Oden possibly done for the Summer

[The_Future]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Trail Blazers on Monday determined that Greg Oden could need a tonsillectomy by the end of the week, thereby jeopardizing his availability for the rest of the team's summer league action in Las Vegas.

A final decision has not been made - Oden said he wanted to consult his mother first - but it appears likely that Oden will fly to Portland late this week for surgery after he finishes presenting an award Wednesday in a taping of the ESPYs in Los Angeles. Recovery for adults who undergo a tonsillectomy is two weeks.

On Monday, I asked Oden to show me his tonsils, and he obliged. I was so startled, I asked him to show me again. His tonsils are so swollen that only a small passage way - about the size of a green grape - was evident.

"I can't even tell you ... it just hurts,'' Oden said "Right now, it's more of a thing that they are so big, that when I'm running up and down the court, it's hard for me to breathe. I can't get any air in there.''

It had become obvious to those around the Blazers that Oden's tonsils and his sinus infection were affecting his play during the first two games in the summer league. He had six points and two rebounds in the opener before being disqualified with 10 fouls. In his second game, Oden had 13 points, five rebounds and four blocks, while amassing nine fouls.

Oden said he agrees that his health hurt his play, mainly his stamina, but he refused to bring it to anyone's attention, especially the media.

"There's no excuses, because I was out there playing,'' Oden said. "And if I'm playing, I'm playing, so if I have a bad game, it's not on my tonsils, it's on me. A lot of it is I just have to get used to this game, that's what everyone is telling me.''

Check out Tuesday's editions of The Oregonian for more on Oden's situation.

By the way, the Blazers had two scrimmages on Monday at Durango High School in Las Vegas - against Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers - and Oden looked as good as he has all summer in both games. He swatted shots, dunked with authority and drew countless fouls.

I think his performances today went a long way in the Blazers' determination to explore having a more immediate tonsillectomy than originally planned.

"My gosh, today especially in the scrimmages, he was as dominant as we have seen him,'' Pritchard said. "He is getting mad, and upset, and showing some toughness. Good lord, how much more does he need to show us? I mean, he's not feeling well, and yet he is playing through it.''</div>

Well this sucks, hopefully the man can get over this and have a very speedy recovery. I love the last paragraph about what Pritchard said, that is very conforting. Anyway get well soon Oden, thanks for playing through your sickness and getting to know the team a lot better, but this is for the best.

Link: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/

 

[Laker_fan]

I don't want to seem like a downer or anything but I personally believe he's going to be a Kwame Brown bust. I've had that feeling since before the draft as well. Good luck with him though.

 

[The_Future]

<div class="quote_poster">Laker_fan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I don't want to seem like a downer or anything but I personally believe he's going to be a Kwame Brown bust. I've had that feeling since before the draft as well. Good luck with him though.</div>

I have heard this from a lot of other people and it's getting quite annoying. The annoying part of it is they say he will be like Kwame basing it off the fact of his not so great Summer League games, while people tend to ignore the other facts such as Ostertag OWNED Duncan in the Summer League. Qyntel Woods completley owned Summer League yet he was terrible in the NBA, Summer League is a very poor judgement to judge anyone. Hell Kobe even had something like 1 point in his first Summer League game, yeah he didn't have the hype like an Oden, but judging from that he wasn't going to be anything special was he? Wrong.

At least you didn't base it off his two games that you think that, but it gets quite annoying hearing it. Saying that is like saying Durant is the next black AMMO, afterall he has been as impressive as Oden (which isn't very impressive).

 

[Pgballer17]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Top draft pick Greg Oden needs to have his tonsils removed and is expected to miss the rest of the Portland Trail Blazers' summer league games.

After he tapes the ESPY awards in Los Angeles, he will undergo a tonsillectomy Saturday, at the Vancouver Clinic in nearby Vancouver, Wash., the team said.

Recovery time is expected to be two to three weeks.

"Greg felt that this was the right decision to make in the interests of his health, and we support that decision 100 percent," Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "The sooner he gets the procedure done, the sooner he can get back on the court at full strength."</div>

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/bask...e.ap/index.html

 

[phunDamentalz]

<div class="quote_poster">Laker_fan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I don't want to seem like a downer or anything but I personally believe he's going to be a Kwame Brown bust. I've had that feeling since before the draft as well. Good luck with him though.</div>

Kwame Brown? G.O. has more character in his left nostril than Kwame has in his whole body. He'll be fine.

