ESPN

As the word spread Thursday that Greg Oden would be out several months, Portland fans weren't the only ones feeling his pain.

Many ESPN.com readers expressed regret that they wouldn't see the No. 1 draft pick play in 2007-08. Others looked for silver linings, and a few celebrated the Blazers' misfortune.

Regardless of your feelings about whether or not Portland made a mistake in taking Oden over Durant, this is just a bummer for NBA fans. I am not a fan of either team, or really of any team in particular (being from Vegas) but I love the NBA and I was looking forward to watching Oden grow into a dominating presence in the league and have a solid rivalry with Durant. It is also a shame for USA basketball. The US could use a dominant big man.
-- kurlithree

I hope he comes back 100%. The unfortunate part is that with any knee injury the odds are against him ever playing at 100% again.
-- chrissku

he probably pulled a jerome bettis and "got hurt" after he signed
-- chicagoANDco

this could be a blessing in disguise ... instead of losing to a 1 seed or missing the playoffs with a solid record they could get another lottery pick to add to roy, webster, aldridge, oden and fernandez who can play ...
-- kobeisbest11

Two things. One, Amare Stodumire came back from this same kind of surgery, so it can be done. Oden is young and doctors are saying that the prognosis for a full recovery is good. Two, this is ALMOST like a San Antonio Spurs scenario with them getting Duncan. Imagine this. The Blazers suck...again. Not exactly hard to imagine, especially with them not having Zach Randolph anymore. They get another high (maybe number one) draft pick. Oden and the new high pick on the same team next year? It could happen.
-- BigYellow9999

Oden will be back, and I believe he will be back next year. This man has more Bill Russell in him than Sam Bowie. His injury seems to have been caught very early, and from all indications his knee was less damaged than Amare's was. Its sad that he has to miss the season. But he will be getting 3 blocks per game and 12 boards a night when he returns.
-- BU36

What's that sound? It's thousands of season tickets being canceled. The Oklahoma City Stars thank you for your support! Seriously--does this not confirm that Portland is run by the most incompetent front office in the league? You couldn't have figured this out beforehand?
-- Nyghtewynd

And so it begins ... Great news for Aldridge and Frye, terrible news for the Blazers. I predict a Yao Ming like beginning to Oden's career: promising, but injury filled if not completely injury riddled.

Hey, look, it's Kevin Durant dropping 30 on the Sonics' (current) Pacific Northwest rival en route to the rookie of the year award! Get used to it Blazers' fans. I'm not ready to call Oden Sam Bowie or anything, but it's def. moving farther in that direction.
-- benleroi

yessss !!! im glad we (the Grizz) didn't get the first pick....yessssssssss !!!!! Thats what the NBA get for cheating the Grizz out the pick......Yesssssssssss !!!!
-- RonaldWooten

As a celtics fan, all i have to say is THANK GOD we didn't win the lottery!!
-- maasilva22