Monday Practice Report

by Ben Golliver on Oct 25, 2010 3:44 PM PDT in News

The two biggest pieces of news today: guard Patty Mills made the team and big man Jeff Pendergraph was officially waived. Fabricio Oberto was not in the house today (although his signing has gone official, keep reading).

Greg Oden Update

"It wasn't like I was full going," Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden said after practice today. "I was the weak link out there. But I was still out there."

Oden told a group of reporters that he went through "most" of Blazers practice, including light five-on-five work. "I was very excited," Oden said. "You know, the first time out there, just looking around, head on a swivel, everybody moving fast, but once I got down to it, started playing, I felt comfortable out there.

"It felt good. As I got down into it, and started doing more, I felt more comfortable. I was just taking it in, trying to concentrate on what I was doing out there. I wasn't really thinking about the excitement and all that, I was just like, 'Alright, what defense are we in? Am I doing the right things? Making the right calls?'"

Oden went through the practice wearing a black leg sleeve and said he was experiencing stiffness in his knee afterwards. "It's a little tight. It got a little stiff since practice. It's a little stiff right now so I gotta ice it."

Asked if he was excited to be back doing five-on-five, Oden admitted that he was as nervous as he was excited. "I was worried. but it was fun. I got my blood moving and it felt good being out there. Coach basically told me, 'don't try to go full go, try go to 3/4 speed."

Oden's face went blank when a reporter asked him why he felt worried. "I don't know if you've ever gotten back [from an injury]," Oden said. "It was my first time actually playing five-on-five since the injury. Just being a little cautious about it. It takes a long time to trust it like you really want to."

Despite today's step forward, Oden is still preaching patience. "I'm definitely ready [mentally] to get out there but I'm not jumping too fast. I see you guys trying to hype it up a little bit more than me. I'm trying to make sure that I'm right when I get out there and improve what I'm doing." As such, Oden continued to refuse to put a timetable on his recovery, stating that his next step is "just improving from this. Continue to do my rehab stuff. Getting shots up. Doing a little bit of movement and stuff out on the court. Doing a little bit more and more with the team during the practice."

When will he be back? "It's whenever I feel like I can go out there and compete with the best."

Here's a brief video of his post-practice, non-contact work. He's walking through a few sets with Blazers rookies Armon Johnson, Elliot Williams and Luke Babbitt, along with assistant coach Buck Williams. Assistant coach Kaleb Canales is calling out the plays from the baseline.

Opening Night Lineup

The Blazers will start Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge and Marcus Camby tomorrow night against the Phoenix Suns. Wesley Matthews was deemed good to go by coach Nate McMillan for tomorrow as well. Matthews had been hampered by an Achilles injury.

UPDATE (5:32 PM):

The Fabricio Oberto signing has gone official. Here's the press release.

TRAIL BLAZERS SIGN FABRICIO OBERTO

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers have signed center Fabricio Oberto, it was announced today by General Manager Rich Cho. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We are pleased to welcome Fabricio to Portland, and feel he can help us by providing depth in the frontcourt," said Cho. "He's a veteran center who has achieved success at both the NBA and international levels."

A native of Las Varillas, Argentina, Oberto (6-10, 245) played four seasons for the San Antonio Spurs (2005-09), winning an NBA Championship as the starting center in 2007, before spending last season with the Washington Wizards.

Oberto, 35, holds career NBA averages of 3.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 14.6 minutes in 331 games (128 starts).

A veteran of international play, Oberto was a member of the Argentine National Team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, took home the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and won the silver medal at the 2002 FIBA World Championships.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

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Comments

AHH! Can’t wait for tomorrow!

by red05 on Oct 25, 2010 3:50 PM PDT reply actions

ditto..

Been such a long off season

by Rep- on Oct 25, 2010 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions

ditto ditto

super pumped, excited…restless, anxious pumped…

"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man

by PDXBuckeye on Oct 25, 2010 7:05 PM PDT up reply actions

Not for me, because of baseball, now football

but jesus, after seeing my Padres just barely missing the playoffs & my Chargers looking like a typical unmotivated Norv Turner coached team…. I am so ready for the Blazers its not even funny.

