im not sure of oden's impact. but Miami is the two time defending champions with 0 impact from Oden. so anything from him is beneficial. I honestly think they got him to deal with hibbert for a little bit. Miami rotates birdman/bosh/and haslem on him.. and it generally doesn't work well. oden could defend him better. hibbert is a slightly above average big man who dominates Miami's small front line. oden can stop that (if healthy). outside of the match-up with Indiana.. Miami doesn't need anything from him.
Yes I would say that it isn't uncommon for someone with chronic knee issues to be experiencing knee issues. It's been something like 3 years since he last played an NBA game. I don't think it's a good sign that he is having swelling after 5 on 5 scrimmaging in practice. I wouldn't be confident either that this guy can handle the rigors of NBA season. I agree that it is a shame to see his career ruined by injuries.