Greg Oden, Lebron James & D-Wade Going for 3-Peat with Heat, Big Man Officially to Sign with Miami 

Greg Oden has decided to sign with the Miami Heat for the upcoming 2013-14 NBA basketball season. He had generated a lot of interest around the league from several teams including the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings. 

In the last few weeks Oden had been meeting with the different teams and doing work outs. From the reports, he was looking very good in the work outs, which is a great sign for someone who has had such health issues. 

Greg Oden has had about the worst injury plagued career so far that a professional athlete could have. He is a very large, strong man that his legs/knees can't ever seem to hold stable for a long time before buckling. 

However, Oden has never quit. Each heart wrenching injury that he faces, he keeps trying to make a comeback and working hard. 

He should be just now entering the prime of his career (He's only 25-years-old), but the league almost views him like a 40 year old who could get injured at any moment. 

The Miami Heat coming off their back to back championships were one of the first to pursue Oden as they are always looking to improve their lack of inside presence and really need a big man to clog the paint, even if it is just on the defensive side. Oden, when healthy, has always been known as a great shot blocker. If Oden can stay healthy, he could be a perfect fit for that. 

Chris Bosh had a poor season and post season statistically and could be on the way out while he still has some trade value left. He can play at the 5 position but is not very strong and it isn't his natural position. Mike Miller was recently amnestied from the Heat to clear up more cap space for the upcoming season. This seems like a smart move, but Miller always came up big in the Finals when the Heat needed him the most, they will miss that. 

Just like Riley brought in Ray Allen last year, he will be tweaking the offensive players around this summer too. The Heat already let go of their clutch sharp-shooter Mike Miller earlier this summer and have now just added Oden. There will still be more pieces to fall into place before the season rolls around as well. 

Oden's last professional game was against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 5, 2009. He was in the game for only four minutes and when he went down with a complete fracture to his patella in his left knee, it was so bad that he had to be taken off the floor on a stretcher. 

Greg Oden was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers. The Blazers took the sure thing size of Oden over the skinny shooter from Texas, Kevin Durant. Might not look like such a good move in hindsight, but not many questioned it at the time. "You can't teach size" they always say, so it was no surprise they chose Oden. 

If you are a Heat fan, do you like the team taking a risk on Greg Oden for next season? Could Oden be the key piece to a Miami 3-Peat if he can stay healthy this coming year?

Basketball fans would love to see Oden be able to come back and play a full season healthy and see what he could do.