Fifth Time the Charm

Oden's career has been anything, but what
the Trail Blazers were hoping for.

It's been nearly five years since the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Greg Oden with the No. 1 overall pick, taking him over Texas' Kevin Durant.

Since that time, Oden has undergone more knee surgeries than he has seasons played, Durant has made the Oklahoma City Thunder a title contender, winning two NBA scoring titles in the process and Oden's once upon a time running mate, Brandon Roy, has retired due to his balky knees.

Oden underwent his fifth career knee surgery Monday and the third of the microfracture variety. Originally suffering the injury in his right knee, Oden's last two procedures have come on his left.

It's worth noting no player in NBA history has come back after undergoing three different microfracture procedures.

The 7-footer has played a total of 82 games in his five-year career. That is equivalent to an entire NBA regular season. In his rookie campaign out of Ohio State, Oden played in a career-high 61 games, 39 of them came as a starter, averaging 8.9 points per game and 7.0 rebounds.

Following his first surgery, Oden came back with vengeance, starting in the team's first 21 games of the regular season. He was averaging 11.1 PPG, 8.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, making it clear he wasn't going to be the franchise's next Sam Bowie.

However, he was.

On Dec. 5, 2009, in a game against the Houston Rockets, Oden went up to block an Aaron Brooks' shot attempt, but instead came down on an another injured knee.

Oden suffered a fracture left patella and would miss the reminder of the season, playing in what might be his final as a Blazer.

Just like Oden, Bowie was taken ahead of another high profile superstar and a superstar in every sense of the word. The often-injured center was selected by Portland with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, in front of North Carolina's Michael Jordan.

Need I say more?

As for Bowie, he played in 76 games in his rookie season, but only 63 games over the next four years with the Blazers before signing with the New Jersey Nets, spending only five years with the organization and the same number of operations.

Oddly enough, Oden can say the same thing.

Portland should
have listened.

Heading into the season and after the 166-day lockout Oden was a restricted free agent, but agreed to a $8.9 million qualifying offer to stay with Portland. The team has since restructured the deal with Oden, having him earn $1.5 million after he will not have played a game in any of the last three seasons.

A team that was once thought to be possessed by a formula for success, now becomes a team without two main indigents. And with Oden an unrestricted free agent at season's end, his return to the Rose Garden or any NBA arena for that matter, isn't any time soon.

Just remember, history tends to repeat itself.