Summer workouts are no vacation for Greg Oden

Ex-Blazer Brian Grant bangs with Portland center

By kerry eggers

The Portland Tribune, Jul 2, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (4 Reader comments)

L.E. BASKOW / TRIBUNE PHOTO

Greg Oden, waiting to check into a game last season (above) and making a move to the basket (left), has been pushed hard in workouts the past two weeks.

For the past two weeks, the Trail Blazers have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at Greg Oden in an effort to prepare the 7-foot center for the 2009-10 NBA season. And that’s only for starters.

Last week, assistant coaches Bill Bayno and Kaleb Canales, scout Larry Greer and strength/conditioning coach Bobby Medina were in Columbus, Ohio, working out Oden.

This week, Bayno and Greer were joined by former Blazer Brian Grant in Columbus for daily personal workouts with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft.

Grant, a West Linn resident who ended a successful 12-year NBA career in 2006, donned hand pads and worked as a defender in drills with Oden this week.

“Brian was in there bumping and banging with Greg, providing some inspiration,” Bayno says. “I’m excited to have Brian working with us.”

Bayno, who is overseeing the workouts, has also been excited to see Oden’s work ethic.

“I give Greg an A-plus,” Bayno says. “His effort has been fantastic. I’ve been pushing him hard. He has accepted it. He has worked with very little rest, but he doesn’t ask for a lot of rest.

“Today we went for an hour and 20 minutes straight. That’s a killer for one guy to go that long at the pace we’re going. We had two water breaks and shot free throws in between, but he’s been working really hard.”

Bayno says the workouts have been divided about equally between defense and offense.

“On defense, we’ve worked on lateral quickness, where he has to read and react and block shots,” the Portland assistant says. “Greg has surprised me how quick he is laterally. This is the first time I’ve put him through a lot of this stuff.

“Offensively, we’ve worked on counter moves, (such as) his go-to jump hook over the left shoulder. We’ve tried to get him as many repetitions as we can, and we’re adding counter moves, (such as) the spin back to the left hand. Also, an up-and-under move, where you’re trying to get (a defender) to go for the shot fake, and then use a step-through move back to his left hand.”

‘He’s in good shape’

Bayno has spent much time on offensive footwork and balance, an Oden weakness during his rookie season.

“A lot of times, once he gets into a move, Greg’s feet are too close together,” Bayno says. “It’s easy to push him off-balance. We want to make sure he has a wide base, and on his step-through stuff, we want him to be on balance.

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