Although I am enjoying this Oregon Ducks season right now :)

Don't be a clownshoe :D

by 420Phenom on Oct 25, 2010 7:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, me too.

The Ducks are great, the NFL is interesting and unpredictable, and the MLB playoffs have been unusually entertaining (most years they’re boring).

I’m optimistic about the Blazers. I don’t think I’m alone in that I don’t want to get overamped until I see if Joel and Greg come back and how they do. Last season really hurt.

But I’m going to enjoy seeing the team play. I’m ready. Who are they this year?

ignacio

by ignacio on Oct 25, 2010 9:42 PM PDT up reply actions

I couldn't believe that game yesterday....

OK, one rookie just leaves the ball on the ground…
But a half later, when you see a pass that’s close, and you don’t even think about diving on it?
Poor coaching.

by Visionary2 on Oct 25, 2010 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions

I am, cautiously, excited.

Playoffs

by Blaze off on Oct 25, 2010 3:55 PM PDT reply actions

I am with you Blaze off,

but I was looking down the Blazers schedule for the next couple of weeks until mid Nov. (when Joel will be back hopefully), and even with the team not clicking on all cylinders I don’t really see a game that we should expect to loose. I can only imagine when everyone is back & healthy not loosing any games except every once in awhile when mentally taking the night off , only to follow with 10-15 more wins in a row. I also predict that we will win all our season series match-ups.

See….I am cautiously ,excited. …………..May be just overly optimistic..hopefully not!
GO BLAZERS!!!!!!!

by SurReal on Oct 25, 2010 4:19 PM PDT up reply actions

yes, the Bull's record of 70 wins is in serious jeopardy

let’s just land the plane safely in April with everyone healthy, after last year there’s no point in being greedy re: the regular season

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 25, 2010 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree that health in April

is very important, but it doesn’t matter much if you do not make the playoffs. Remember how few games separated 1st & 9th. I am not just being greedy, but the reason I would love to see us take each & every game seriously & not for granted is that I want to put the fear in teams when they have to play us. Creating that fear & doubt in teams, and players heads is the missing piece. If we can make that happen come Jan. (at the latest), then I think we can make some real noise in the playoffs & have some reasons to expand the trophy case. If not then it will be out of the playoffs on the early side of things with nothing to show for all of the work. I just so desperately want to see that killer instinct night in & night out, because then the sky is truly the limit, as we already have the personnel to make it happen.

by SurReal on Oct 25, 2010 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Respectful fear would be nice

I’ll cross my fingers and hope it gets so bad that opposing teams at our road games can’t hardly sell tickets when they have to play us. That way tickets in their arenas can go for cheap to out of state Blazers fans.

I hope it gets so bad that the starters on other teams start faking injuries to avoid playing us.

I hope it gets so bad that when opposing teams break 70 points on us it makes the news even though they lost.

It should get so bad that Jack Nicholson stays home from the Staples center and cries in his beer on nights that we show up to play the Lakers…

by poorwebguy on Oct 25, 2010 10:05 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks for the cool video!

Nice to see Greg go through his reads and the bonus of Elliot Williams’ 360 dunk.

by FlyingOutlaw on Oct 25, 2010 3:56 PM PDT reply actions

WooooT!

As an added bonus we get to see if the Suns are truly as bad as they seem this season. Maybe they’re playing possum?

If they are that bad maybe we’ll get to start the season with a blowout. Would be a nice positive game to start a tough early schedule on.

by poorwebguy on Oct 25, 2010 4:01 PM PDT reply actions

maybe we’ll get to start the season with a blowout.

