While most of the Miami Heat roster would probably rather see the Indiana Pacers eliminated ahead of the eastern conference championship, Greg Oden might be the one Heat player hoping the Pacers overcome their current series against the bottom seeded Atlanta Hawks. The Heat had difficulty dispatching with the Pacers in a tightly contested and highly physical eastern finals. One of the reasons Oden was added to the Heat roster is to provide additional bulk and size if Miami faces the Pacers in the 2014 playoffs. But while such a showdown seemed inevitable all season, the sudden struggles of Indiana mean that Oden may have to find another way to get onto the court this postseason…
Greg Oden, once a top draft pick, has been out of the league for a few years while recuperating from numerous injuries that derailed his career. The Heat signed him knowing that not only would he need time to fully recuperate, he might also be limited as to just how much he can play before his historically wobbly knees give away again. That’s meant that Oden has seen inconsistent playing time during the regular season, presumably so he could be rested and healthy for the Pacers series.
But in one of the bigger surprises in recent NBA postseason memory, the Pacers are now down three games to two against the Hawks. That means the Miami Heat could just as easily end up facing the Washington Wizards in the eastern finals – leaving open the question of what would happen to Greg Oden’s playing time if that were to happen.
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