Big rebound on tap
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"How's your body feeling? How's your knee? How's your ankle? What do you think the team's going to do this year? What do you think you're going to do this year? Have you gotten any advice from big men or people in the league about this year?"
Those are the questions being answered over and over by heralded Trail Blazers rookie center Greg Oden. Keep in mind that Oden has been answering the same questions for more than a year, since he didn't play in 2007-08 after having knee surgery. So if he seems a little uptight, it might be because he's understandably tired of the questions, the hype, and the pressure.
Basically, the next great NBA center is ready to just play.
"That's exactly where I'm at," said Oden. "I just want the season to start, for myself to start playing, and for the season to start going."
This year's impact rookies include Chicago's Derrick Rose, Miami's Michael Beasley, Memphis's O.J. Mayo, Minnesota's Kevin Love, and New York's Danilo Gallinari. But the No. 1 pick of the 2007 draft trumps them all, for good reason.
Oden owns a rare combination of power, grace, nastiness, athleticism, inside scoring ability, defensive dominance, and Kevin Garnett-like humility. Bill Russell would love this kid. Last Wednesday, the 7-foot, 285-pounder forced veteran Clippers center Chris
Oh yeah, Oden is also just 20 years old.
Oden's arrival is the most anticipated in the NBA since LeBron James in 2003. His debut will be a high-profile one, as he'll square off with Lakers center Andrew Bynum on national television Tuesday night.
The pressure - not only to become a superstar but to make the young and unproven Blazers a power immediately - is understandably great for Oden.
"It's a lot of pressure," Oden said. "It's kind of difficult. But all I do is try to make myself better and keep myself grounded. I know it's going to take some time. I'm going to try my hardest.
"It would be good if we were good enough to win a championship this year. It would be lovely. But most likely, it may not happen like that. But we're working and we're working to the point that it will happen."
The good news for Oden is that he has an All-Star guard in Brandon Roy and a future All-Star in forward LaMarcus Aldridge to play alongside. Don't be surprised if the unselfish Oden scores less than Roy and Aldridge, since double-teams will be the norm for him.
"[Roy] is one of those guys that you love to have on your team," Oden said. "Anything goes wrong, just give him the ball and go away, him and LaMarcus. It's a good thing to have those two guys on my team.
"It's good that a lot of people are paying attention to me because those guys are getting a lot of shots. If someone isn't helping off of me, it gives them more room to go to the hole or do what they need to do."
But even with all the pressure, don't feel too bad for Oden. This giant is the real deal. If anything, feel bad for the unfortunate opposing centers who will soon see what all the hype is about. Beware, Bynum. You're first on the list.
"You can add Portland to the mix now [of Western Conference powers] with a healthy Oden, a rookie sensation," said Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
This former player whistles while he works
There was a former NBA player on the floor with a whistle during the Celtics' preseason game against Cleveland in Pittsburgh Oct. 14: Haywoode Workman. But when you saw the likes of Kendrick Perkins and Paul Pierce voicing their displeasure with some of his calls, you knew Workman was being viewed strictly as a referee now.
The eight-year NBA veteran, who played against Pierce, Garnett, Ray Allen, and Sam Cassell, is a rookie referee this season. Workman says he probably played with or was coached by "a fourth of the league," but that he has played against only about "10 percent" of the current players.
Workman began thinking about becoming a referee after crossing paths with longtime referee Bob Delaney in 2001. He earned his stripes by refereeing Pro-Am leagues in Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, the Continental Basketball Association, the NBA summer league in Boston, and the NBA Development League.
He was one of three referees hired in the NBA this season.
Being an ex-player, he said, "is a positive and a negative. The credibility on the floor, that's the positive. They can relate. And if my partner has a foul, they're going to call me, and if I can validate [the call], that brings some credibility.
"At the same time, stop calling my name because you know me. Let me work."
Open season
How the last three NBA champions have fared on opening night:
2005: San Antonio beat Denver, 102-91
2006: Miami lost to Chicago, 108-66
2007: San Antonio beat Portland, 106-97
The number
38-24
The Celtics' all-time record on opening night.
Etc.
