The Trail Blazers are looking for a spark and coach Nate McMillan will replace Nicolas Batum with Wesley Matthews in the starting lineup.

"When you're dropping games like we are, you just need to shake up some things and we're limited in how many positions we can shake up," McMillan said. "We just need to take a look at something different."

McMillan experimented with the move during Sunday night's 98-96 loss at New Jersey, starting Matthews in the second half.

The Trail Blazers may get center Joel Przybilla back on Friday night when they face the Wizards.

Przybilla tried to complete a workout over the weekend, but it was cut short by the stomach flu. Portland will play back-to-back games in Philadelphia and Boston beginning on Tuesday night.

Joe Freeman of The Oregonian called playing in Friday night's game a "best-case scenario" as Przybilla continues working back from a pair of knee injuries.

The Trail Blazers held a players-only meeting following their loss to the Nets on Sunday night.

The loss was Portland's third-straight and it dropped their record to 8-8 on the season.

"We're at a tough point right now," said Brandon Roy. "It's a young season. We've lost three games in a row and we're .500, so it's a difficult time. But we have to stick together and really see what we're made of."

Roy said the players-only meeting was "good," and Marcus Camby called it "positive."

Wesley Matthews said conversation was open, frank and honest.

"We talked ... about what we need to do," Matthews said. "We don't feel we're an 8-8 team and that's the gist of it. The thing about the NBA is you have got a whole bunch of games in a short span of time, so you have to lose this and move on to the next one."

LaMarcus Aldridge says he's ready to be Portland's No. 1 scoring option as teammate Brandon Roy plays through a sore knee.

"LaMarcus now ... really becomes The Guy for us," coach Nate McMillan said. "It's really hard to play without him being on the floor."

When informed of McMillan's comments, Aldridge's eyes grew wide.

"Oh, wow," he said, laughing. "I just want to win. Some nights it might be 20. Some nights it might be 12. As long as we win the game, that's fine with me."

Joking aside, Aldridge says he's ready to be a leader in Portland.

"I feel like I need to be that guy, a go-to guy, a guy we play through," Aldridge said. "After the playoffs last year, my whole motivation was to make myself better, to get ready for these moments and I think I'm doing good so far."

Trail Blazers center Greg Oden underwent successful microfracture surgery today on his left knee, it was announced by GM Rich Cho.

Oden, 22, will miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season.

?We are pleased that Greg's surgery went as planned and we are here to support him fully in his rehabilitation,? said Cho. ?I have a great deal of confidence that Greg will work hard and do all that is asked of him in order to get back on the court.?

Dr. Richard Steadman performed the surgery with assistance from Trail Blazers orthopedic surgeon Dr. Don Roberts at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo.

Trail Blazers president Larry Miller says the team signed Brandon Roy to a five-year, $82 million contract last summer knowing that he was missing a meniscus in both knees.

Roy, 26, will miss his third consecutive game on Friday night because of left knee pain. The knee has been drained at least twice already this season.

"When he was drafted, we knew there were problems with his knees," Miller said.

"When we talked about his extension last summer, it did come into play and into the discussions. But at the end of the day, he was the face of turning this organization and franchise around ... it just made all the sense in the world to give him the deal we gave him. There was some consideration given to (his knees) ? but as we looked at it and talked ? we decided he has earned this. He has earned this max contract regardless of what problems might come along."

Portland president Larry Miller still foresees the team making a qualifying offer to center Greg Oden despite yet another season-ending injury.

The Trail Blazers would have to make an $8.8 million offer to make Oden a restricted free agent, giving them the right to match any offer he receives.

"If Greg Oden plays up to his potential he is worth that," Miller said. "We will see where (rehabilitation) things are at that level. But at this point, I don't see us not giving the offer if Greg is doing the things we need to see him doing to get back on the court.

"That's how I feel. If he is doing those things, we want to keep Greg around. I don't feel like I'm ready to give up on Greg Oden. I don't think anybody in our organization is ready."

Oden was scheduled to undergo microfracture surgery on Friday in Colorado.

Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will miss the next two games because of a sore left knee.

Roy had an MRI exam and team doctors determined there is no immediate need for surgery. Portland will evaluate him again next week.

Portland hosts Denver on Thursday and Utah on Saturday.

Brandon Roy will miss the next two games with soreness in his left knee. The knee has deteriorated to the point where Roy will struggle to reclaim his All-Star level of play.

?There?s no real hope of it improving,? one league source with direct knowledge of the medical prognosis told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday. ?It?s just about trying to manage it now. He?s not going to be the franchise superstar that [Portland] thought he would be. This isn?t something they consider ?fixable.? ?

GM Rich Cho held internal discussions on whether they might include Roy in trade proposals, according to sources.

Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden will undergo microfracture surgery on his left knee Friday and will miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season, the Trail Blazers announced this evening.

Dr. Richard Steadman will perform the surgery with assistance from Trail Blazers orthopedic surgeon Dr. Don Roberts at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo.

Oden, 22, has been sidelined since fracturing his left patella in a Dec. 5, 2009, game vs. Houston. A recent MRI showed damaged cartilage to the surface of his femur, and his current injury is unrelated to the fractured left patella.

Oden previously underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee Sept. 13, 2007.