Greg Oden suffers hand injury in China after strong debut

After making a promising debut in China, former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden has suffered a hand injury expected to sideline him at least three weeks, according to NBA sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that Oden remains hopeful about getting back on the floor within a month after ringing up 23 points and 14 rebounds in his first preseason game with the Jiangsu Dragons.

Last seen in the NBA with the Miami Heat in 2014, , Oden suffered the injury in a subsequent exhibition game and was spotted as a courtside spectator this weekend with his right hand noticeably wrapped.

Yet Oden, who turns 28 in January, will undoubtedly take comfort from the fact that the latest in a string of health setbacks is unrelated to the longstanding knee problems that derailed his NBA career after Portland took him No. 1 overall in 2007.

The Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets were among the teams that auditioned Oden this past summer in hopes of giving him one more NBA shot.

The belief leaguewide that teams can never have enough rim protection would suggest Oden is likely to get that shot if he can assemble a productive season in China.

Oden signed with the Dragons for a reported one-year deal worth $1.2 million.