Adding insult to injury?: While the Celtics have been praising Darius Miles, two NBA general managers said the Blazers have been bad-mouthing the free agent forward to potential suitors. Miles was hampered by injuries and off-the-court problems during his five seasons in Portland and was waived April 14. But if he plays in 10 games over the next two seasons, the Blazers will be on the hook for $18 million in salary. Miles was cut by the Celtics last week in his bid to return after missing two seasons but he is getting inquiries from other teams. "He can still play and he also hasn't played in two years, so you have to understand that he will get better," one NBA GM said. "Too bad Portland is putting out bad information that he is not a good kid. Anything and everything they can say bad they are. It's too bad. He's a nice kid with a bad injury who has fought back. Right now, he's still an NBA player and he's going to get better. He's going to improve. It will be a smart pick-up for someone." The Blazers declined comment on the accusation. When asked about Miles being waived by the Celtics, Blazers coach Nate McMillan said, "That situation, it's behind us. What he was doing in Boston, that's behind us. He's no longer with us."
Ask Dr. Phil: Lakers coach Phil Jackson on the Celtics: "They lost a couple guys, P.J. [ Brown] and [James ] Posey, that fit in their rotation. They'll be a team that has to be watched. I don't know if they'll start off the same way they started last [season]. But they're certainly a good team and they'll be around there." On the difference between his championship teams with Chicago and Los Angeles that repeated and those that didn't repeat: "There's a sense of what it takes, the dedication. The toughest thing is whether you want to put that much effort forth again. Staying healthy, that's the key. It puts the team in jeopardy for injuries because of the long, extended play of the playoffs."
Rusty or ready?: The Clippers have exciting newcomers in guard Baron Davis, forward/center Marcus Camby, and rookies Eric Gordon, Mike Taylor, and DeAndre Jordan. But with Davis (hand injury) playing only one preseason game and Camby (heel) not playing any, the Clippers may need time to jell and could be susceptible to a slow start. "When you have good talent and smart basketball players, it doesn't take a lot of time," Davis said. "I'm just working out, getting ready. "It just takes the right attitude and right sacrifice." Camby, the ex-UMass star, said, "We have four or five days of practice. Hopefully, we can get a lot accomplished and just be ready to roll."
Nugget of wisdom: Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, who averaged 25.7 points last season, is suspended for the first two games of the season as punishment for an April arrest on suspicion of drunk driving. Asked about Anthony's absence, Nuggets guard Allen Iverson said, "We just have to stay together and do what we've been doing the whole time throughout training camp and preseason. We understand that we are missing a great player, but we want to make him proud of us. We have to go out there and get it done."
A jump start: One knock on Hornets center Tyson Chandler has been that he is limited offensively; he averaged 11.8 points last season, 8 points during the playoffs. Chandler, however, said he worked hard in the offseason to add the 15-foot jumper that he believes will open up his game offensively. "Once you start knocking that down, the whole world opens up," Chandler said. "I have it from 15 feet and in. I've been working on my post moves because once you start hitting [jumpers], it will give you some drives, and some post moves will open up." A toe injury kept Chandler from being an alternate on the US Olympic team, and he did not make the trip to Beijing. "They wanted me come into training camp," Chandler said. "But I didn't want to be a part of it because it was going to hurt, me just sitting there."
Special touches: Kevin Garnett will wear a special edition Adidas shoe for Tuesday's season opener; only 17 pairs were made, to commemorate the Celtics' 17 championships. Each pair will be signed by Garnett and auctioned off online to raise money for the Celtics Shamrock Fund. The Celtics will also wear a special edition white, gold, and green jersey on opening night that features a championship patch, as well as gold detailing on the front and back.
Speak up: "We saw the renewals, which I think are pretty good; new season-ticket sales are pretty good; partial plans, pretty good. They may not be the historic high levels where they like them, and much of this will depend on individual markets where the economy impacts, and it may affect their group sales or their day-of-game sales. But we don't know that yet, and we'll see how the season begins before I can speak intelligently to that subject." - Commissioner David Stern, asked which teams will face financial problems because of the economic downturn.
Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com
