Hmmm. . . Kind of early for this kind of stuff isn’t it?
Yes, Brandon Roy was getting concerned after three EXHIBITION games that he wasn’t getting the ball in his hands often enough:
“It’s almost like my rookie year again — trying to figure out where I am in the offense,” Roy said in Sacramento after the team’s second preseason game. “I have gotten used to the ball coming to me, I didn’t have to go try and find it. But now I’m in a position where I have to search the ball out and be more aggressive. So, I don’t know.”
Wow, just a couple of weeks ago on media day, Roy was preaching unselfishness and putting the team first. I know everyone will side with Roy on this one because they love the guy — and this includes the local media. But I’m just saying, wouldn’t it be good to get Roy off the ball a little bit? Long-term, what’s best for the team?
Can he stay healthy through that long-term contract extension he signed if he’s got the ball all the time? We saw what Houston did to him in the playoffs last season.
What’s best for the team here? I’m just asking… And hey, maybe it would be best just to be done with all this and start calling Roy a point guard, start him there next to Rudy Fernandez and call it good.
Roy has a ton of freedom on this team and Sunday Nate McMillan confirmed that the offense would run through Roy and Aldridge this year again. Good luck, Greg Oden. All those touches must have been fun while they lasted!
NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | October 12, 2009
Brandon Roy, Dwight Jaynes, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nate McMillan, Portland Trail Blazers
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I know everyone loves B-Roy and all, but I could have sworn he was channelling Allen Iverson in those comments.
Somewhat funny, but sadly true!
Obvious troll is obvious.
Congrats, Dwight! You’ve made something out of nothing!
When the franchise player is basically questioning the direction of the offense three weeks before one of the most anticipated seasons in team history, it’s a lot more than “nothing.” Roy seems to believe his comfort level is pretty important, important enough to spout off to the local media about it. Meanwhile, the point guard brought in to help fix the team’s stagnant offense tells a reporter that he wouldn’t have come to Portland if he knew he would be coming off the bench. Fasten those seat belts, boys. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
I’m with you. We all read ourselves a little bit into everything take in, but I thought that comment sounded a bit self-deprecating. He’s pointing out that he’s discovered a weakness in his game and it has him a little worried. For someone nicknamed “The Natural”, wouldn’t that have the same effect on you?
And Roy is always talking to the media. I don’t know if ‘spout off’ is appropriate for someone who has that much face time without relying on canned answers.
I don’t think you have to be a Roy fanboy to not think this is an iceberg.
This preseason is a tough assignment for Nate.
A) He needs to figure out the starting line-up and then how that shakes down to the rest of the rotations.
B) He needs to allow Greg Oden to work on his offensive game, so that he can truly be a factor on that end of the floor.
C) He needs to figure out if this team can up-tempo the pace consistently throughout the game.
All of these things have effected Roy’s game. He too needs to adjust his style of play, but this is very difficult to do with Nate fiddling in all these other areas.
Add in resting Rudy and Nick, trying to get Martell going, and seeing what some of the young guys have to offer is not a preseason made in heaven for Roy.
Let’s hope Nate clarifies the roles in the next few games so Roy can start working on his game too.
I’m with you Dwight. As a matter of principle I’m not much of a fan of ‘ball-hogs’ — I’d always rather watch some deft passing.
But sure I’ll be a homer and admit I make exceptions for Roy. But yeah I was wondering why, with the addition of a new pointguard, why we’re returning to the ‘status quo’ so quickly. I sort of though, given roy’s ball-hoginess, that it would surely take more than a couple games to integrate a new PG, and the trickle-down playing style adjustments I assumed would go with that.
I guess I’m ready to see Roy’s game mature beyond something ‘Iversonian’. Wouldn’t he need to develop beyond that, if even just for the sake of remaining a top player/contributor as his body starts to age?
I too would like to see Roy play off the ball more.
This gets so annoying, the stuff the team wanted to change in the offseason is now the things that they are complaining about changing.
I thought we didn’t want Roy to have to carry the load on offense? I thought we wanted an upgrade from Steve Blake? I thought we wanted a PG that did more than shoot threes? I thought we wanted to get more scoring in the post instead of shooting jump-shots 99% of the time?
