Nate McMillan On Greg Oden: 'I Like Where His Head Is At'

[ABM]

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/06/nate_mcmillan_on_greg_oden_i_l.html

Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said he met with Greg Oden recently, after which he was encouraged with the oft-injured center's mindset as he prepares to embark on a summer of rehabilitation.

"I like where his head is at,'' McMillan said. "We talked about where his mind is, and what he needs to do to get back, and the thing is, he knows how to get there. But I liked what I heard.''

Oden fractured his left kneecap in the first quarter of a Dec. 5 game against Houston. Oden played in 21 games, averaging 11.1 points and 8.5 rebounds.

Oden is scheduled to start running in early to mid-July, and should start playing 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 by mid-August. The goal is to have him ready to participate in 5-on-5 action the first week of September, when many of the Blazers players return to Portland for informal scrimmages.

The plan, McMillan says, is for Oden to be 100 percent by the opening of October training camp. On Wednesday, McMillan said he remains encouraged that the October goal is attainable.

"A big part of it is going to be mental ... him trusting (the knee),'' McMillan said. "But he's been through this before and I thought last year he came into camp and his mind was right.''

McMillan said Oden will rehabilitate in both Portland and his hometown of Indianapolis, with athletic trainer Jay Jensen, strength and conditioning coach Bobby Medina and assistant coach Bill Bayno heading the workouts.

— Jason Quick

 

[Nikolokolus]

Best of luck Greg ... really.

 

[Ed O]

That's what she said.

Ed O.

 

[maxiep]

Man, Greg Oden is mentally tough. The guy plays with a broken wrist on his dominant hand and just learns to shoot FT's left handed. The guy has MF and lifts like a madman. The guy has never gotten in a groove in his three years with this team and he's still plugging away.

Greg Oden deserves some good health.

 

[THE HCP]

Good Luck brother!!

 

[Draco]

The only thing I care about with Oden is his weight. If he comes in to camp under 275 he'll be a monster.

If he is in the 280-290 range he'll have foul trouble, less quickness and be much more likely to get re-injured.

 

[jlprk]

"I like where his head is at,'' McMillan said. "We talked about where his mind is, and what he needs to do to get back, and the thing is, he knows how to get there. But I liked what I heard...A big part of it is going to be mental ... him trusting (the knee),'' McMillan said. "But he's been through this before and I thought last year he came into camp and his mind was right.''

So McMillan wants no change from September, when Oden came into camp out of shape and got injured. Oden's mind being full of hope now isn't going to prevent his body from caving in again. The Oregonian is always concerned with a player's words and mind. Too many blogs to fill up. Just wait and see how he PLAYS. I don't care about the flowery verbiage and the smiles.

Let's see some negativity, some threats to his future career if he fails again to show up in top shape. Too many positive good wishes and hail good fellow's. Let's not hear for the second September in a row, "I haven't done any squats since I last played, because I went to summer school and no one objected. All they cared about was whether my mind is in a good place."

 

[MadeFromDust]

I have a feeling Oden's finally going to break out next season. In fact, I think he, Roy and Batum are all going to have great seasons.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Let's see some negativity, some threats to his future career if he fails again to show up in top shape.

A classic jlprk post.

On the other hand, jl makes a valid point- it does get a little tiring about all the same old quotes over and over about the same old stuff regarding injured Blazers. And often we find the quotes not fully accurate. As Abe Lincoln once said, "We shall see what we shall see".

 

[crandc]

Actually, Yahoo! sports reports that Oden has been working with a nutritionist on diet issues.

Same old same old, reading into something what was not said. A person with injuries has trouble trusting the hurt body part. A person who has been sick has trouble trusting their body at all. It's something that has been discussed here. Will Oden be afraid to go all out? McMillan is saying no. It does not mean he does not need to be in condition. This is not sausage where if you look too close you get sick. It's a simple statement that Oden's frame of mind is what the coach hopes for. Nothing more. Stop trying to read nonexistent tea leaves.

 

[jlprk]

Yes, but it was Millard Fillmore who said, "Que sera, sera."

 

[DeanMoriarty]

We're going to the Finals next year. Celtics-Blazers.

 

[BGrantFan]

I'm more concerned where his knee is at.

 

[STOMP]

So McMillan wants no change from September, when Oden came into camp out of shape and got injured.

by many accounts (and to my eyeballs) Greg was in great shape last fall. As crandc relayed, it's been widely reported he's been working with a nutritionist honing his diet along with a variety of other medical experts and trainers reviewing his options on training so as to avoid injury and be the best he can be. Lol to your suggestion that having even stronger quads (through doing squats) would have somehow prevented ripping his kneecap in two... strong quad muscles are the likely cause of the injury. There are only so many hours a day that dude needs to train and if he wants some time away from X-Box to take a college nutrition class thats a positive in my book.

I much prefer being measured and factual over frustrated negativity

STOMP

 

[hasoos]

Does this mean that they are bringing the "Wheres your head at" feature they used to have at home games back? You know the one, where they would cut out a players head, and paste it on some dude doing a dance on the big screen?

 

[RoyToy]

The only thing I care about with Oden is his weight. If he comes in to camp under 275 he'll be a monster.

If he is in the 280-290 range he'll have foul trouble, less quickness and be much more likely to get re-injured.

265 would be even better.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I love that feature.

 

[REDIVIDER]

I'm more concerned where his knee is at.

yes