BLAZERS: Oden will get special attention

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Jun 4, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Greg Oden (right) is consoled by Trail Blazer guard Steve Blake after the rookie center drew a personal foul in the playoffs against Houston.

L.E. BASKOW / THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE

Greg Oden is going to get plenty of coaching attention this summer.

That’s according to Trail Blazer General Manager Kevin Pritchard, who says assistant coach Bill Bayno will be specially assigned to work with the 7-foot center.

“We feel good about Bayno working with Greg,” Pritchard says. “It’s the first summer (Bayno) will have worked with (Oden), and that will be important. But we’re not opposed to bringing in an expert on bigs to work with him. We haven’t arranged for it yet, but we’re starting to get into that.”

Oden is spending the summer in Columbus, Ohio, where he has been joined the past week in workout sessions by teammate Jerryd Bayless. Next week, Pritchard says, the pair will move on to Phoenix to work out together under the direction of Portland strength and conditioning coach Bobby Medina and assistant coach Kaleb Canales.

• The Blazers have team options on guard Steve Blake ($4.0 million salary next season) and forward Travis Outlaw ($3.6 million) that can be exercised on July 1, but it sounds as if both will remain with the club – unless a trade is made, of course.

“I don’t see a scenario where we don’t pick up their options,” Pritchard says. “They’ve both been terrific for us. We like those guys way too much.”

• The Blazers have four free agents, including forward Channing Frye, who is restricted. It’s unlikely forward Michael Ruffin or center-forward Raef LaFrentz – who will probably retire – will be back.

That leaves forward Shavlik Randolph, who played sparingly last season and will likely be looking for a new perch on which to roost.

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