In the NBA, we just endured a nightmare season in which three of the last six No. 1 guys fell victim to season-ending injuries, in the process dashing the aspirations of three young teams all sorely hurting for a big man. But luckily, they're all on the way back soon, so we ask: Who has the comeback of the year — Blake Griffin, Greg Oden or Andrew Bogut?
All three suffered devastating injuries this past season, dealing knockout punches not only to their own seasons, but to the franchises counting on them.
Start with Griffin, whom the L.A. Clippers drafted with the No. 1 overall pick last summer — when the former Oklahoma big man went down in October with a stress fracture in his left knee, it put the Clips' season in serious doubt. When team doctors concluded in January that surgery was needed and Griffin's season was over, that threw a wrench into everything. The Clips were out of the running.
For Oden, it was the second season-ending injury in three seasons. First he missed all of the 2007-08 campaign with a fractured right knee; then this past December, it was his left, as a broken patella quickly brought another season to a screeching halt. The Portland Trail Blazers were forced to move on without their franchise big man.
Bogut was the primary reason that from day one, the Milwaukee Bucks looked destined for a deep playoff run last season. But a freak accident on April 3 against Phoenix, with the Bucks' center injuring his hand and elbow while finishing a dunk, meant the Bucks were playoff bound without their elite big man. That didn't go so well.
All three guys have worked this summer to gear up for a return to the NBA. And they'll all make a huge impact when they return — Griffin will make the Clips relevant again, Oden will give the Blazers the low-post presence they sorely need, and Bogut will return the Bucks to contention in the Eastern Conference. All three have great things in their futures.
But no one has a brighter future than a healthy Greg Oden — if that man exists, that is.
Think back to the summer of 2007, when we were all comparing the young Ohio State phenom to Texas' world-beating force of Kevin Durant. Everyone agreed — Durant's talents were out of this world, but Oden was the pick at No. 1. He was the guy who redefined your team for the next decade. He was the guy that put you in position for multiple titles. He was the can't-miss pick, the guaranteed franchise player.
A lot of people are quick to revoke that viewpoint now. Durant is the future of the league, and Oden has lost that argument, hands down.
But we've still yet to see what Oden can do if he reaches his full potential.
Get this — Greg Oden is still only 22. He still has the size, the strength, and the raw skills to be a dominating big man on both ends of the floor. He just needs a little experience… and two good kneecaps.
Oden has a few tiny weaknesses here and there. He gets into foul trouble, he still could use some more mobility, he still needs work on diversifying his game offensively. But the kid also has the talent and the work ethic to overcome any weaknesses he might have.
Three years ago, we all thought Greg Oden could grow into a basketball legend.
And honestly, he still could. Just wait until he gets that chance.
NESN.com will analyze 25 key NBA questions this September.
Sept. 4: Who misses their departed superstar the most — Cleveland, Toronto or Phoenix?
Sept. 6: Who's still going the strongest — Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki or Steve Nash?
