MIAMI -- Greg Oden says he's ready to play. The Portland Trail Blazers center says he'll play Wednesday night against the Miami Heat (ESPN, 8 ET), even though the team is listing him officially as a game-time decision. Oden has missed the Blazers' last six games because of a sprained right foot suffered in Portland's season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. "Feels good. I'm ready. I'm excited," Oden said after Wednesday's shootaround. "I'll hopefully play the full game tonight." Oden was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft, then missed all of last season following knee surgery. Sweet!
From Jquick Roy, who has been experiencing lower back spasms since the last minute of Monday's win in Orlando, said he is "90-to-95 percent" sure he will play in the nationally televised (ESPN) game. "The only thing I'm a little worried about is when I go from the bent position to straight up really fast,'' Roy said. "I woke up this morning like, 'Man, if I had just one more day - if the game was tomorrow night - I would be perfect. But that's not the case. I'm hoping once I warm up tonight it will get even better.'' After talking to Roy while we were both seated on the press table at AmericanAirlines Arena, Roy sat up and rose to his feet. "See, right there,'' Roy said. "That's when it hurts.'' Roy said he plans to engage in a hard pregame workout tonight, during which he will experiment executing all his moves. "Who knows, in warmups I might do some move and it might lock up,'' Roy said. "And I might have to tell coach, 'As bad as I want to, I can't move'. But we will see. The good thing is it's not the heel or knee.''
Well if the past is any indication of the future I'd guess he'll probably be available for the December 2nd Knicks game.
I'm glad this one's on ESPN HD as well. I paid for the damned NBA League Pass on Comcast here in CA and it's not even in HD, which was a real disappointment! Anyone else nervous as hell that GO is taking the court? I mean, every time he jumps . . . and lands . . . and has to put one for in front of the other to . . . you know . . . run.
My guess is that he now has the Blazers next to last because they're only winning their games by single digits and he probably doesn't think the Orlando win was any good b/c Dwight was just taking it easy on us for not having GO active.
Mixing alcohol and medicine, that's what our star player should do. If Roy plays tonight and doesn't struggle the Blazers will win. I almost with that Oden wasn't playing because he will see the need to prove himself and show thaat he is healthy. He might end up going overboard and jacking up poor shots and whatnot.