 

[Shapecity]

I've been to plenty of summer league games. They are overglorified pickup games, dominated by guard play. I wouldn't put any stock into Oden having a disappointing performance.

Pre-season is going to be a much better indicator of where Oden is at in his development.

The concern I would have is Nate McMillan's inexperience with coaching a dominant post player. How will he adjust his offense to focus Oden as the primary option? Or does he even run the offense through Oden?

Nate McMillan's teams have always been perimeter oriented with a lot of ball movement along the wings.

 

[The_Future]

<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I've been to plenty of summer league games. They are overglorified pickup games, dominated by guard play. I wouldn't put any stock into Oden having a disappointing performance.

Pre-season is going to be a much better indicator of where Oden is at in his development.

The concern I would have is Nate McMillan's inexperience with coaching a dominant post player. How will he adjust his offense to focus Oden as the primary option? Or does he even run the offense through Oden?

Nate McMillan's teams have always been perimeter oriented with a lot of ball movement along the wings.</div>

Well one thing I know from Summer League is that Oden is still pretty raw offensivley, more then likely Oden will not be the primary option on offense, that belongs to Roy and could even belong to Aldridge. I see Aldridge averaging at least 17 ppg that is, unless Oden completley dominates on offense then he won't get as much. But Roy will be and should be the primary option.

Something else Roy can do, at least from what I saw last season is he can deliver the ball to where people want it, such as when he drives down the lane and is guarded to well he was able to kick it out to someone like Webster or Udoka who could take a wide open shot. I think he can feed the ball to where Oden wants it downlow, to make his life and shot a lot more easier for him.

But as far as I know Roy will be the #1 option next year and Oden does still need to work on his offensive game.

 

[Laker_fan]

<div class="quote_poster">The_Future Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I have heard this from a lot of other people and it's getting quite annoying. The annoying part of it is they say he will be like Kwame basing it off the fact of his not so great Summer League games, while people tend to ignore the other facts such as Ostertag OWNED Duncan in the Summer League. Qyntel Woods completley owned Summer League yet he was terrible in the NBA, Summer League is a very poor judgement to judge anyone. Hell Kobe even had something like 1 point in his first Summer League game, yeah he didn't have the hype like an Oden, but judging from that he wasn't going to be anything special was he? Wrong.

At least you didn't base it off his two games that you think that, but it gets quite annoying hearing it. Saying that is like saying Durant is the next black AMMO, afterall he has been as impressive as Oden (which isn't very impressive).</div>

I'm not basing it off the Summer League Games. If you notice, I said:

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting laker_fan:</div><div class="quote_post"> I've had that feeling since before the draft as well.</div>

The only thing we can do is wait and see. The NBA is a whole other level and big guys will often find it hard to get rhythm going as they are more prone to commit fouls.

 

[Voodoo Child]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The only thing we can do is wait and see. The NBA is a whole other level and big guys will often find it hard to get rhythm going as they are more prone to commit fouls.</div>

Even in the limited action Oden received in the guard-dominated summer league, you could see the way that he changed the game. Even when he wasn't directly dealing with the ball, he was changing the way other teams ran their offense.

To say that he's going to turn out like Kwame Brown, well, that's just an opinion from someone who's never seen him, because nobody who's seen him play would make that comparison. Forget the differences in their game. Kwame's was a high school-to-the-pro's prospect, whereas Oden is proven on the collegiate level. Brown was taken #1 in one of the weaker drafts, where there was no clear #1 up until draft night. Oden has been the consensus #1 pick since he was 15 years old, even with a freak of nature like Kevin Durant available.

 

[The_Future]

<div class="quote_poster">Laker_fan Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm not basing it off the Summer League Games. If you notice, I said:



The only thing we can do is wait and see. The NBA is a whole other level and big guys will often find it hard to get rhythm going as they are more prone to commit fouls.</div>

I know you didn't which is why I said this:

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">At least you didn't base it off his two games that you think that</div>

What I was trying to say is, I have seen a lot of people call him a bust because of his performance which in unfair, let the man play some games in the NBA first and when I said that it wasn't directed to you because you at least thought this way before. Anyway, yeah.