Notes From A Shootaround: Taking It Easy

A sleepy shootaround out yonder in Tualatin today. Jason Quick, Brian T. Smith and I were the only media folks in attendance. Those who didn't show didn't miss much.

A few things ...

• As you've already heard if you subscribe to our Twitter feed, Greg Oden, coming off one of the best six minutes stretches that anyone has had so far this preseason, will not play due to a sore thigh adductor. For those of you not sure where the adductor is at, it's apparently in the upper thigh area where the leg connects to the torso. A sensitive area, to be sure. The injury, as Oden remembers, stems from being kicked by Arron Afflalo in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Nuggets.

"It's sore from the kick, still," said Oden. "But Jay (Jensen) really didn't want to chance it. I can tell you it's feeling a lot better than what it did yesterday. But it's still a little sore and I feel it a little bit, so Jay didn't want to chance it."

Joel Przybilla, who sat out yesterday's practice with a sore back, will play and start. LaMarcus Aldridge returns to the starting lineup after sitting out Sunday's game with a knee contusion. Jerryd Bayless, who also missed practice yesterday after spraining his ankle in the first quarter of the Nuggets game, is expect to play. Rudy Fernandez, still battling back spasms, is listed as out. Now you know.

• As for the starting lineup, Nate McMillan is going with Steve Blake, Brandon Roy, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge and Joel Przybilla. McMillan has given the impression that he's fairly certain of who he's going to start on opening night, but he's keeping that news to himself at this point.

"The thing is I'm treating this like it were a regular season game in the sense that is these guys were out (in the regular season) we make our adjustments," said McMillan. "We approach it like that."

• Brandon Roy is looking forward to the start of the NBA regular season and Saturday's game between the Oregon Ducks and the Washington Huskies.