ODEN: THE NEXT BILL WALTON?

Greg Oden looks like an old man. While yes, it is true that his facial appearance does contribute to the fact that he looks like he's 50, its really his body that seems to be getting a bit long in the tooth. In his one year at Ohio State, Oden missed significant time after having surgery to repair ligament damage to his right wrist. After he became the first overall pick of the Blazers in the 2007 NBA Draft, Oden had to have microfracture surgery on his right knee, keeping him out for the entire 2007 season. He finally made his long awaited NBA debut this week, when the Blazers played the defending Western Conference champion Lakers in the team's season opener. And, lo and behold, the Portland center went down once again. Oden played just 13 minutes, didn't score, and left when he appeared to twist his ankle after accidentally stepping on Derek Fisher's foot. Now, ESPN is reporting that Oden will miss the next 2-4 weeks with a sprained foot.

Portland fans have certainly seen this before. Sam Bowie, who the team drafted second overall in 1984, was injury riddled throughout his career. After playing in 76 games his rookie year, Bowie only played in 63 in the next four seasons. Bowie's injury problems were further magnified by his comparison to the player the Bulls took with the third overall pick in '84: Michael Jordan.

Another Blazer who just couldn't stay on the court was Bill Walton. The big redhead, like Oden, was drafted first overall by Portland, but just couldn't stay healthy. In his first two years alone, Walton broke his nose, foot, wrist, and leg. Debilitating foot injuries slowed Walton throughout his playing days, and derailed an extremely promising career.

Of course, Walton did go on to win some NBA titles, including one in Portland. And Oden's brief time in professional basketball can't yet be compared to other frail big men, simply for the fact that at this point he's only 20. So Blazers fans, relax. Greg Oden's playing days are just getting started. Hopefully, for the sanity of the people in the pacific northwest, he'll be able to put his past behind him. But if not he's certainly on the appropriate team.