The former No. 1 draft pick whose short career has been marred by injuries, will have microfracture surgery on his left knee and will not play this season.Putting aside all the "Oden is such a good kid" stuff (he is), I think it's fair to say the word "bust" is misplaced when discussing him, and yet I keep seeing it written on various blogs, etc.
Oden hasn't played since last December because he needed surgery to repair a fractured left patella. The Blazers say this microfracture surgery, announced Wednesday night, will repair damaged cartilage and is unrelated to the patella injury.
Greg Oden is NOT a bust. You see that? He's NOT A BUST.
What he seemingly is though is an oversized person whose body hasn't developed fast enough to deal with the enormous pressure and weight to handle the rigors of being a NBA player. Now I'm no doctor, but it seems to me this huge person seems to get hurt all of the time, no different in college. Things break on him, and that's just the way it is.
I'm a believer, based on no scientific evidence, he has physically developed in a way most people have not and his body has yet to be come strong enough to withstand the pounding necessary to be a high level basketball player. I'm also of the opinion he WILL develop over the next 2-3 years, but unfortunately it may be too late for him by then.
However, again, he's not a bust.
In order for Oden to be a "bust" he would have to be playing poorly on the court, which he really wasn't. If there were people who were predicting before he was drafted first overall 3 years ago that "Greg Oden will always be hurt. He has history of getting hurt, and he's not developed enough. It's a bad pick." If there were people saying this, then I'd say, "Yeah, he's a bust." But no one was saying this. No one at all.
A bust is someone who cannot perform to the level expected of them because they don't have the skill-set, work ethic, or ability to do so. This is not Greg Oden's problem. The same way it was not KiJana Carter's problem as a Cincinnati Bengal. They are just kids who injured themselves and never had a chance to achieve. There's a difference. So lets just avoid the stupid-talk right now, please.
Whatever the case, Greg Oden will forever be the poster-child for the reason kids SHOULD go to the NBA early, when they have the chance. His name will now be heard every single time any future professional basketball, or football, player decides to leave school early. "Look what happened to Greg Oden..."
Greg Oden will always be a rich man because of this decision, but I'm sure in his heart he'd rather just be a great basketball player. Hopefully both will happen.
3 comments:
If you define bust as huge disappoint, then mostly definitely Oden is a bust. Whether he just sucks or is injured, he is not playing and being paid.
If you pick someone #1 and they do not come anywhere close to expectations, then they are a BUST. Doesn't matter if injuries were the reason behind it. Still bust city.
Not too mention, MANY people DID question the pick because of his fragile body (not too mention the fact he clearly wasn't as good as Durant). Even when healthy, he was overrated.
I agree with anonymous. I recall quite a few people, around draft time, saying that he was a dangerous pick because of his likelihood of injury.
Also, you said, "In order for Oden to be a "bust" he would have to be playing poorly on the court". He's so rarely on the court that we can't really judge how well he plays.
I hope he does well eventually, but maybe he needs to take a couple years off to excercise and do physical therapy to get his body ready for the rigors of an NBA season. Perhaps Yao Ming can join him.
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