Blazer GM Rich Cho was on Courtside tonight. I picked up 4 things from the show. 1. Cho said Greg Oden would be cleared for 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 in a couple of weeks. When asked when Greg would be cleared for 5-on-5 he said he would wait to see how Greg did playing 3-on-3 before making that determination. 2. When asked if there would be further roster changes before the season starts, Cho said he was working on a couple of things to make the team better. I didn't take that to mean anything was imminent or even likely. He's just working on it. 3. Elliot Williams was finally cleared to play 5-on-5 today for the first time since he was drafted by the Blazers. The Mike's drooled over his 48" vertical. 4.The most important thing.Paul Allen got a clean bill of health last week from his doctors and looked very good during an interview with Mike Barrett.

Portland Trail Blazers OwnerPaul Allenspeaks in a video interviewwith Blazers broadcasterMike Barrett. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter

I'm no insider, could somebody add to this? Seems exaggerated, but intriguing nonetheless.

Rudy Vs Argentina. 31 pts

Contrary to the rumors floating over the weekend, Cho says Oden won't be participating in 5v5 workouts this week. Cho says Oden is progressing well; it just sounds like the team is just being extra cautious: "'We’re going to ease him into it ... maybe do some two-on-two or three-on-three, instead of up-and down five-on-five,' Cho said. 'I’m hoping he’ll be cleared to do that in the next couple of weeks.'" "That would seem to put in doubt Oden’s availability through the preseason. Training camp opens on Sept. 27, with the first exhibition game Oct. 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers." "'We’re being cautious,' Cho said. 'The longer you wait for the bone to heal, the better.'" Some other good updates on the team in the article. It's worth a read.

TRADE VALUE!!!!!!!

Lol, what an idiot... Via RealGM: "Celtics center Jermaine O'Neal is coming off a max-level contract that he claims he didn't know put him among the NBA's highest-paid players. O'Neal signed the seven-year, $126 million contract with the Pacers before being dealt to the Raptors and then the Heat. "I didn't even realize until this summer that over the last seven years I was one of the top three paid players in the entire NBA," O'Neal said. "I never knew that. I never looked at that money as being pressure. To be honest, towards the last two or three years, I felt like I wasn't doing enough to earn my money. I'm very critical of myself."

Sabas inducted into the FIBA hall of fame. He's got a salt-and-pepper beard now, it seems. Vlade Divac also pictured.