Roy, stop talking, bringing new guys in takes time to get used to. Your buddy Steve is a backup, if we are satisfied with last years results than we should’ve just kept the same team. There’s absolutely no reason Andre Miller and Greg Oden should not be starting. The whole “blake plays better with Roy” argument is such garbage. We need to take LESS three pointers, not more. We need to play the best players, not try to find stupid combinations. Instead of wasting time shuffling combinations of players around, put your best players in the starting unit and play them together so they can start getting used to each other. It takes some time, but you have to let them play together.
Wow! Great post!
Roy is acting overconfident like someone who just got married. He seems to think he is king of the roost now even when he is being selfish and wrong. Unfortunately for us, he may have some lessons to learn the hard way. Rule # 1, when your wife agrees with you too quickly, it is not always a good thing. Rule #2, it is best to let her think she is getting her way the vast majority of the time.
Amen CVD2312!! People are acting like Nate is trying to build a nuclear bomb for crying out loud. Roy and Miller are good players. They’ll figure out how to play together. The only way they figure it out is to play together. The bottom line is that KP and/or Nate brought Miller in because they didn’t think Blake was good enough to get the team deep into the playoffs. If they thought Blake was a starter they would have signed a back up, not Miller. Also, we didn’t take Oden number 1 to bring his ass off of the bench. Nate said it himself last year: Oden, Roy and Aldridge need to get used to playing with each other because they are the future of the franchise. Nate will get it figured out. He has to.
Yes, yes, yes. The Blazers won’t go anywhere in the playoffs so long as Roy and Aldridge (and McMillan, for that matter) are not willing to accept the fact that last year’s way of doing things simply isn’t good enough. It will yield big numbers for the big two, but it also makes the Blazers easy to defend. Pritchard addressed those weaknesses in the offseason. Now, it’s up to the stars to do what’s best for the team and work WITH the new pieces, not against them. This is not a good sign. Not at all. And worst of all, McMillan is yielding to his star instead of laying down the law. Did these guys just forget what happened against Houston? Seriously, it wasn’t that long ago.
Great analysis! What you are saying is surprising considering we are talking about Nate, BR, and LMA, but it is music to my ears. I want us to win championships by playing together as a team!
Best thought out posts I have seen in weeks.
Seriously…best post on this topic I’ve read anywhere. Of all the people writing about this topic, you nailed it. I really hope that Nate is just playing tricks on the media and in the back of his mind knows that Miller and Oden both HAVE to start. All of this other stuff is crap.
KP did what he needed to do to fix the problems of last year. I’m so sick of hearing about 54 wins. We got owned in the first round! It was a successful season, but it wasn’t like we won a championship or something. Many things need to change in order for this team to improve, and if guys like Roy and coach M can’t deal with that change, this team will never be what we can hope it will be.
Great take on the way things actually are vs. the way they are marketed!
Excellent post Dwight! More people are recognizing this that I would have thought. To me, if I am Andre, Oden, Rudy, or Batum this is just plain disappointing and ugly, and I am mad about it whether I come out and say it or not.
A lot of people are putting these problems on Andre, but they have been here for some time. I think this is going to be a real, and obvious test to see if Nate even knows what the “right way” to play is.
Ball movement??? Roy, Aldridge, and Blake are ball stoppers. They reduce the game to one on one by holding on to the ball too long. This has a tendency to increase their chances of scoring, but it has a definite negative effect on “team play.” And worst of all, it is unimaginative and boring to watch. We could do so much better if we moved and shared the ball more.
hear-hear.
Andre Miller is not the problem — it has been the Blazer’s inability to create shots on their own that created the need to Roy to ‘hog’ the ball as much as he has.
While you may have been sarcastic in calling Roy a point, Dwight, I really do think that offensively, at least, that’s precisely what the Blazers have turned Roy into.
Roy’s used to carrying the load for this team, and I’m sure he’ll continue to, but he needs to realize that as a max player, Portland cannot continue to ride them as hard as they have.
He’ll end up being a stiff like Steve Smith was after Atlanta ruined his body with high minutes for 4-5 years straight. Portland needs Roy, not Smith.
