FLASH: GREG ODEN LIKELY TO MISS SEASON

From NY Times

Greg Oden, the first player picked in the N.B.A. draft in June and the presumed savior of the Portland Trail Blazers, could miss his entire rookie season after undergoing surgery today on his right knee.

Doctors discovered cartilage damage in the knee during exploratory surgery, and went on to perform a microfracture procedure meant to repair the damage and stimulate cartilage growth.
Although that type of procedure has been linked to the sudden decline of several N.B.A. stars, notably Penny Hardaway, Chris Webber and Antonio McDyess, the Trail Blazers expressed optimism today about Oden’s prospects for recovery.