Blazers' top pick back on the court in surprise practice

Jet, April 7, 2008

The No. 1 overall pick in last year's NBA draft Greg Oden practiced with the Portland Trail Blazers for the first time since right knee surgery ended his season-before it began-six months ago.

Oden, a 7-foot center, has missed the entire season but was able to work out for 45 minutes during a recent practice. "It was fun," Oden told The Oregonian newspaper. "It felt good to get out there ... and I wasn't hurting at all."

Coach Nate McMillan surprised the team when he called players to participate in a drill and included Oden.

Oden, who played one season at Ohio State before he was selected by the Blazers last June, required microfracture surgery to repair his knee (JET, Oct. 1, 2007).

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--Associated Press