YES!
i just posted a similar sentiment (altho much less coherently put) over at OLive. three games Brandon… THREE.. come on! and unlike someone posted, i dont think youve made something out of nothing. no, i dont think its a serious issue, but it is a bit of an annoyance. it is hard enough to get everyone on board with the sacrifices theyre going to have to make and with the sometimes wonky period of NECESSARY experimentation they have to go thru, without their superstar and captain (ie LEADER) publicly saying he feels lost. GIVE. IT. A. CHANCE.
PLEASE.
Dwight, I am much more interested in your take on the whole Andre Miller situation that broke over the weekend. How is Spears article going to affect this team? Is this too much drama? Does Miller fit our “culture”? What do you make of Nate’s weekend comments? Let us know.
Excellent post Dwight, this has been driving me crazy! Roy needs to recognize the great piece that has been added and start working on the chemistry with Miller.
Oden needs more touches; has Roy been working with Oden on that in the off-season? If not, why? If you’re going to act like a point guard then start getting your INSIDE players better looks.
Your post is music to the ears of someone who wants to see us win a championship!
A big problem for Roy is that he doesn’t know HOW to play unless he has the ball a lot. Even back when he played for UW I noticed what a ball hog he was. High School, AAU, College, and now his first few years as a pro, he’s pretty much gotten to handle the ball whenever he’s wanted to. Obviously he’s good at it, but as the Rockets showed last season, teams can defend an attack when they know where the attack’s always coming from.
I’m sure he feels pretty uncomfortable out there when he has to take on a role that he’s unfamiliar with. He’ll have to figure it out though. The Blazers will be a better team with either Miller or Fernandez handling the ball and using their excellent passing skills. Roy can benefit from it, but he’s going to have to learn HOW. Coach Nate needs to tell Roy to shut up and be a team player. Add a new dimension to his game. The team will be better off in the long run.
I have been wondering this for a while. Outlaw and Roy are good friends. It appears Outlaw is not part of the teams long term plans. They view him now as a back-up PF that comes in to play small ball yet they tried to sign Millsap and Lee as back-up PF’s. What kind of a stink is Roy going to throw up when the Blazers finally do trade or let Outlaw go at the end of the season? Oh well, I think these are issues but they are also getting blown somewhat out of proportion. A few W’s and this will be a distant memory.
Roy needs to learn how to pass better, end of story. That is, if he wants to have the ball in his hands so often. As of last year, he was the master of the “flubber pass.” The pass that rolls/squirts off of the heal of the hand. Ooops!
That’s not the problem, Roy is actually a very good passer. He doesn’t force shots and gets people the ball when he is being double teamed, ect.
He just needs to learn to play off the ball, as well. He will, it just takes time
Roy had the ball in his hands a ton last year and averaged only 5 assists a game. That is with teams loading up on him constantly, i.e. there were guys open all of the time once he started his move. His one on one ability is amazing, but his passing ability is very much in question. And that goes along with his “problems” playing off the ball.
I rely upon watching the game much more than looking at the stats…. Roy doesn’t force bad shots very often. Did he shoot a lot, yeah, but that was his job, he had to and they were almost always good shots.
5 apg is good for a scoring off-guard.
Roy plays the point a lot.
The comment that gets my attention is start Roy at point guard with Rudy at SG. Alot of talk about having the best players on the floor, that’s the solution. Those two could be the starting back court for 6 to 8 years.
Rudy is not that good, and not nearly as good as he thinks he is. Miller is a much better option, he needs to be starting, hands down. One of the best pure PG’s in the game
You might be right (although I hope not), and if you are the team needs to address the problem. Miller is a two year band-aid at this point in time.
Another interesting combo — which I’m not sure has been tried — would be Miller, Roy and Rudy in at the same time.
I can see either Miller (yes, Miller) or Roy playing that Point Forward roll and have a nice lineup with Aldridge and Oden in the lineup.
Obviously, I’m not a coach, but I imagine against a lot of teams, Portland could run that lineup and enjoy a dynamic offense and not get hammered too hard on D …(especially if they’re able to funnel the opposing offense towards Oden and he stays out of foul trouble)
They’ve talked about Rudy playing the 3. Roy has played the 3 a bit. The problem is that neither Rudy nor Roy has the build to take the beating most NBA 3′s can dish out. Roy probably could, but not if he wants to have enough gas left to carry us in the 4th. Rudy simply can’t.
