Greg Oden to shut it down

As it's been reported by several outlets, Greg Oden has decided to shut it down for the summer and get that much needed tonsillectomy. I'm disappointed that we won't get to see him in Vegas but I can't blame him. I think the tonsils and fatigue have taken a huge toll on him as evidenced by his play in the first two games. If you read Jason Quick's summer league report you get a good view of his tonsil problems.

I think this is a wise move by Portland to shut him down. Let the guy rest for a few weeks and recuperate. He's been going 100 miles an hour for about the past month, flying to Portland, Ohio, New York and elsewhere. We don't need to burn the kid out before he even suits up in a real uniform for Portland.

I'm hoping Greg eats some ice cream, relaxes and gets healthy so he can play at 100% the moment the season starts. We saw glimpses of what he can do but we still have yet to see Oden play at 100% percent. He either had broken wrist or tonsils so swollen that only a passageway "the size of a green grape was evident" (that's some in-depth...and disgusting, reporting by Quick) so there's no reason to push it. That he was even out there is a testiment to his committment and drive. I have a funny feeling that if Zach or Darius had even the sniffles they would have begged out of playing...but not partying in Vegas.

This decision now opens the door for others like Zenden Hamilton (I'm glad I paid $51 bucks to see Zen), Joel Freeland and others.

Can't blame Oden for taking a rest, if anyone has earned a break, it's him.