Joel Przybilla: Portland Trail Blazers' "Old Reliable"

Finally, with the imminent debut of Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazer fans are giddy with expectation.

Understandable, considering the top draft pick of 2007 was moth-balled that entire season due to micro-fracture knee surgery. Still, the young Blazers were able to put together a surprising 41-41 season, in large part through the blue collar work of veteran center, Joel Przybilla.

So please excuse more than a few Trail Blazer fans if that giddiness is tempered with a bit of nostalgia for the man who stood in the gap all of last season.

Przybilla, in fact, has been holding down the center position for the last three seasons.

The Vanilla Gorilla, as he is affectionately known, has a reputation as a scrappy and aggressive defender whose strengths include shot blocking, rebounding, and setting solid screens. A minimal points producer, his offensive role has always been to complement true scorers, such as Zach Randolph (now with the Knicks), LaMarcus Aldridge, and Brandon Roy.

It was Przybilla who shunned offers from the Bulls and Pistons in 2006 to stay in Portland despite a disastrous 21-win season. That loyalty endeared many of the Rose City faithful who still see Przy as the starter until "someone" takes that position from him.

Which leads to the recent revelations from the Blazer's intra-team scrimmage that Oden is still not in NBA-level conditioning and may not be 100% physically. Coach Nate McMillan has stated that Oden will indeed play limited minutes in the pre-season.

A healthy Oden, who has probably not missed an opening tip-off in his life, will likely start in the season opener at Staples against the Lakers. After all, what coach would not start a number-one pick with Oden's credentials?

But it's going to take the big guy some time to adjust to the game, to seasoned opponents and to the officiating. Even an in-shape Oden, who has shown a tendency to collect fouls, may find himself on the bench more than on the floor—at first.

Enter "Old Reliable". It's entirely conceivable that Mr. Vanilla will actually play more minutes than Oden this first year—and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Przybilla, who could start for several teams in the league, will not hurt his team on the court. With the versatility and depth the Trail Blazers possess, it's a minor tweak to accommodate Joel's particular style.

Given Przybilla's veteran savvy, the pressure should be lessened on Oden to be The Man right out of the gate. This will give Greg time to grow into his potential, which far exceeds the talents of Przybilla.

But Joel is the kind of team player who will allow Oden's rising star to shine brightly, when that time comes, without complaint.

Then, the transition of Greg Oden from "rookie first-round draft pick" to "premier league center" may only be rivaled by the transition of Joel Przybilla from "steady, reliable veteran starter" to "perfect back-up center."