It’s one of the most puzzling injuries ever seen by medical officials affiliated with the Portland Trailblazers.  The team’s number one draft pick in 2007, Oden has shown flashes of the skill and brilliance that earned him the top pick spot over current NBA All-Star Kevin Durant.  However, while no one can deny Oden’s basketball IQ and defensive prowess, there’s one small problem:  Greg Oden cannot stay healthy.  He missed his entire rookie season after requiring microfracture surgery on his right knee, and now Greg Oden will miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season after getting microfracture surgery on his left knee.

According to Portland trainer Jay Jensen, the injuries to Oden accumulated practically overnight.  “Two weeks ago today, Greg was seen by Dr. Roberts and he had a normal exam.  He had no fluid in his knee at all.  He had a normal exam.  We were solely concentrated on continuing to get him stronger and increasing his confidence, his ability to play on the court.”  However, that didn’t last.  After practicing with the team in Los Angeles, Oden complained of knee problems the next day and Jensen had him reexamined, with horrifying results.  “I looked at his knee and it was significantly increased.  It was at that time that I mentioned it to Dr. Roberts and he agreed that it was time to get an MRI on Greg’s knee.” According to Jensen, Oden’s knee MRI looked, “Like a nine iron taking a divot out of the grass, it’s a hole in that part of the cartilage.”

For the record, Greg Oden has never played a complete NBA season.  His 82 career games have been spread across two seasons, with Oden banking 61 games last year and 21 this year.  You hate to see a nice kid like him struggle with injuries, but he just might not have the strong tendons and skeleton needed to play professional sports.

Tags: NBA, National Basketball Association, Greg Oden, Portland Trailblazers, Oden out for season, microfracture knee surgery, Oden out with knee injury, Oden will miss the season with a knee injury, left knee microfracture surgery, Jay Jensen

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