Sports

Blazers’ bust Oden became too big, too fast

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — So, Part I; let’s see if I fully comprehend doctors’ opinions pertaining to Greg Oden’s latest career-threatening injury.

According to a Portland press release, the microfracture surgery (damaged cartilage to the surface of his left femur) the 22-year-old center will undergo today is unrelated to the fractured left patella damaged Dec. 5, 2009. Furthermore, those troubles are in no way associated to the microfracture operation on his right knee Sept. 13, 2007, all of which have combined to limit Oden’s availability to 82 games . . . 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.43 blocks.

That’s the story and the Trail Blazers are stuck with it.

A couple of NBA players who have known Oden since the 2005 ABCD camp offer a different perspective. One thinks the 7-footer’s knee problems are interconnected — but concedes they’re probably not linked to a July ’07 tonsillectomy or a July ’06 right wrist repair — and stem from the Blazers’ insistence he bulk-up starting from the day he was drafted.

“He got too big, too huge and too fast. His frame and legs couldn’t handle that extra weight,” one player theorizes.

Then again, you can’t ignore a sixth grade hip surgery that left one of Oden’s legs shorter than the other, resulting in his unusual gait which is often mistaken for a limp.

Another player in Oden’s age group chooses to ignore it, however, pointing out: “Greg was plenty strong before and super-quick before he hit the weight room hard. I was amazed how big and tall he was when we first met. He had the quickness of a wing.”

At that time, Oden was a high school god, a combination of Bill Russell and Robert Parish. Nobody could score on him inside. No forward or center could run the court with him . . . dominance that endured through his ultra successful year at Ohio State.

Oden’s game-changing capacity is precisely why the Blazers chose him No. 1 overall, instead of Kevin Durant, despite already boasting LaMarcus Aldridge and Joel Przybilla. I caught heaps of grief from unheard-from-lately, unrepentant Blazermaniacs for advocating the opposite.

Nevertheless, Oden might have been the proper pull were it not for the injuries.

“He bulked up and everything changed,” reiterated one player.

Who knows, maybe deep down, consciously or subconsciously, maybe Oden isn’t as torn up as all of us think at the distinct possibility he may have peaked in the sandbox and be forced to retire?

I throw that out there because one of the above players says he remembers shooting around one morning with Oden at that ’05 ABCD Camp and being stunned when Greg declared: “I just want to get a house in Vermont with my family and be left alone.

“I laughed, but it didn’t seem like he was kidding.”

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So, Part II; considering how much unconstructive criticism Chris Bosh has received for his false start, did Erik Spoelstra, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade make a concerted effort to get him the ball (35 points, including 11-11 from the line) where he could do the most demolition during Wednesday’s sacking of the Suns?

Apparently not . . . though if I were the coach, I would’ve tried anything and everything to get Bosh Spice more offensively involved in hopes of getting the media and fans off his case.

At any rate, from what I understand, the Heat simply had a couple days of really sharp practices where guys were challenging each other, which supposedly set the tone for team to have an intimidating recital.

Spoelstra also switched things up and called off morning shoot-around. Instead, he had the players come in an hour earlier before the game and that seemed to help them get their legs back.

Bosh took full credit for his bust out game.

“I’m smart, I can handle things,” he stated.

Perhaps, jabs column contributor Richie Kalikow, “but he’ll always be Fredo to LeBron and Dwyane’s Sonny and Michael.”

Another captivating aspect of the Heat-Suns mismatch, as I eyeballed the flat screen from my unobstructed Jacuzzi, is what Miami did, if anything, to neuter Steve Nash or was his lack of “helps” just due to a groin strain that put him in business casual last night against Orlando.

Although the Suns’ high scorer with 17 points (6-11 FG, 5-6 FT), Nash produced zero assists in the first half, a seemingly lifetime low (April ’03, in actuality), and two for the game, a stumpy total unseen since Dec. 29, 2001 in games he played at least 20 minutes.

Apparently nothing special was designed. Again, from what I understand, the Heat’s bigs brought lots of energy to the Suns’ pick-‘n-rolls. Juwan Howard was particularly effective defensively, contributing 15 hardcore minutes, including half the third quarter with a broken nose before doctors insisted he leave for the locker room.

The aggression of the bigs allowed the perimeter people to stay closer to their assignments and thus took away a huge part (5-19 from three) of the Suns’ game. It also helped that Jason Richardson (11 points, no rebounds, 31 minutes) looked as if he took advantage of the Suns’ lone trip to South Beach and brought the subs (nary a basket until the fourth quarter) with him.

“To have success against Phoenix,” an opponent underlines, “you must force Nash to be a scorer, which he’s very capable of, but he’d much rather get everyone else involved. When he’s allowed to do that, they can beat anybody, but when he’s not, they can lose to anybody.”

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Today’s column cannot conclude without honoring Ron Jackson, 67, who died yesterday following a stroke six weeks ago. Despite not playing at Commerce High School, he became good enough to make the Globetrotters and aligned with Pablo Robertson to form one of the most dynamic backcourts in Rucker Tournament history. In 1968, they teamed with Herman “Helicopter” Knowings and Guy Hughes (The Colonials) to win the championship. All four are now deceased.

peter.vecsey@nypost.com