Greg Oden is expected to be cleared for full practices in time to play in one of the Miami Heat final preseason games over the next several days, according to ESPN.
The action will mark the first live-game competition Oden has engaged in since sustaining his second season-injury knee with the Portland Trailblazers in 2007. Two years before, the still 25-year-old center was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft.
The Heat signed Oden to a one-year contract this past summer and are hoping to resurrect this once promising career. For his part, Oden has proved more than a willing participant, spending much of his summer working out with reigning two-time league MVP LeBron James.
"The next step for me now is just doing some five-on-five work and just getting out there," Oden told ESPN.com. "Every little step for me, I just get excited. I just want to get out there and do more and more, get my wind back, get my legs back under me. I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks I'll be able to get a couple of minutes out there.
Added coach Erik Spolestra "the fact that he's been out there in workouts, the fact that he's practiced with us twice this week ... that's what we're concerned about right now. You can see it in his spirit. Just being around a locker room again, being around a group of guys like this, being able to drill with coaches ... I'm very encouraged."
"It's great to see him running up and down, obviously for us, but it's a great feeling knowing he can do it," added James. "He's been going through a lot. They're not long [workouts]. They're not keeping him on his feet long, but it's great to see him."
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