Portland owes Phoenix a wuppin’

I want to see Gentry befuddled, bemused and…whatever other adjective starts with b

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Oct 25, 2010 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions

bewildered, bewitched, bummed

Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

by blacknoiseNW on Oct 25, 2010 5:40 PM PDT up reply actions

BLAZED

by NCBlazerfan on Oct 25, 2010 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions

bested, baffled, buried

by poorwebguy on Oct 25, 2010 6:25 PM PDT up reply actions

black, blue and besmirched

"[S]ince men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers, and that was that first yoke they placed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of evils the prepared for their descendants. For, besides continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them." -Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?

by T Darkstar on Oct 25, 2010 7:05 PM PDT up reply actions

battered, basted, broiled

by manfredi on Oct 25, 2010 8:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Do you believe?

by hotstuffdb22 on Oct 25, 2010 4:04 PM PDT reply actions

One (huge) baby step at a time.

"What's up, Luke Babbitt?" -- Locker room to Ben
http://year5000.bandcamp.com

by Y5k on Oct 25, 2010 4:04 PM PDT reply actions

I shed a little tear of joy

Just thinking about the awesomeness that can be Greg Oden and the Trailblazers with him on the court.

myspace.com/marktwainindians

by mark twain on Oct 25, 2010 4:06 PM PDT reply actions

I hope Oden has been working on that 10-12 foot jumper.

Seeing as though that is a low impact type thing and as much as I want him taking the ball to the basket it would also help round out his game to pose a threat to shoot and help to not clog the lane with guys cheating off him.

by Escrote on Oct 25, 2010 4:06 PM PDT reply actions

looks like Greg’s a long way away. Good to see him on the court though.

MPOTCP>PGOTF

by jksnake99 on Oct 25, 2010 4:12 PM PDT reply actions

So glad we picked up Camby last season

We’d be royally screwed without him around. CANNOT WAIT FOR TOMORROW!!! GO BLAZERS!!!

"Batum must be french for: being at the right place at the right time" -
-StudMuffin15 @ Rufus On Fire
"Juwan "The Clipper Killer" Howard" - Natedog1977 @ ClipsNation
" I would trade our entire team for Brandon Roy"
- Slick4President @ Indy Cornrows

by FiveOhThree-RipCity!! on Oct 25, 2010 4:17 PM PDT reply actions

Is it just me

Or is Oden practicing bigger news than Mills making the team or Pendy getting cut?

by TP.5 on Oct 25, 2010 4:24 PM PDT reply actions

ya

Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
"I was like, 'Wow, we get a run.'-Felix Hernandez
Artis Gilmore for Hall of Fame
"The Portland Trailblazers are champions of the basketball world!"-Mike Breen, sometime in June, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015

by thomasikehara on Oct 25, 2010 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions

by that i mean

ya i agree that tha tis bigger news

by thomasikehara on Oct 25, 2010 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions

If Oden never plays again,

Greg will have a much greater influence on the future of the franchise, than Patty.

by damonrayhymer on Oct 25, 2010 9:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Congratulations Patty !

I liked the way you hung in there against the odds and made the team. It really looked bleak for you.
And, welcom Aussie fans ! Let’s have some fun.
Greg should just hand out a “standard questions and answers” form before any interview, then we could move on from the same over and over questions – “when are you playing?”, etc. Then he can just say, that’s on the sheet… and move on to the next question.

"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"

by Berkeley on Oct 25, 2010 4:32 PM PDT reply actions

I like the idea of a “standard questions and answers” sheet. Then again, just about every coach and player could have one.
Coach Answers:
I am proud of my guys.
We fought hard to get here.
We’ll take one game at a time.

by umpqua on Oct 25, 2010 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Both teams played hard...

by Visionary2 on Oct 25, 2010 10:59 PM PDT up reply actions

We did a few things well

We just didn’t make our shots
There was some scrappy play out there
etc.

When the world knows Nico Batum as "The Inevitable", I'll be very happy with where he is as a player.

by ictoagsn on Oct 26, 2010 3:12 AM PDT up reply actions

Better still, he can reply, "Oh, sheet."

by MiledAnimal on Oct 25, 2010 4:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Mills scores, GO takes another baby step forward, and Pendy faces the unknown

Talk about the ups & downs of NBA life…

I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.

by hurryup09 on Oct 25, 2010 4:38 PM PDT reply actions

I love Greg getting more media savvy.

