Portland Trail Blazers: LaMarcus Aldridge Has Surgery but Is Ready To Go

The Portland Trail Blazers have had a lot to talk about this past week. They lost their All-Star Brandon Roy to retirement due to bad knees, lost their overall No. 1 pick, Greg Oden, to setbacks keeping him from the season.

With all the chaos that has come before the season even tips off, the Blazers had some good news come their way. LaMarcus Aldridge" target="_blank">LaMarcus Aldridge will be making the regular-season opener.  

Aldridge had to miss the first week of training camp due to a medical procedure on his heart, but he is now healthy and ready to go.  

As the training camps continue, Aldridge will root on from the bench as he will not initially be allowed to participate in contact and scrimmaging portions of workouts. He will continue to ease his way back from treatment for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. 

The Blazers’ starting power forward will not be playing in the anticipated exhibition opener Monday December 19th when the Utah Jazz come to the Rose Garden, but Aldridge looks to be cleared in time to play two days later for the second and final exhibition matchup against the Jazz in Utah.

The main question is though, will he be ready for the season opener? Aldridge has no doubt that he will be ready for the December 26th tipoff when the Blazers play the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Aldridge has said that a routine physical revealed an abnormal rhythm in his heart and doctors wanted to not have any future risks to keep him from the shortened season. With this surgery, he has now had three, and hopes to not have another one anytime soon. 

During his time away from the court Aldridge made a brief appearance at the practice facility to see the team but has not been able to even take a shot since the surgery.

This has brought down Aldridge’s spirits but he has hopes that as soon as he’s completely cleared he will hit the court with a full head of steam and be welcomed by the loyal Rip City fans of Portland.  

Despite having to sit out the first week of practice, and the loss of Brandon Roy, don’t expect to see Aldridge letting any rust, if there is any at all, build up as he gets to that first minute of play.

As we count down the days to the official tipoff of the Blazers’ 2011-12 season, we look around at what the Blazers have in their grasps as this moment approaches.

We also know the team will look to put their past two postseason flops behind them and take this year—and this teamas a new beginning to hoisting the championship.