Probably. But while a negative X-ray of the 2007 No.1 overall pick’s right foot oughta be considered good news, seeing Greg Oden make a quick exit just 12 minutes into his professional career after missing the entire ’07-’08 season had to bring to mind the injury-plagued career of you-know-who.
Nice comparison. Thanks for reminding me.
Isn’t Bowie the wrong analogy? In that case the Blazers drafted a guy who had already shattered his leg in college. Oden’s rookie year injury was (supposedly) unknown on draft day, and his college injury (to his arm) seems to bear no relation to his more recent lower appendage problems, unless dude just doesn’t drink enough milk.
Also, one of the arguments pdx used for taking Bowie was that they already had a guy who played MJ’s position. In Oden’s case they consciously duplicated their prior year’s positional pick, opting for talent over balance.
Feels to me more like Bill Walton, minus the preceding flashes of glory.
they did win a championship with Walton, tho.
good points, though I was mostly pushing the alarmist-for-the-sake-of-itself button. The Oden/Bowie comparison was a lazy, knee-jerky card to play, but it has just as much to do with the players the Blazers passed on in both drafts in favor of the brittle big men they selected. While Walton’s professional career was certainly injury-plagued, I don’t recall much howling in the ’70’s that Portland fucked up by not taking Marvin Barnes.
i realize you didn’t hear it here first but the guy is gonna be a bust (i knew we should’ve taken durant). sorry but i don’t want another seaon with mr. personality joel przybilla at center. the guy is the perennial backup, not a starter. i wonder if we can get the other mr brittle, theo ratliff, back?