FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Top draft pick Greg Oden to miss rookie season with Trail Blazers

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - With the news that top draft pick Greg Oden had season-ending knee surgery, the Portland Trail Blazers steeled themselves to move on without the 7-foot center they had pinned so much of their future on.

``Whatever happens today, nobody's going to feel sorry for the Blazers, and we can't feel sorry for ourselves,'' coach Nate McMillan said Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the No. 1 pick in the June draft went in for an exploratory procedure on his right knee and ended up having microfracture surgery, which means he will sit out the season.

Team physician Dr. Don Roberts performed the surgery to repair the damage, which general manager Kevin Pritchard described as the size of a fingertip. Oden is expected to be on crutches for up to eight weeks. Full recovery likely will take six to 12 months, the team said.

``At this point in time, we don't see him coming back this season,'' Pritchard said.

The loss of Oden was a blow for the Blazers. There was much fanfare when Portland got the first pick in the draft, and even more when the team chose Oden.

A huge, stories-tall jersey with the name Oden and a No. 1 hangs on the Rose Garden Arena. Across the street, a building is plastered with a billboard proclaiming ``The Road Back to Rip City'' with larger-than-life photos of Oden and teammates Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge.

``What it does is present opportunities, and new challenges, for the staff and this team,'' McMillan said. ``But, you know we will, I think, be better with this situation simply because we have to play without Greg. He was a big part of this team, but he was a part.''

It was Oden's second health problem since the Trail Blazers drafted him. He had a tonsillectomy in July after struggling in two Las Vegas summer league games.

Oden recovered and had been working out in the Portland area. The MRI was taken Thursday after he had some swelling in the knee.

``I would like for me to be playing and not seem like I'm a high-maintenance player, but things just keep popping up,'' Oden wrote in his blog earlier this week.

Despite being hampered by a wrist injury at Ohio State, Oden averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds last season as a freshman. He led the Buckeyes to the national championship game and had 25 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Florida.

The Trail Blazers were the surprise winners of the NBA draft lottery, and chose Oden over Texas forward Kevin Durant, who went to Seattle.

Pritchard said Oden had MRIs on both knees before the draft and they were ``pristine.''

According to Pritchard, when Oden emerged from surgery Thursday morning with his mother Zoe, his first words were, ``I'm sorry.''

``We picked the right kid, he cares about his organization. And I can't (overemphasize) how bad he felt, and not because he had to go through the rehab and all that, but because he felt like he let us down,'' Pritchard said, ``and he hasn't let us down at all.''

While the loss of Oden was a disappointment, the Blazers were quick to point out that the team still has promising young players in Roy, last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, and Aldridge, who will likely play at times at center in Oden's absence.

``This isn't about one person, never has been, never will be,'' Pritchard said. ``This is about a team, about 15 guys going out there with a single vision, a single purpose.''

The Blazers open training camp Oct. 2. The regular-season opener is at San Antonio on Oct. 30.

FanNation.com via AP