Oh, and that’s not to say Rudy can’t play the 3, just that physically, he’s seriously out-manned against other NBA 3s. Spot minutes are fine, as we saw last year, but he doesn’t have the body to do it for a full game unless you want to see him wear down, lose a lot of RBs to his opponent, and play extra weak D.
Solid take Dwight.
Just as big a disappointment in this as Roy and LA have been is Nate. He is the enabler. The fact that he is not only allowing this kind of me, me, me attitude to brew he is in fact coddling it. Roy is whining after only 3 pre-season games about touches. Nate is the one caving in and giving Roy affirmation that he is right by saying he is going to go back to running the offense thru Roy and LA. All the posts here hit on all the reasons why the team is not going to succeed in the playoffs or maximize all the talent if Nate does that. Friends and neighbors that is not on Roy. That is on Nate. Nate and his coaching staff seem to have no imagination, ingenuity or ability to scheme. Just give the ball to Roy and hope for the best. The team will never be it’s best as long as that is the best that Nate can do
I very much agree with your enabler comment. Perhaps the enabling is going both ways. I hope KP sees this as well and will do something about it. He has not assembled all of this talent just to have them watch Roy and Aldridge play.
Not enough touches? GMAFB. Fix the hitch in your jumper before you complain about touches.
Are you talking about Roy? Because his jumper is about as smooth as they come
Dwight, you’re grouchy.
I didn’t see the games but heard the games.
One thing stood out loud and clear.
Oden needs the ball more.
Whether it was due to Andre’s play making,whatever it was.I don’t think we’ve seen Oden play any better,and that’s set up by a guy that’s never played with him before.
Roy and Aldridge are both young guys that want to be “stars”. I don’t think you can convince 24-26 year old players in today’s NBA to sacrifice thier egos for a shot at a title, but that’s what it’s going to take. I watched every game last year, there is no reason that Blake should start in front of Miller. So I can understand Andre’s frustration. Everyone knows Miller is better, but since max contract Brandon wants touches, he may have to come off the bench.
Excellent points!
Isn’t there a bit of a conflict of interest here with the media trying to out-scoop the other hundreds of print and internet reporters, and the players having microphones in their faces constantly. Reporters are digging for anything remotely story-worthy.
Every little bit of dissension and growing pains (it’s training camp!) is being turned into a headline and shouted about on every blog.
I would say, isn’t it a little early to be parsing words so closely?
Yeah….that dang Roy. What could he possibly be thinking…..why would we want the ball in his hands at all? He most certainly must be an incredibly selfish dude.
Oh wait…..he’s the guy who pretty much dragged this franchise back from the dead….the ONE guy who kept the Blazers in contention against the Rockets….the two time all-star. He’s the one who has kept a level head and acts well beyond his years. The guy who was an instant veteran as a rookie!
Yeah, I want to make sure he doesn’t have the ball and we focus other players. Let’s call him out as selfish….
Yeesh…..what a city of amazing over-reactions!
I for one certainly want the ball in Roy’s hands. However, now there are other legitimate options, that make this team much stronger. So, its okay if the ball isn’t *ALWAYS* in Roy’s hands. How much harder to defend is this team if the opponent can’t just collapse on one guy everytime?
We have to put some trust in our new veteran point guard, to get the ball in the hands of someone who is going to get us easy points. Thats not always going to be Brandon. Its not always going to be Aldridge.
I like Steve Blake, but many times watching last year I was amazed that he wouldn’t throw into the post or whatever. Maybe he wasn’t confident making the pass….maybe he didn’t see the guy, who knows. Instead he would hand it to Brandon who would sit on the clock until it got to about five and go one on five…and amazingly score most of the time.
Andre Miller sees those guys. He makes those passes. He doesn’t just hand off to Brandon and watch, he makes things happen to break down the defense and get the ball to the open man. He’ll make everyone on the team better.
Andre Miller also needs to understand that just passing it inside is not ALWAYS the best play. Getting the ball to Roy can be the best play.
It would be one thing if Roy was a stats player (can anyone say Z-Bo?), but I think it’s pretty clear he cares about winning.
