Over on the Oregon Live blog, Jason Quick and Bruce Ely have begun a 10-part series on the Blazers entitled Rip City Revival. To be honest I don’t think it could have come at a better time with the complacency and spoiled…ness setting in to the minds of some Blazer fans. There’s a six minute video feature on B-Roy along with 10 mini blog posts. Just a must-read for a Blazer fan. If you’ve ever wondered why we tend to have man-crushes on B-Roy, today you’ll find out.
All of the bases are covered, from B-Roy strapping on a bike helmet to talking about the upcoming season. He’s very excited and doesn’t think the Blazers are a year away (I still do). What really interested me was when he talked about the potential of playing with Bayless.
“The reason why I see me playing with Jerryd is because he can guard points,” Roy said. “He may not be a one, but he can guard a one, so then it fits into exactly what we want to do. A lot of times with Jarrett and Blake, they would get frustrated because they were playing a two on offense. Whereas (Jerryd) is comfortable playing two on offense and he’s comfortable playing one on defense. That’s why I tell people who say he is not a point: ‘If he was a point, it would take away from what I do, so it’s almost fine that he’s not a point.”
“His confidence is more loud and mine is more quiet. He kind of wears it on his shoulder where you can see it, and mine is like (you realize) ‘oh wow’ … after I played,’
Now there’s a few nuggets right there. The quote in bold should make a few fans giddy. Jerryd Bayless is not a pure point guard but on this team he won’t have to be. This is just a fact that I don’t feel a lot of people are embracing. Brandon Roy always has been and always will be our primary playmaker. We had three point guards last year but when we need a play the ball goes in B-Roy’s hands. That’s just the way it is. Jarrett Jack and Steve Blake are both very talented but both the type of player who excel when they play on the ball and go down a few notches off the ball. Blake essentially becomes a spot up shooter and Jack…well the less said the better. It’s the opposite for Bayless.
The second part talking about the confidence should ease the worries of those who wondered if Bayless would be able to fit in. And yes I’m pointing at myself. I should have remembered that Brandon Roy has the mind of a 37 year old veteran…but also he’s played with some confident/cocky players before. One of his best friends is Jamal Crawford. At the University of Washington he played alongside Nate Robinson. While Bayless is cocky and has his moments where you want to backpick him extra hard….I don’t put him on Nate Robinson’s level. If Roy could co-exist with Robinson and be successful he shouldn’t have a problem with Bayless who seems like Two-Face with his humble vs. cocky balancing act.
UPDATE: More B-Roy goodness just to pound on the points I made ahead. Another quote this one from the Roy feature in the Oregonian (I know a newspaper what’s that?). Roy said that an All-Star guard would “diminish his strengths” and the following:
“We don’t need a Chris Paul or Deron Williams or the All-Star point guard. We just need a solid point guard, a veteran guy who makes great decisions and hits big shots. “
Even though I groaned at the veteran part, this is a fact. Pretty much a Rondo with a jumper. If Bayless and Blake just don’t turn the ball over and make open shots…the Blazers are dangerous.