Greg Oden: To Believe Or Not To Believe

Dare us basketball-starved fans take this video of the USA Olympic select basketball practice as actual evidence that Greg Oden looks more mobile and capable of defending the pick-and-roll in what will be his second pro season? Or are we so deep in the summer sports doldrums that we're grasping at any evidence of Oden fulfilling his potential (was it really only two summers ago that he was on the cover of WW's Best of Portland) as a defensive and rebounding presence?

I actually subscribe to the belief that Oden has nowhere to go but up after his middling rookie season, and that he will improve next year. Please let it be so. And if so, all the gnashing of teeth over GM Kevin Pritchard's inability to pull off a deal will seem far, far away.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbP2bRnbpxQ[/youtube]