Nate has also been clear that having Roy on the court is like having a coach out on the floor. For him to indicate he needs his touches is not selfishness, but a simple fact about how this team will play best and have its best chance to win.
Personally, I think we have a case of the “new kid” is very popular with fans. Yet as good as Miller is, he hasn’t really shown he is a great leader. Roy on the other hand has shown that.
I think everyone is seriously misinterpreting Roy’s statements. I don’t think Roy is complaining about the team’s direction, so much as he’s unsure about what that direction is and frustrated by his apparent inability to fit in.
My first take on the article was the same as DJ’s, so I read it again. Upon a second reading, I don’t think Brandon was really complaining that he wasn’t getting his. I think he was complaining that he didn’t know how to fit in with what he worried was the Blazers’ new system. LA mentioned the idea that there weren’t enough touches to go around. Brandon didn’t.
Anyhow, I think Roy sees that there’s a serious amount of talent on this team, and I think he sees good reasons why the Blazers want to try new things to utilize some of the skills other guys have to offer.
You all seem to think that Roy is threatened by the prospect of losing his role as the team’s star and primary scoring option. To some extent, that may be true, but I don’t think that’s how Roy would describe his role, even to himself. I think he sees himself as the team’s facilitator–and rightfully so. That’s been how he’s been used for the past few years, and for good reason. I’m sure he expected that the team would better utilize the skills of the new guys and improved skills of the young guys THROUGH him. I don’t think that makes him selfish. That’s just how things have been. That’s how he is used best.
I think Roy’s big concern wasn’t whether he was going to get his, but rather, what role he was supposed to play on the team, and how he was supposed to contribute. It’s petty and absurd–as DJ points out–for Roy to be worried that he hasn’t had enough touches or shots after three preseason games. I don’t think that’s what Roy was getting at. He’s WAY more confident then that. Rather, Roy seemed to be concerned about the nature of the touches and the nature of his role. Last year he was the facilitator, but the team brought in a legit PG who can facilitate. Now he’s left wondering how he’s supposed to do his part on the team. Does he need to learn to play off the ball, or is this just McMillian playing with things during the preseason? I think that’s what he was getting at in the line DJ quotes above.
I don’t think Roy is saying that he’s frustrated by the team’s direction, but rather, is unsure of how he’s supposed to fit in. And he’s frustrated that he’s having a hard time figuring out how to fit in. He wouldn’t be a star in the league if it didn’t bother him that he’s currently having a hard time playing well.
I agree that Brandon needs to learn to be effective off of the ball. He’ll be a better player for, will have a longer career, and improve his team. But, lets face it, very few players are as good on the ball as Roy. That’s how he’ll make his living. That’s why we gave him a max deal. He’s not Reggie Miller, and he never will be. He will be better on the ball if he’s a threat off it, but at the end of the day, he will spend most of his time dominating it. That’s what super-star guards do (e.g., MJ, Kobe, Wade). If the team were really looking to make him an off-the-ball guy, he should be concerned. That would be a huge change of pace. And frankly, we should be concerned too, because the team would not be better for it. Sure, we need to get the ball to Oden and LA down low. And Brandon would be the first to agree, I think. But we need to do that while continuing to let Roy facilitate. What’s the point in using Oden and LA if we waste Roy? We also need to work Andre in, but frankly, he’s a stop-gap. The Blazers aren’t going to ruin Roy or ask Roy to completely re-invent himself for a guy who’s time here is numbered.
Nice attempt to spin this in Roy’s favor. I want things to turn out well for him too, but he has repeatedly attacked Andre Miller’s predetermined role on this team before a starting lineup is even settled on. He has repeatedly taken his case, a very self-interested case, to the press instead of handling it behind closed doors, not even giving it so much as a chance to work. Plain and simple this is the behavior of someone who appears to be trying to outflank his coach and/or general manager; this needs to be nipped in the bud!
He’s taken “his case” to the press instead of handling it behind closed doors?
First of all, we have no clue what has been handled behind closed doors.
