Oden reprimanded for playing games

Injured center Greg Oden was reprimanded by the Portland Trail Blazers for playing in a pickup game at a neighborhood gym.

“We called him and we told him he can’t do that,” Coach Nate McMillan said Friday.

Oden, the top pick in last year’s draft, is out for the season after microfracture surgery on his right knee. He said he played two games Wednesday night with friends.

“I was going to play one, but I lost the first one,” the 7-footer said.

McMillan called Oden’s actions “pretty innocent,” but the coach wanted Oden to know he must avoid risky situations.

“He’s a young man,” McMillan said. “He wants to be the same young man as when he came here. And he’s not.”

Oden said he didn’t dunk eight or 10 times, as was reported on a blog. But he did get in a few -- and he didn’t need to jump.

“It was a 9-foot goal, so it was pretty easy to dunk on,” he said.

“I don’t think he thought he was doing anything wrong, and I’m sure he was trying to protect himself,” McMillan said. “But he just can’t do that.”