Greg Oden went through his first full practice with the Miami Heat on Monday, clearing a significant hurdle in the former No. 1 overall pick's quest to play in an NBA game for the first time in four years. Oden participated in some scrimmage stages of the Heat's workout at AmericanAirlines Arena as the team prepared for Tuesday's preseason road game against the Washington Wizards. Among the highlights of Oden's day was blocking a shot by LeBron James. It marked the most extensive on-court work Oden has done with the team since he signed with Miami in July after multiple knee surgeries forced him out of the game. "It felt good to get out there and get some up-and-down," Oden said after Monday's practice. "You can see I'm frustrated because I'm not as back as I want to be. But it's little steps, and today was another step, getting out there and doing some five on five." Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he's been encouraged by Oden's progress over the past two months to get his weight down and improve his conditioning. Spoelstra has routinely tempered expectations on Oden but would not rule out clearing the way for him to play in one of the Heat's five remaining preseason games as a reward for his progress. Read more http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/mia...den-miami-heat-takes-part-first-full-practice