Secondly, I just don’t see him “taking his case,” as you put it, to the media. Roy routinely talks about team strategy, and where guys fit. He’s talked up Blake, but I don’t think he’s trying to control who starts. For one thing, Roy has Nate’s ear. He doesn’t need to use the media to outflank Nate and KP. Nate and KP listen to Roy. For another thing, how are comments giving credit to Blake any indictment of Andre? Maybe Roy knows Miller will eventually start and is trying to let Blake know he’s appreciated? Now, I don’t think that’s Roy’s goal, but it’s just as plausible as your reading. More likely, I think Roy is just speaking his mind. He hasn’t said Andre should start. He’s said he’s comfortable with Steve, and they work well together, and he and Andre will need to learn to do the same.
In fact, his quotes at the end of Quick’s article intimate that he expects Miller to be the guy, if not now, then eventually.
~~~~~~~~~~ from the article: ~~~~~~~~~~~~
At any rate, Roy is anxious to give it another go with Miller on Wednesday.
“It’s weird, because when I play with (Steve) Blake, I’m used to Blake spacing and stretching the defense. Whereas with Andre, there’s gonna be somewhat of a learning curve there,” Roy said.
“The biggest thing Andre and I are going to have to build on is our spacing, because me and Blake had it. It was like, if I went off a screen, Blake knew where to be. (Friday) night, Andre was kind of in certain positions where he didn’t fully know our spacing. But it was also the first time we tried it. I think that’s something we are going to have to work on. Once he gets his spacing down,I will be able to make my reads better and he will be able to make his.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note how he talks about playing with Steve in the past-tense, and how he’s talking about what he and Andre will need to develop. He’s not saying Steve hasn’t to play with him because Andre can’t, but rather, to get the most out of their games, he and Andre will need to learn to play together and work on their spacing.
Now, I will give you this–he talks about what Andre has to do. There’s no mention of what he needs to do to work with Andre. That is disturbing, because he can do things to help in this equation too. That’s something to keep an eye on I suppose. But honestly, he’s the 25 year old super-star of the team. I wouldn’t freak out about him thinking the new guy has to mesh to the existing system. It’s not optimal, but it’s normal. I’m sure that will change with experience and maturity. In fact, I would expect to see that change this year. Probably sooner rather than later. But time will tell. Roy went through another spell where he thought he had to do everything for the team, and came out of that just fine. His career has been an oscillation between him being too passive, and him being too aggressive. For much of it, he was too passive. He has a track record of learning and improving. I don’t see any reason to indict him if he proves to be slightly off on this point. And we don’t know that he is, but if he is, given him some time to work out those kinks.
Again, Roy is clearly the star of this team. I don’t see why we’d want it any other way. We won’t get to the next level if he’s not. Oden and LA don’t have the personality to be the star leader every great team does. Only Roy has that. Teams win, not individuals, but they’re lead by their stars, especially in the NBA.
Roy is media savvy enough to know what he is doing when he is talking to the media. This is not an accident or mere transparency. He is talking to the media with purpose. And even if we do not know all of the details, he is applying public pressure on somebody! Andre, definitely. Nate, somewhat. And KP, maybe. The question I have, is KP going to intervene? Behind the scenes?
Roy spoke out during contract negotiations until he was advised to think better of it, and he is doing it now. He is certainly not innocent in this. It is becoming a disturbing pattern. And team leadership does not involve going public with your concerns about your teammates, except maybe in the most extreme situations. And it certainly isn’t about saying you have nothing to say about free agency since you don’t know what your future is going to be with the team because they have not signed you (uh given in to you) yet.
And don’t try to tell me that this is not actually happening, like it is a dream or something–a lot of people have been stirred up by Roy since summer time. This is about a lot more than Andre‘s role on the team, it is about the Trailblazers playing team ball vs. selfish one on one street ball. It is about “star” players vs. role players. It directly involves Greg‘s, Nic‘s, and Rudy’s roles as well. Are they going to get much of a chance to show what they can do this year?
I also think that Travis and Martell are involved in this as well. Being closer to Roy and Aldridge, they plan on having this work out in their favor as well. No matter what gets made public, things are some thorny issues to be solved in the Rose City. I am hoping that we will get some strong leadership at this point so that in the long run this turns out to be nothing more than a small bump in the road.
