Oden fouled out with four points about a minute after his slam. He played only 12 minutes and looked nothing like the beast the Trail Blazers took with the top pick in the 2007 draft.

"There's been some ups and downs, but I'm looking to get better," he said.

Oden's rookie season - he missed all of the 2007-08 campaign after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee ? has been a mixed bag. He averaged 8.9 points and 7.0 rebounds in 61 games (39 starts) but has been slowed by foot and knee injuries and hasn't asserted himself.

Blazers coach Nate McMillan isn't ready to bury the 7-foot center.

"I think he's starting to get comfortable with the NBA game," McMillan said. "He's starting to get a feel for it, and that's what the rookie year is all about.

"This offseason will be really important for him. What did he learn, playing as many games, playing against the big men, and his role for this team? Did you like your conditioning or how your body was feeling during the course of the year? Did you feel strong enough or too heavy?"

Oden, 21, admits he hasn't been in the best shape. He wasn't able to work out much or play pickup games in the offseason because he was recovering from his injury.

"My first time going up and down the floor was a week before training camp started," he said. "It was definitely a setback for me, and not being able to run has hurt my condition. It's going to be different this summer."

McMillan smiles when he talks of Oden's raw potential and is confident he can become an integral part of a Portland team that features rising stars Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge.

"He understands the game," McMillan said. "It's just a matter of getting him on the floor. Right now he's still getting into foul trouble, so that is an adjustment. He's learning."

brian.mctaggart@chron.com