Sonics meet with Oden

This time, Greg Oden didn't have to apologize for a sub-par workout as he did two days earlier when he visited with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Heeding the advice of his agent Mike Conley, the Ohio State center chose not to audition for the Sonics. He underwent a medical examine in the morning and met with a quartet of the team's front-office executives, including owner Clay Bennett.

"I just wanted to get to know the organization and get to see what the direction they are headed in and get a feel for the city," Oden said. "[I] asked a lot of questions about what the city is like and what do you think the players are like and how it will mesh together."

The discussion was purely hypothetical because Seattle holds the No. 2 pick in Thursday's NBA draft after Portland. The Trail Blazers are believed to be enamored with Oden despite a mediocre workout on Wednesday and reports that his surgically repaired wrist has not totally healed. There's also a concern that he has a herniated disc in his back and may be susceptible to long-term medical problems because one leg is longer than the other.

Oden, who weighed 257 pounds three weeks ago at the pre-draft camp, attempted to dissuade concerns.

"Just got back from the doctors [and] my wrist is fine," he said. "One-hundred percent. [The Blazers and Sonics] obviously have the first and second picks and they don't want to make a mistake. They don't want to get somebody who is going to get hurt all the time. I know they are going to be cautious about that and they are going to check me out just to make sure."

Sonics general manager Sam Presti declined comment.

After Oden's 15-minute news conference, Presti joined him, his mother Zoe Cathran-Oden and newly-hired Scott Perry, Seattle's director of player of personnel, in a limousine that drove them away from the team's practice facility.

Oden leaves for his home in Indianapolis on Saturday after a two-day visit in Seattle. He plans to fly to New York on Monday where he'll stay until the draft on Thursday. He says he will not be nervous over the next six days wondering if he or Texas forward Kevin Durant will go first in the draft.

"I know that I can't control anything," he said. "All I can do is be happy with myself. The teams are going to make a decision that's best for their organizations."

Despite recovering from wrist surgery, Oden led Ohio State (35-4) to the NCAA championship game and averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds as a freshman. Durant averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds during his only season with the Longhorns.

"My competitiveness is about winning," said Oden, when asked if he cared if he went No. 1 or No. 2. "All of that other stuff. I don't really care about. Off-the-court stuff, I'm not competitive. You can cut me in line, I don't care. I'm still going to get my food. It's all about winning when I'm on the court."

If given the option of picking No. 1 in the draft, Oden said he would choose Duke's Josh McRoberts.

"He's one of my good friends," he said, laughing.