O-Damn!

With Greg Oden out, Blazers have big shoes to fill

By kerry eggers

The Portland Tribune, Sep 14, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (7 Reader comments)

JEFFREY BOTTARI / GETTY IMAGES

Blazer rookie Greg Oden will miss the season after an exploratory surgery turned into a microfracture procedure to repair cartilage damage.

The worst-case scenario came true for the Trail Blazers on the operating table Thursday morning at Southwest Washington Medical Center.

Microfracture surgery isn’t a death knell for a pro athlete, but the Blazers’ estimate that Greg Oden’s right knee could be fully recovered in six to 12 months appears to be hopeful and optimistic.

Many NBA players — Jason Kidd, John Stockton, Chris Webber and Amare Stoudemire among them — returned to top form, but it took all those stars at least two seasons to put the knee problems behind them.

Others, such as Terrell Brandon, Brian Grant, Allan Houston and Penny Hardaway, never fully recovered.

Former Portland forward Zach Randolph underwent micro-fracture surgery on his right knee in March 2005 but said he didn’t feel like his old self on the court until nearly two years later.

Blazer forward Darius Miles is rehabilitating from microfracture surgery last November; it is unknown whether he will be able to return to action this season.

“On the severity level, (Oden’s) is probably the least (of the three),” Blazer General Manager Kevin Pritchard says. “We expect Greg to fully recover. … We’re saying six to 12 months, but at this point, we don’t see him coming back this season. With this kind of injury, it’s very difficult to put an exact timetable on it. Everybody’s body is different. Maybe he heals fast, maybe he doesn’t.”

Oden had swelling and felt discomfort in his knee Sept. 6 after a run on the track.

At that point, the Blazers took MRIs and had team physician Dr. Don Roberts and two outside experts take a look at the results. One of the consultants thought Oden would require microfracture surgery.

With the problems Oden has had physically in the last year or so — including a wrist injury at Ohio State and a tonsillectomy this summer — is he injury-prone?

“This is an isolated incident. I have no doubt in my mind this guy will have a long, successful career,” Pritchard says. “He came here early. We had such a good bonding experience. Things were jelling, and everything was moving forward the way we had hoped. I thought it was the start of something special.”

Oden has youth on his side (he turns 20 in January). Roberts, who performed the surgery, says the area of damage is small and the rest of the knee looked normal.

“All are good signs for a complete recovery,” Roberts says.

That doesn’t help the Blazers for the upcoming season, however. For the short term, at least, this ranks between “catastrophe” and “disaster.”

Oden was being counted upon to be a presence in the middle, especially on defense.

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