Day After Reaction to Greg Oden's Injury

When I woke up this morning, the very first thing I thought about and remembered from last night was Greg Oden's injury. It's been on my mind all day long. I've been reading reactions all day and I even watched the replay of the injury. I'm still in awe, so many things have changed now.

Anyway, here are some of the things I've been reading:

TrueHoop ( Hollinger ) asks, Where to Now Portland?

Yes, we can officially say Greg Oden is injury-prone. By the end of this year, Oden will have played 82 of a possible 246 games since Portland took him with the first overall pick in 2007. While broken bones are rarely career-altering, this injury is franchise-altering in the sense that it seems a pipe dream for the Blazers to count on Oden going forward. They can take his contributions as gravy if he's healthy, but they can't build a team around him.

Anne M. Peterson, Oden tells teammates to keep fighting without him

Brandon Roy(notes) said that Oden apologized and bowed his head as he was wheeled off the court. Once he learned his diagnosis, Oden told his teammates in the locker room he was sorry he let them down.

Mike Barret, Big Loss in a Big Win

We can sit here and feel sorry for ourselves as Blazer fans, but all I could think about at that moment the injury happened was how badly I felt for Greg. He had battled so hard to get to where he was, and now he faces another fight. And, as bad as we all feel for what happened, it doesn't come close to how he's feeling. It certainly changes things, but Oden will be back. And, maybe I'm being unrealistic, but it wouldn't shock me to see him playing again this season. It's just a feeling.

Joe Freeman, Oden Suffers Major Knee Injury

It's the biggest and most ominous injury for a team that has been depleted a quarter into a season that started with so much promise. Oden is the second starter —along with Nicolas Batum —and fifth player to miss a significant portion of the season.

Wendell Maxey , Oden's Knee Injury Could Have Been Avoided

Knowing this is the same knee that Oden suffered a chipped knee cap last February makes his broken kneecap now that much more devastating. It also makes the healing process even longer. Out for this season is one thing. Not knowing when he will return at all is even more concerning for Portland.

Dwight Jaynes , Greg Oden goes down again

Everyone will loosen up now, too. You see, all the pressure is gone now. Expectations are down to very little. There are plenty of excuses for poor play now —so players and the coaches will relax and improved play will likely be the result.

Brian T. Smith, recaps surgery

"Greg will get over this," said Pritchard , who added that Oden's spirit's were high following the surgery, and that he will soon be joined by his family at a regional hospital.

Kellex (Blaze of Lo ve ), The End of the Greg Oden Experiment

This post isn't about Sam Bowie or the fact that many would assume Oden as "injury-prone." This isn't about being a "bust" while Kevin Durant is performing at an MVP level. This isn't a plea to trade the big man. This post is simply about time. About a window of opportunity that seems to have closed.