With a few more stupid questions like “why were you nervous”, I expect him to start saying “both teams played hard.”

chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf

by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 25, 2010 4:40 PM PDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs

Stop trying to make me feel sympathy for Sheed.

by MiledAnimal on Oct 25, 2010 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Sheed was too cool for this town.

chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf

by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 25, 2010 5:33 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

Yeah! 'sheed was so hip

Like when he complained bitterly about The Man exploiting all the hundred-millionaire athletes. Come the Revolution, that’ll all come to an end. Power to the People!!

I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.

by hurryup09 on Oct 25, 2010 6:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Are you...um...finished there?

chk yrslf bf u rec yrslf

by Hipster Olympic Team! on Oct 25, 2010 8:24 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

looked more like 25 % but ill take it

hell id like to see him suit up and play 2min

by Captain fruit on Oct 25, 2010 4:59 PM PDT reply actions

that video wasn't the 5 on 5 full court

"I love Pluto. Everybody loves Pluto."

by rpresto2 on Oct 25, 2010 6:05 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah

they were running spacing drills there…not able to tell much…still good to actually see him with a ball in his hands…

"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man

by PDXBuckeye on Oct 25, 2010 7:07 PM PDT up reply actions

GO

smash!!!!

by doomsdaymachine on Oct 25, 2010 5:25 PM PDT via mobile reply actions

I can't believe anyone has said anything

this is easily the best physical(upper body wise) form I have seen him in since Ohio State.

Don't be a clownshoe :D

by 420Phenom on Oct 25, 2010 6:06 PM PDT reply actions

Let's GO G.O.!

by Hopman27 on Oct 25, 2010 6:24 PM PDT reply actions

I love how honest Greg is

does not play well with reporter types…

"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man

by PDXBuckeye on Oct 25, 2010 7:11 PM PDT reply actions

Greg want to play smashy-smashy!

I'm astounded by people who want to "know" the universe when it"s hard enough to find your way around Chinatown."

Woody Allen

by prajna on Oct 25, 2010 8:09 PM PDT reply actions

I still don't get it.

Greg broke a bone, he didn’t tear anything unless the team covered up a re-injury during rehab. He acts like he tore his knee up bad. It’s going to look bad when Joel comes back before Greg does considering his injury was WAAAY worse. I dunno what to make of it but I’ve written Greg off for the year. I was really hoping this would be his first full year to play for us but we’ll have to wait til next year. Even if he comes back it will always seem like an experiment.

by Flapbreaker on Oct 25, 2010 8:10 PM PDT reply actions

They aren't two 2005 Chevy Impalas...

…being taken to Mr. Goodwrench to have their ball joints replaced!

They’re people and people heal differently from different injuries. To me it sounds like the bone has been healed for quite awhile but that the work Greg put in to re-hab it caused him to get tendonitis. The whole Greg must be broken / lazy / a write off because Joel came back faster then he did is plain wore out!

Great to see GO getting more active and moving forward.

GO BLAZERS!!!

by Ilikeemall on Oct 25, 2010 8:22 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

lol... you said ball joints.

nice Greg Oden joke.

by Escrote on Oct 25, 2010 8:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Guess I should've said crank shaft...

by Ilikeemall on Oct 25, 2010 8:56 PM PDT up reply actions

When he mentioned his knee was stiff

I think he was somewhat referring to being a little out of basketball shape. He needs to play himself into shape and there might be a few tweaks along the way. Seems pretty common for NBA players at the beginning of the season, and coming off of surgery would leave the muscle around his knee weaker.

This was how I took it anyway. No clue if he’ll stay healthy this season though my official guess is 60+ games. His injuries thus far seem kind of fluky and never in the same spot twice.

by poorwebguy on Oct 25, 2010 10:11 PM PDT up reply actions