Oden to the Heat

[calamity]

Well, at one time the Portland Draftee was presumed to be the next Kareem. And, he was actually good enough to maybe go there. But...as with the other "potential" Portland superstars that were high draft picks: Bill Walton and Sam Bowie, bum wheels kept him off the court. Unlike Walton, however, Oden never helped the Blazers win a championship or anything else for that matter. His career was more like Sam Bowie, who hardy played at all, at least not until after leaving Portland.

Well, Oden had long ago left Portland. Repeated injuries resulted in him being cut by the Blazers back in 2012. Now he gets to relaunch his career with Miami. I wish him well.

Grantland Exclusive: Greg Oden on Why He Chose Miami - The Triangle Blog - Grantland

...he showed enough flashes of brilliance to convince most NBA observers that Oden, one of the most anticipated players in basketball history, was well on his way to living up to the hype.

Of course, even the most optimistic Oden fans (like me) will admit that the Heat aren’t getting that Greg Oden. In truth, they’ll be lucky if Greg is half the player he was. Not only is his injury history unprecedented for an NBA player, but as he told me last year, his past few years away from the game have been a psychological and emotional struggle. Oden is now in a much better place mentally, but the odds of him salvaging his career still aren’t great, which is something he both knows and doesn't allow himself to think about.

"The past six years have been tough for me," Oden said, "but there’s nothing I can do about it now. The past is the past. All I’m focused on is right now. And right now I feel great and I’m looking forward to playing again.”

My 13-year friendship with Greg may have me grasping at straws here, but I really believe he can make a successful comeback. Not only is he just 25 years old, I also haven’t seen him in this good of shape since high school.

 

[Μολὼν λαβέ]

Maybe he can help with rebounding as the Heat, I believe, were last in the NBA in that category.

 

[washunut]

Well, at one time the Portland Draftee was presumed to be the next Kareem. And, he was actually good enough to maybe go there. But...as with the other "potential" Portland superstars that were high draft picks: Bill Walton and Sam Bowie, bum wheels kept him off the court. Unlike Walton, however, Oden never helped the Blazers win a championship or anything else for that matter. His career was more like Sam Bowie, who hardy played at all, at least not until after leaving Portland.

Well, Oden had long ago left Portland. Repeated injuries resulted in him being cut by the Blazers back in 2012. Now he gets to relaunch his career with Miami. I wish him well.

Grantland Exclusive: Greg Oden on Why He Chose Miami - The Triangle Blog - Grantland

Is there an over/under yet for how many games he plays before getting hurt. If it is anything like 20 I am going with the under.

 

[The Man]

Is there an over/under yet for how many games he plays before getting hurt. If it is anything like 20 I am going with the under.

I'd say under 10. The dude is like Mr. Glass from the movie Unbreakable, and he's not going to all of a sudden stop getting injured as he ages.

 

[calamity]

Is there an over/under yet for how many games he plays before getting hurt. If it is anything like 20 I am going with the under.

Yeah. Odds against him are high.