Greg Oden is on the mend and getting ready for action. Rumors continue to swirl that the NBA player who sometimes gets labeled as a bust, will be making his highly anticipated comeback into the league. After a slew of injuries stopped a career that never started, Oden has been rehabbing and working hard to make a solid return. According to one top draft prospect, Oden looks incredible.
Former Ohio State scorer Deshaun Thomas has been in Indianapolis with Oden doing his own rehabbing and workouts. He and Oden have been working out at St. Vincent's Medical Center and Thomas is impressed by what he has seen.
"Man, he looks unbelievable. He's running. He's lifting weights. You might be seeing a comeback. He looks like he's ready to go. He's running, getting in shape. I'll tell you one thing. For a big 7-footer that's all he does, running and getting in shape. He's looking right," Thomas said.
This is some of the first real positive news that has come out in regards to Oden's potential comeback. His rehab has been slow and steady with the goal to return for the 2013-14 season. Oden has not truly been active on the court for nearly four years. In his basketball career, he has had five knee surgeries after helping Ohio State with an NCAA Championship in 2007.
Formerly a top overall draft pick, Oden has played exactly 82 NBA games between 2007 and Dec. of 2009. He has had a variety of injuries to his knees, forcing him to have two separate microfracture surgeries. At 25, if he can get healthy he could have a long career in the NBA. Coming out of Ohio State, he was projected to be one of the best centers in the NBA.
During the regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers were highly interested in signing Oden. They were planning to stock up on prospects to prepare for next season and saw Oden as potential. However, nothing truly came of it considering Oden was nowhere near at full-strength yet.
During Oden's 82-game stint in the league, he averaged 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 22 minutes per game. If he can return to that level or better, the Cavaliers or any other team will be getting a highly productive player. While the signing comes with great risk that Oden will get injured once again, there could also be a large upside.
