't want to see him on the court until he's healthy & confident about his health either and have said as much many times. Considering his injury saga since entering the league, him playing mostly free from concern is goal worth shooting for. Without him the team is easily good enough to be in the playoffs, with him healthy they are good enough to contend. The playoffs are 5 months away. Dude has been working out with weights, trainers, and on the court for months now, so when he finally resumes actual NBA PT it's not like he'll be starting from scratch.

While frustration from fans is somewhat understandable it makes me really happy that this apparently is playing no part in his decision making... those same :ohno: fans will be trash talking Laker fans following his first dunk. My reading of the tea leaves from all the various reports is that he'll be back within a month... looking forward to it!

STOMP
 
STOMP said:
regarding the OP quotes from Greg, I don't want to see him on the court until he's healthy & confident about his health either and have said as much many times. Considering his injury saga since entering the league, him playing mostly free from concern is goal worth shooting for. Without him the team is easily good enough to be in the playoffs, with him healthy they are good enough to contend. The playoffs are 5 months away. Dude has been working out with weights, trainers, and on the court for months now, so when he finally resumes actual NBA PT it's not like he'll be starting from scratch.

While frustration from fans is somewhat understandable it makes me really happy that this apparently is playing no part in his decision making... those same :ohno: fans will be trash talking Laker fans following his first dunk. My reading of the tea leaves from all the various reports is that he'll be back within a month... looking forward to it!

STOMP
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quit making sense, this is serious business!!!!

:ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno:
 
Natebishop3 said:
That quote certainly doesn't sound like he enjoys Portland very much.
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if everything thats happened thus far in his career was the same, do you think things would be more enjoyable in say NY? Maybe Atlanta would be the perfect spot as (generally speaking) they don't really even care about hoops

he's doing the right thing just smiling at the critics and handling his business as best he knows how

STOMP
 
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