RealGM

I'm not a member there so I couldn't as any 'questions' but a gut in another forum claims Oden was playing in some full-court pick-up games at a Tualitin gym:

http://www.basketballforum.com/portland-trail-blazers/398185-greg-oden-pickup-game.html

I'm not sure is I detect a smell of BS in the post or not.

I have a hard time believing the blazers would be OK with this

Well, I'd suspect if it's true it will be the last time he does. I seriously doubt the Blazers would be thrilled with this.

I believe he's a Hoopsworld (former?) writer. I would suspect that his credibility is alright.

Nate's legit.

I agree with the posters over there--this is hardly a "scary" development or even terribly unexpected. Sure, the Blazers want to be safe with Oden, but remember that the question a few months ago was whether or not Oden would be playing in the NBA at this point against players who can do real damage to him right now. The decision for him not to was a "let's be safe and not take the chance even though he could come back."

Playing a pickup game, no matter how good a pickup game, isn't even remotely close to the level he would have to play if he were trying to help the Blazers get the 8th spot this year. It's probably not even as hard as what he goes through when he does practice drills with the team. I'd be willing to bet the players playing against him could only get him to about a 30% effort level at best, and that's only because Greg is a bit of a ham.

Basically, my take on this is that it is one thing to "play it safe," but a far different thing to assume he's a piece of fine china that you can take out for special occasions but needs to sit in a protective case the rest of the time.

mojomarc wrote:I agree with the posters over there--this is hardly a "scary" development or even terribly unexpected. Sure, the Blazers want to be safe with Oden, but remember that the question a few months ago was whether or not Oden would be playing in the NBA at this point against players who can do real damage to him right now. The decision for him not to was a "let's be safe and not take the chance even though he could come back."

Playing a pickup game, no matter how good a pickup game, isn't even remotely close to the level he would have to play if he were trying to help the Blazers get the 8th spot this year. It's probably not even as hard as what he goes through when he does practice drills with the team. I'd be willing to bet the players playing against him could only get him to about a 30% effort level at best, and that's only because Greg is a bit of a ham.

Basically, my take on this is that it is one thing to "play it safe," but a far different thing to assume he's a piece of fine china that you can take out for special occasions but needs to sit in a protective case the rest of the time.

I can understand the sentiments. Certainly he's not playing NBA caliber players, and this could be a good way for him to get some run without the typical wear and tear. It just seemed to be that the Blazers were trying to keep the contact down for a while longer.

If this is with the Blazers blessing, great. I trust it. I doubt he would risk his career for a 24 Hour Fitness pick up game. But if he did it without the Blazers consent, that's bad news.

mojomarc wrote:I agree with the posters over there--this is hardly a "scary" development or even terribly unexpected. Sure, the Blazers want to be safe with Oden, but remember that the question a few months ago was whether or not Oden would be playing in the NBA at this point against players who can do real damage to him right now. The decision for him not to was a "let's be safe and not take the chance even though he could come back."

Playing a pickup game, no matter how good a pickup game, isn't even remotely close to the level he would have to play if he were trying to help the Blazers get the 8th spot this year. It's probably not even as hard as what he goes through when he does practice drills with the team. I'd be willing to bet the players playing against him could only get him to about a 30% effort level at best, and that's only because Greg is a bit of a ham.

Basically, my take on this is that it is one thing to "play it safe," but a far different thing to assume he's a piece of fine china that you can take out for special occasions but needs to sit in a protective case the rest of the time.

while i tend to agree for at least part of what you say, I'd add a stipulation "based upon the pick-up"game.

I played high school and then I played a lot of city league games, as well as a few hundred 'pick-up' games. Generally the pick-up games were easy going. But I've been in a few dozen that weren't. And I've seen a fair share of out-of-shape, 250lb ex-football player/jock types that are all over the place trying to recapture glory days and prove something. They crash into people often and sometimes it's down low. Bulls in china shops. I hate to think about what one of those mid-life crisis bowling ball-morons could do to a knee that's a half a foot higher off the floor then anyone else's.

Nobody plays defense in those pick-up games. It's just running the court and shooting. The play isn't usually physical. Years ago, Darnell Valentine used to play at a place that I played. Nobody would dare put a body on him. There is so much difference between professional athletes and us mortal people it was a walk in the park for Darnell.

^^what he said.

While I was not much of a pickup basketball player with pros, I did quite a bit of pickup hockey with pro players and people don't put the body on them in any serious way. For one thing, if someone bodied Oden a little aggressively, I'm sure he'd throw him about 20 rows up into the bleachers the next trip up the floor. For another thing, when you play against players who are used to that level of contact like a pro, they know better than you do how to use the contact to their advantage. I never got to the pro level, but I did play varsity in college and even I couldn't hang with Rick Tocchet or Kerry Carkner physically when I played against them because for every move I knew they knew about 20 to counter it.

Besides, if I ever really got physical with them they'd probably drop their gloves and beat the snot out of me.

well, i don't see any "problem" with him playing pick-up games at a gym or at his home or wherever he wants to.

the issue here would be if he is doing it under the blazers approval and suppervision.

but i don't think oden is foolish enough to jeopardize what he could be just for the itch of playing some ball.

With how tough Oden's rehab regimen has been, I seriously doubt that an hour at a local gym is going to have too much of a negative effect. Also, Jay Jensen has been around Oden most of every day right? I bet that this has the Blazer blessing...

...the PR department slept on it though. That has huge PR potential.

Greg Oden participated in two pick-up games at a local Portland gym on Tuesday. The Trailblazers got wind of his activities via an internet rumor, and they were not happy.

"In a couple of years he will understand how stupid that was," said coach Nate McMillan. No harm was done, but Oden won't be repeating the stunt any time soon.

- from rotoworld

The Blazers know about this and are none too happy about it. I agree;

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazer ... 24hou.html

Did he get 50 points and 20 rebounds in the game?

I don't quite know how I feel about this situation. I am glad he is determined to wanting to play, but at the same time this could have ended very bad for him. I am glad he came out of it fine, but next time he probably should not do it at all.

I'm sure the Blazers want to manage all Greg's physical activities this early in his rehab but the main problem here is an appearance problem. He can't play in a game for the Blazers but he's out playing pick-up games. It doesn't look good.

I'm not happy about this. I hope he didn't injure anything.

Oden needs to check himself. NOT COOL! I'm glad hes doing good and putting in hard work but his workouts need to be supervised by the team so they can gage his progress correctly. Knowing when he does what and how the knee responds. Looking forward to him being 100%
Its stuff like this that make dance dance revolution rumors start.
Of course the guy has to live his life but make good choices.
There's a bunch of people counting on him.

If the Blazers have him running full bore up hills in Tualatin then playing a pick-up game shouldn't be a big deal, as long as he clears it with them. Obviously he's come really far in his rehab if he's sprinting. Twisting motions is what he has to be careful with on a fragile knee.

Personally I'd like to see Greg on the summer league team.

Bonzi wrote:I'm not happy about this. I hope he didn't injure anything.

PU Games are OK....Just Keep him away from that Brutle Couch that injured him in the first place!

Apparently, the initial concern I raised in the OP... that some of you too casually dismissed...was valid enough to be shared by Blazer management and coaches.

Injuries happen all the time in pick-up games. Even a 'minor' one could set back his rehab. The blazers are paying Oden a few million this season and are almost certainly spending a small fortune on his rehab. Their concern is warranted, and they probably have a right to control his physical activity. There is probably even some language to that effect in his contract.

yeah, no matter how harmless pick-up games can be he shouldn't risk it.

forget his knee, he could get something else hurt.

this was a real bad decision by oden.