No. 1 pick Greg Oden likely to miss rookie season

 

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The Greg Oden era will have to wait.

The No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft likely will miss his first season with the Portland Trail Blazers after undergoing surgery today on his right knee. Cartilage damage was found during the exploratory procedure and Portland team physician Dr. Don Roberts performed microfracture surgery to repair the damage.

Oden is expected to be on crutches for up to two months and full recovery likely will take six to 12 months, the team said.

For more details on Oden's surgery, read this report from Portland, Ore., by AP sports writer Anne M. Peterson.

--Paul Chavez