10. Starting Five: How would you rate your health? Is the right knee 100 percent?

Greg Oden: It feels like it. I have no problems with it, but I’m not going to give percentages. I just know that there are really no problems with it every time I play.

9. Starting Five: What are your goals for the upcoming season?

Oden: Just to win. To try to get out there and help my team win as much as possible. I’m not really worried about individual stats. For me, if my team can make the playoffs or we can win a lot more games than we did last year, then that will satisfy me.

8. Starting Five: The last playoff appearance for the Blazers was in 2003. Do you think the Blazers will make it this season?

Oden: We have a chance. Hopefully we can get things together at the beginning of the season and become a good enough team to make it.

7. Starting Five: Who do you think is your main competition for the T-Mobile Rookie of the Year?

Oden: Derrick Rose. He has that kind of maturity about him when you see him play. And Mike Beasley because of all the talent that he has. There are a couple of guys who I think are sleepers out there, like a few of the seniors who can come in and be a lot more mature and make an impact.

6. Starting Five: You got to know the greatest big man in Blazers history, Bill Walton, a little bit. What advice has he shared with you?

Oden: He’s just telling me if you go out there and play; you don’t have to worry about what people say about you in the news or the media. Just go out there and play your game and have fun with it. It’s just a game. You’ve got to understand that you’re a rookie. Don’t put any pressure on yourself that isn’t needed.

5. Starting Five: How well have you gotten to know Brandon Roy and what has impressed you most about him?

Oden: I got to know him pretty well off the court. He’s a good guy. He’s real cool. And I just like how he takes over games. He’s a guy that doesn’t need all the flash or all the attention, but he goes out there and does what he has to do.

4. Starting Five: You’re making your official debut against the Lakers on October 28 and Andrew Bynum, who is also returning from injury. What do you know about his game?

Oden: I learned a lot about him last year before he got hurt. I started watching some film on him and I saw how he was playing and moving and doing really good. He’s coming off an injury too. Hopefully he’s around the same place that I am. I know that he’s a good player and it’s going to be a difficult challenge for me.

3. Starting Five: You recently took a five-week biology at Ohio State over the summer. What was that experience like?

Oden: It was just a good thing for me to be back on Ohio State’s campus. It was something that I wanted to do and it was a little stepping stone towards me getting my degree.

2. Starting Five: The best piece of basketball advice you received was…

Oden: Just go out there and play. It’s a game. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself that you can’t have fun.

1. Starting Five: How anxious and excited are you to start this season?

Oden: I am very excited. My trainer is getting a little mad at me. I’m supposed to be playing every other game but yesterday I was so excited that I just played all the games in a row without taking any rest. I’m anxious to get out there and start playing. I’m getting in shape right now and that’s the hardest thing for me.