I've heard this idea, from a lot of different sources, and I have to admit I don't quite understand it.
Odens absence this season will have less impact on The Blazers because The Blazers weren't projected to make the playoffs anyway.
Seems like one of those obvious things people like to say that really if you analyse it makes no sense. Sure, I think even with a 100% healthy Oden and everything going right, The Blazers making the playoffs this season was probably a long shot, but the fact that Oden is now out, doesn't make the situation for Oden, or The Blazers "better".
The evening the news about Oden first broke, I listened to BFT on the radio. Canzano went on, and on about how Odens injury was going to affect THIS season. You know what? I don't care. Of course "Oden" as a concept, a player, and a potential force for The Blazers wasn't really about THIS season. But to me that doesn't make the palatibilty of his injury any easier to take.
I know it's people looking for a silver lining. But I think Odens injury is something we can overcome, something Oden can overcome and hopefully in 10 years it is just an aterisk at a end of a long list of career victories for Oden. But do I feel any better about it, because this season we weren't going to make the playoffs anyway? No, that's not really a silver lining. When we drafted Oden, we drafted him as our cornerstone Big Man, a man for all seasons, unfortunately we are going to lose him for one. Just don't try and cheer me up about it by telling me it doesn't matter so much because we weren't going to make the playoffs this season anyway. I know.
It's like accepting bad news. You go through phases. I think Blazer fans are at the denial stage. ...."it's not such a big deal BECAUSE..." We won't really heal as a fan base until we are honest with ourselves. It is a big deal. A fingernail size patch of missing cartilage has robbed us of our man for all seasons for one season. I'm not even going to try and look for a silver lining to that. I'm just going to call it what it is, bad...and next season, when Oden comes back, it will be very, very good. My silver lining optimism is focused only on the fact that I REALLY believe Oden will be back, and have the chance to become what we Blazer fans all hope he will become, but that is where my optimism begins and ends. Don't tell me about how we weren't going to make the playoff anyway, or how we might get a higher draft pick, or how this makes development of Aldridge and Roy and the rest of our core "better". I'm being honest, I wanted Oden here now, for his rookie season, and not having him, is in my opinion not really an advantage in any way shape or form. If that's ripping the silver lining out of everyones cloud, I'm sorry.