CLEVELAND - I attended the Cleveland-Portland game for one reason: to follow the progress of first-year Trail Blazers center Greg Oden. Here is what I saw:

* First of all, Oden looked fairly out of shape. That's not surprising, considering it was only his second game back after (another) lengthy injury, this one to his left kneecap. It caused him to miss 15 games.

* That's not intended to criticize Oden. Just the opposite, actually. The fact he was able to do what he has done in the previous two games, despite coming off the injury, was impressive. Against Cleveland (a 97-92 overtime loss), Oden finished with seven points and nine rebounds in just a little more than 12 minutes.

* That followed up a night in which he grabbed seven boards in just 12 minutes in a win over Indiana.

* None of that may sound very impressive -- but again, you have to consider the circumstances. Oden is playing limited minutes and his knee is still a little sore. He confessed as much about the knee after the game (more on that later).

* If there's one major issue Oden has besides all the injuries, it's the fact he seems to find himself in foul trouble a lot. Part of that has to do with his being out of position, part of it has to do with plain old shoddy officiating. It's obvious he is getting a lot of those "rookie" calls going against him.

* For instance, Oden was whistled for three fouls in the first half against Cleveland, and two could have gone either way. When that's the case, the rookie is rarely given the benefit of the doubt.

* All of that aside, he still doesn‘t have very good hands, nor much of a shooting touch. "I'm struggling to get into a rhythm, but it's gonna take time," he told me after the game. "I just have to keep at it and not get frustrated."

* A lot of frustrated Blazers fans have referred to Oden as The Next Sam Bowie. That's unfair, because unlike Bowie, Oden didn't have a history of injuries when he entered the league. Bowie had broken his leg in college and the Blazers took a risk in drafting him -- and knew it. Oden's problems aren't nearly as severe and didn't really start until after he was drafted.

* As for Oden's rebounding, I noticed on this night that it has to do with more than just his size (7-foot-0, 285 pounds). He really does get in good position, box out and leap to the ball.

* He also blocked one shot and altered at least two others. Again, that may not sound all that impressive -- but remember, he isn't in game shape and has barely been getting minutes.

* Also, while it's true Oden is out of rhythm, he has displayed some promising signs on offense. Mostly, he gets to the free-throw line a lot (he made 5 of 8 against the Cavs), simply because he overpowers defenders down low, muscling his way into position and setting himself up for the pass. Once he receives the ball, anyone guarding him is left with little choice but to foul.

* Oden has a pretty decent spin move to the hoop, a must for a throwback-type center who plays with his back to the basket. In other words, he isn't going to face up, put the ball on the floor and use speed to drive around anyone. Nor has he mastered the 10-to-12 foot jump shot. But he can take a dribble and spin toward the hoop fairly quickly for a guy his size.

* Basically, Oden's game doesn't feature an array of post moves -- nor anything much beyond a simple drop step and slam. But you could say the same about the early part of Shaquille O'Neal's career. Either way, Oden is showing signs that he may someday be impossible to defend one-on-one on the low blocks.

* If you watched the game on TNT, you probably noticed how Oden and LeBron James became a little testy with one another, things even getting physical (but within the rules) on a couple of occasions.

* James openly rooted for Ohio State when Oden and Mike Conley led the Buckeyes to the NCAA championship game a few years back. But before the game against the Blazers, LeBron shrugged off a question about Oden, saying he was "not gonna be following (his development) tonight." Then James smiled and said, "I hope he doesn't do well against us." It wasn't necessarily a shot at Oden, and it actually made sense since James' team was playing Oden's. But James sure didn't go out of his way to offer any praise.

* Interestingly, Oden didn't receive the warm reception from the crowd that Conley got with Memphis in his lone Cleveland appearance this season. Some fans even booed Oden regularly during the game. Odd, when you consider what Oden's one year in college meant to diehard Ohio State fans.

* Despite it all, Oden is staying positive and even offered his thoughts on this year's Buckeyes after the game. He spent part of the postgame being friendly with a Chinese journalist and anyone else who approached him while he got dressed.

* I asked Oden how frustrating it was to just sit there and watch after picking up his fifth foul at the end of the third quarter (he did not play in the fourth or overtime). "I definitely wanted to get out there and play more," he said. "I was definitely telling them to put me back in. But I have to be cautious with what I do, knowing that my knee is still fractured. I have to work my way back into it."

* I then asked Oden how the knee felt, and he admitted that it's still a little sore. "I kind of bumped knees with LeBron," he said. "But I played through it."

* Oden spent part of the game on the court at the same time as Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas -- and doubters of Oden should try taking a look at Ilgauskas' early years. Ilgauskas was considered a bust after undergoing seemingly endless foot surgeries, but eventually rebounded to have a long and successful career. Oden's injuries have paled in comparison.

* Finally, I love watching Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, another throwback whose high-scoring ways and overall smoothness remind me of George Gervin. Durant was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in 2007, one spot behind Oden. Anyway, I think Oden will be a more dominant force in the long run. And that's based on what I saw in 12 minutes when Oden was out of shape. I can't wait to see the guy totally healthy and neither should you.

Sam Amico is the editor of Pro Basketball News. He can be reached at amico@probasketballnews.com.