You honestly think Roy answers Quick’s questions to apply public pressure to people? It’s possible, sure, but I don’t see any reason to ascribe negative motives to him. Maybe he’s just a nice guy who does his best to please the fans by giving candid interviews? It’s not as though we’ve seen him actually seeking out interviews and asking to have his story told. The media goes to him with the questions. He answers them honestly.
I still think the “problem”–if one exists–is being created by the media, and the fans. People are dying for a story, hyper-analyzing everything, and expect these guys to always have perfect answers the very first time they asked about them.
I think Roy is an honest guy. I think he hasn’t played well and hasn’t meshed with the team well, and frankly, the team hasn’t played well, and that’s unsettling to him. I think he’s giving his honest take on what he thinks needs to improve for the team to succeed. Might he be placing too much blame on others? Sure. Might it also be the case that that’s the only part of the conversations we’re seeing in print, or that’s a product of the questions he’s asked? I for one, think so.
Again, I see no reason to think that Roy is using the media to manipulate anyone on the team. Why? Because he doesn’t need to. It’s quite clear that this is Roy’s team. EVERYONE on the team says that. Nate treats him specially. KP talks about him as the franchise player. He does not need to use the media to get his way with those guys. Just look at how Nic talked about him in the fantastic interview he gave with BasketUSA.com (Speaking of which, Nic is Roy’s guy. You might want to rethink the notion that Nic is an outsider vis-a-vis Roy). If Roy wants the ball more, he just tells Nate. In fact, we already know he did that before the second game, because he said he needed to get up to speed. Last year, Roy told the team he thought Nic should start over his boy, Travis. He didn’t need to use the media to do that, either. And he wasn’t doing it to play favorites. He honestly thought Nic was the best fit for the team to win.
I have no doubt that Roy thinks he should be a huge part, if not the central focus, of the team. And he should be. He’s our star player. Should he be looking to score 50 a game? No. 30? Probably not. Heck, I don’t even think he has a target number (though I could be wrong). Regardless, however, I don’t think there’s any question he wants to win, and is willing to do what it takes to do that. And I very seriously doubt that he is using the media to manipulate the rest of the team, because as I say, he just doesn’t need to. It would be illogical. If anything, the smart thing would be to demand what he wants in private and act like a peacemaker to the public. Instead, he’s just honest. And we should all be really grateful for that. I’m not a Roy homer. In fact, I would be willing to argue that the Blazers might never win a Championship built around Roy, much like a McGrady or Nash. But I think it’s silly to make him out to be a manipulative child. He’s not perfect, but I think you should start cheering for the L*kers if you want to make villains out of your stars, because then you’d at least be right.
Its all part of the maturing process.
It does seem odd for Roy and Aldridge to be making comments so early, but I think its more about about them being too transparent to the media. Last year Portland was a good team, but to get better, every player, Roy included, will need to learn to play out of their comfort zone, and learn to play more as a unit, rather then run iso, after iso, as they are use too.
Talking unselfishness is a lot easier than practicing it. Wouldn’t it be just awful if, at the end of games this year, someone besides Roy got the ball and scored? Last year, too often it was like watching old 76er games, where Sir Charles would hog the rock and everyone else would stand around. Brandon’s currently too full of himself to make this team work better, especially if it involves him sharing the spotlight. But he’s no dummy, and sooner or later the light bulb will go on in his head and he’ll buy into being one of five. I just hope it’s sooner.
How dare you? Without Roy, this team would be in the cellar, and it’s people like you who can’t seem to realize just how lucky this city is to have a superstar like Roy. Hopefully, McMillan will get Roy the ball more often, because no one else can handle it.
How dare you! lol
I don’t think anyone has advocated that we get rid of Roy. The goal is team ball that takes advantage of everyone’s strengths. Roy is part of our team, and I for one am glad he is here. But as Lavonne said, it is easier to talk unselfishness than practice it.
I disagree with your assessment of Brandon Roy’s comments. They sound less of the selfish nature, and more of a still young player showing a lack of confidence as he struggles to find his rhythm at the beginning of a season.
Over the past 3 years as a blazer and 4 years as a husky we have a lot to draw on to formulate an opinion of Roy’s character, and very little of it points in the direction of him being selfish on or off the basketball court.