Greg Oden interested in joining HEAT

[Faptastrophe]

These aren't news anymore, but dude just keeps repeating that he wants to join Miami.

Oden's agent told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Thursday, "Obviously, if the Heat wanted him, who wouldn’t want to play for the Heat?"

In May, Oden said he planned on sitting out the 2012-13 season to complete his rehab, but his agent said Thursday, "(Oden) called me, and he was kind of excited."

"I think he's motivated," he continued. "He wants to play. He had said he wanted to take this season off but he's backed off from that ... He's open to playing this season. I think he will play this season."

It is not clear that the Heat even want Oden, but considering the fact that Miami can only offer the veteran minimum to any free agents left on the market, getting a former first-overall pick at a steep discount might not be a bad outcome.

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The Heat used Chris Bosh at the center position during the NBA Finals, and the team's recent additions of Rashard Lewis (a forward) and Ray Allen (a guard) suggests the Heat are content to keep Bosh at center, and surround the Big Three with talented wing players.

Joel Anthony and draft pick Justin Hamilton are the only centers on Miami's roster at the moment. The undersized Anthony is normally a stout defender, but lacks the scoring ability of a marquee center. Hamilton is a longer-term development project, and the Heat might not even keep him on the roster after fall training camp.

Ronny Turiaf, Eddy Curry, and Dexter Pittman, the other centers on last year's Heat team, are all free agents, and it is not certain whether any will return to the team in 2012-13.

Sauce.

I just really want to see the guy play again, and have a good season.
Miami would be a good fit. They wouldn't really need him to do too much.

[DTreats]

garbage player.

[All Net]

I think if Haywood gets taken off waivers I see Miami taking the chance.

Worse case for Miami is he becomes their eddy curry of this past season. If he works out he could be a good rotation player.

[swi7ch]

80-2

[franchise#3]

sell out

[swi7ch]

It'd be soooooooooo funny if Brandon Roy and Greg Oden both end up having productive years after leaving PORTLAND!

[Kblaze8855]

Greg was like 22 last time he was hurt. Hard to imagine anyone in this era just...never coming back from an injury at 22. Even Sam Bowie was eventually ok for 4 or 5 years and he came in over 25 years ago.

Might be wishful thinking. But it just feels like there shouldnt be any injury that just destroys you forever at 22 when you have the kind of treatment availiable that they do.

Sure guys like Yao had to retire early...Jay Williams never got back(though he too tried out for the Heat last season). But Yao at least made it to like 30 and Jay just totally destroyed himself. He cut his main nerve in the leg, tore 3 ligaments in his knee, crushed his pelvis, and broke his leg. Thats kinda extreme.

Im not quite ready to say Greg is never a solid player again.

[Shepseskaf]

It'd be soooooooooo funny if Brandon Roy and Greg Oden both end up having productive years after leaving PORTLAND!

Oden's body issues will not allow him to play with any consistency in the league.

You can't give someone millions of dollars to play around 25 games a year, and to have no idea if they'll be available to play hard minutes in the playoffs.

At this point, Oden's entire career consists of trying to convince teams that he can play, taking the money, then rehabbing until the next injury.

Sooner or later, teams will find out that he's just not serviceable. The only time he should be given a contract is if its tied to actual games played.

[Faptastrophe]

Greg was like 22 last time he was hurt. Hard to imagine anyone in this era just...never coming back from an injury at 22. Even Sam Bowie was eventually ok for 4 or 5 years and he came in over 25 years ago.

Might be wishful thinking. But it just feels like there shouldnt be any injury that just destroys you forever at 22 when you have the kind of treatment availiable that they do.

Sure guys like Yao had to retire early...Jay Williams never got back(though he too tried out for the Heat last season). But Yao at least made it to like 30 and Jay just totally destroyed himself. He cut his main nerve in the leg, tore 3 ligaments in his knee, crushed his pelvis, and broke his leg. Thats kinda extreme.

Im not quite ready to say Greg is never a solid player again.

Then maybe he should go to PHX.. the things they do to injured players... MEDICAL WIZARDRY.

[Owl]

Oden's body issues will not allow him to play with any consistency in the league.

You can't give someone millions of dollars to play around 25 games a year, and to have no idea if they'll be available to play hard minutes in the playoffs.

At this point, Oden's entire career consists of trying to convince teams that he can play, taking the money, then rehabbing until the next injury.

Sooner or later, teams will find out that he's just not serviceable. The only time he should be given a contract is if its tied to actual games played.

Oden won't get millions, he'll get the veteran's minimum if he does sign wit the Heat.

He has only ever played for one team so the desciption of his "entire career" hardly describes what has happened so far. The Grantland Oden article suggests that team did a poor job of managing Oden's (and their own) long term interests.

I would say I wouldn't ever expect him to be a full time center. I think you'd have to manage him like Portland did with Sabonis or the Celtics with Walton. But if a team like Miami continues to have such a weak center rotation, he's probably worth a spot on the IR if/when he's close to being fit enough to play.

[Hank]

[ZHAKIDD532]

If I'm him, I go to Phoenix. They're famous for having a fantastic health staff. They could get him on the court.

[Hank]

If I'm him, I go to Phoenix. They're famous for having a fantastic health staff. They could get him on the court.

the Heat have an excellent world class medical staff.

Wade continuing to play on his bad knee

Haslem coming back 6 months earlier than normal for the 2011 playoffs, etc

It's well known that the Heat have a world class medical staff to anyone who actually follows the team and team news. Arison brought in the best

[swi7ch]

Greg was like 22 last time he was hurt. Hard to imagine anyone in this era just...never coming back from an injury at 22. Even Sam Bowie was eventually ok for 4 or 5 years and he came in over 25 years ago.

Might be wishful thinking. But it just feels like there shouldnt be any injury that just destroys you forever at 22 when you have the kind of treatment availiable that they do.

Sure guys like Yao had to retire early...Jay Williams never got back(though he too tried out for the Heat last season). But Yao at least made it to like 30 and Jay just totally destroyed himself. He cut his main nerve in the leg, tore 3 ligaments in his knee, crushed his pelvis, and broke his leg. Thats kinda extreme.

Im not quite ready to say Greg is never a solid player again.

The difference between the two was that Bowie's knees were just injured. It just needed time to heal. One of Oden's legs is shorter than the other. He literally would have to grow another inch of bone in order to stop getting injured from all that running and jumping. Doctors can't just put something in there that will work long term because Oden stresses his knees a lot more bec. he's an athlete. If he were just a regular guy, he would have had the insertion a long time ago.

[DStebb716]

If Greg Oden's injuries wouldn't have held him back, we'd be talking about him as a VERY good 20-10 guy. I still think he could be near that if he stayed healthy.