Because he can't play after having microfracture surgery on his right knee, Greg Oden is treating his NBA rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers like a redshirt season.
He's at all the practices and he's making all the roadtrips, but the No. 1 draft pick's contribution has been limited to lifting weights and trying to strengthen his surgically repaired knee.
Monday night held special importance for the 7-foot Greg Oden because it allowed him to study Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard up close and personal. Greg Oden said Howard is one of the players he's tried to pattern his game after.
"I've watched a lot of Dwight, and he was one of the guys that I looked up to when I was in college and high school," said Greg Oden, 19. "Seeing him first hand will be so big for me. This will be a huge scouting night for me."
Greg Oden is walking again, but still isn't allowed to put too much pressure on his right leg. Instead, he's worked hard on strengthening his upper body -- something he couldn't do as a freshman at Ohio State because he was recovering from a broken wrist. He's noticeably bigger, having added some 29 pounds while keeping his body fat index at 8 percent. Greg Oden hopes to play next season at 290 pounds.
Portland coach Nate McMillan has insisted Greg Oden travel with the team so that he can get used to the NBA road grind now. Greg Oden said being around the team has eased the frustration of not playing this season.
"(McMillan) just wants me to see how the NBA life works, and get used to the schedule," Greg Oden said. "When I'm playing it's going to be tough to adjust. To go on road trips without playing, I get to see everything first hand that I need to do.
"It's tough because I want to be out there. All I've known in my life is playing ball and I'm not doing that. I'll do everything I can so that when I'm OK, I can help this franchise."
Dooling down
Keyon Dooling, the Magic's best player off the bench this season, didn't play Monday against Portland because of the flu.
Dooling, who has played at point guard and shooting guard for the Magic, had hoped to build off his best game of the season. He had 17 points off the bench Saturday in the Magic's 120-99 rout of the rival Miami Heat.
Dooling's absence meant more playing time for the newly acquired Maurice Evans and second-year shooting guard J.J. Redick behind starter Keith Bogans.
Evans, acquired last week along with Brian Cook in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, played well Saturday in his Magic debut. He had six points in 11 minutes, with two of his baskets coming on highlight-worthy dunks.
Redick has played just four games all season and hasn't played since getting four minutes of playing time last Wednesday in San Antonio. Remarkably, Redick -- one of the best scorers in college basketball history -- has yet to score a point this season for the Magic.
Redick appeared to have played his way into the rotation with a strong start to the preseason. But defensive woes and back spasms caused him to sink in Van Gundy's rotation. And the trade for Evans hasn't helped his cause.
"J.J. is ready to play. He doesn't like it all, and I'm glad that he doesn't, but he understands," Van Gundy said. "Going into the first game of the year, I had no idea how I was going to rotate the (shooting guards). In the first game, (Keith) Bogans got in foul trouble, and because Michael Redd was still on the floor, I went with Dooling. And now we're 12-3 and it sort of spiraled for J.J. We haven't had offensive problems too often, and I know that's where J.J. can really help us. I have no problems with the way J.J. has played defensively, but I think the other guys (such as Bogans, Dooling and Evans) are the ones I'd play ahead of him in defensive situations.
Seeing Green
Tauren Green, the starting point guard for the University of Florida's two-time national championship basketball team, defied the odds and made Portland's roster despite being a second-round pick on draft night.
Green, whose father Sidney was Orlando's first pick in the 1989 expansion draft, has played in four games this season.
Said Green: "Everybody is good, everybody is strong and fast. But I feel I've adjusted well. I knew I had to play well to make this team. I just went in with the idea that I had nothing to lose. I think I've played well."
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