[image: oregonlive.com] A lighter (physically and emotionally) Greg Oden holds court at Trail Blazers’ media day By *Joe Freeman, The Oregonian* September 28, 2009, 7:42PM [image: odenmediaday.JPG]Bruce Ely, The OregonianGreg Oden talks with the media during Portland Trail Blazers media day at the Rose Garden. After two injury-plagued, inconsistent and head-scratching NBA seasons, Greg Oden appears to be a changed man. And it took only a few short minutes of chatting with the Trail Blazers’ center at the team’s annual media day for this realization to materialize. When asked if starting was important to him, the person who deflected controversy, guarded his true feelings and concealed his passion to the point some wondered if it existed last season, replied emphatically: “It’s very important to me. I love Joel (Przybilla) to death, but look, I want that starting spot,” Oden said. The Blazers feature a two-time All-Star (Brandon Roy), a budding star (LaMarcus Aldridge), a spiffy free agent acquisition (Andre Miller), and perhaps the deepest roster in the NBA. But there may be no larger single piece separating this team from being good or great than the 7-foot franchise center. And after a summer of intense basketball workouts, a changed diet and a new attitude, Oden could be on the path toward fulfilling the enormous potential