It’s an interesting dynamic going on with Roy and the Trail Blazers. It seems as if Brandon isn’t really sure about whether he should be playing or not. He’s still in pain. And Nate McMillan has admitted he gave Roy a push to play Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

It is not very common these days for athletes to be pressured into playing with injuries. It used to be at one time. And that old macho mentality of players used to mean they played frequently when they probably shouldn’t have played.

But nowdays, with the huge investment teams have in their players, they don’t risk such things. But it almost seems to an outsider as if the Blazers believe Roy needs to move past some imagined mental hurdle, or that he needs to just push himself a little harder.

I’m not in a position to know anything about Roy’s medical situation or his mindset. But I do know this, if he goes out there and tears that hamstring, whoever gave the OK for him to play, whoever encouraged him to play, whoever pushed him to play — whether we’re talking about a team doctor, a trainer or a coach —  is in danger of losing his job. At the very least.

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Here is what I would do when Greg Oden is ready to play again:

I would do EVERYTHING in my power to keep it a secret, if I were the Blazers. I would try to bring him back by surprise in a game that’s not against a big-time center and definitely not on national television.

Why not try to keep the pressure off him as long as possible? It’s not as if he’s still not going to be under a microscope. But at least they can try to keep the hype level turned down.

It has been a very quiet rehab for him. We haven’t seen or heard much of him. I hope it’s getting better. And I hope he’s not suffocating from the pressure of high expectations, magnified by this latest injury.

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