I have no idea how I missed this yesterday, I sincerely apologize people. I’m kind of stunned so bear with me.Yesterday, Ball Don’t Lie’s 10-man rotation featured a very interesting look at Brandon Roy from the blog Monster on the Boards. The entry was entitled ”Roy Costs Team the Game, But Boosts his Superstar Status”
Groan.
The fan inside of me wants to rip this guy a new one. And I’m talking a 50 Cent type, “I’m going to take this way too far” reply. The blogger inside of me knows that almost never works out very well and will more than likely make me look like an idiot. I don’t need to do more to make myself look silly, I’m already a male watching Rachael Ray. Part of me wants to just sit on this and not say anything. It’s like when radio hosts just say ridiculous things to say ridiculous things or do crazy stunts for attention. Put the part of me that starting blogging knows that this must be put in its place. I have a low tolerance for ignorance. So, I’m probably wasting my breath and possibly feeding into what he wants, but I just had to say something. I will say this, I absolutely disagree with the majority of what this man wrote. I find most of it to be ridiculous. I’m not trying to be an extreme homer, or a “Roy Boy” as some commenters said… I just find him to be completely off-base with his analysis of Brandon Roy. And I think a lot of people who truly know the game would absolutely agree. It really doesn’t even make sense to me. His opinions show he really hasn’t watched Brandon Roy play that much. He couldn’t have. To state Brandon Roy as having superstar tendencies and lumping him with some of the names he dropped is just laughable.
I will say this. Had he just made a complaint about Brandon Roy taking a bad shot at the end of regulation, ok. You’ve got a point, it was a tough shot. If he wanted to make a point about the NBA’s over-reliance on isolation plays at the end of the game and used Roy as an example than we’re probably all good. But he didn’t. It seemed like he was going to do that at the beginning but it took a turn for the worst faster than a sorority girl whose had too many shots. So here we go, with roman numerals because they make me feel fancy.
I.
I’m not sure how I can express this…but…um…the Blazers go as far as Brandon Roy takes them. This is a fact. The last guy we could afford to go down is #7. This is a fact. But he is far from a ballhog or a superstar. He’s led the team in assists in 29 games. This isn’t the type of guy who plays for him, not at all. There are countless games where Brandon Roy has completely taken over a game for Portland. Countless. Take some of his 4th quarters away and we probably aren’t in the playoff race. He is the go-to player on this team without a doubt.
II.
Brandon Roy didn’t cost Portland this game. Not at all. Did he struggle? Absolutely. Did the entire team struggle? Absolutely. Look at the percentages. Why did Portland lose this game? Not that shot, not the refs, not fatigue. The inablity to defend Andre Miller and Andre Igoudala cost the Blazers the game. The inablity to attack the basket and get quality shots cost the Blazers the game. The fact that Philly shot 51% and got shot 39 free throws cost Portland the game. Brandon Roy had a bad game for Brandon Roy. but his shot at the end of the game didn’t cost Portland that game. His performance didn’t even cost Portland the game. If Miller doesn’t kill Blake over and over and over again, Portland wins the game. If we don’t foul Igoudala, Portland wins the game. All in-spite of Roy struggling.
III.
Who DOESN’T run isolation plays for their best players at the end of the game? Really?!?! You want to run a complicated play with 10 seconds left? Backdoors? Pick and roll? What? 95% of Cleveland’s offense the past 3 years has been ‘OMG HERE LEBRON TAKE THE BALL AT THE TOP OF THE KEY AND DO SOMETHING.’ Great players create plays for themselves and others. With the game on the line, you want the ball in the hands of your best player and your best playmaker. That’s just Basketball 101. Brandon Roy is both for this team. Now it’s on that player to make the right play. Sometime that’s attacking the basket, others it’s making a tough shot. Sometimes it’s getting two to guard you and kicking out. Could Roy have gotten a better shot? Probably. But Philly guarded Blake and Outlaw well taking away his outlets and forcing him into the tough shot. Credit them. But everyone knows when the game is on the line, the ball is going to the #1 guy the majority of the time and he’s going to make the play. That’s just how the NBA works.
IV
Speaking of which, he says Portland didn’t move without the ball on the last play of the game. Umm…really?!? First off if you know anything about basketball, if you run an iso you want to space the floor. This gives the penetrator a chance to a) see the defense and b) space to penetrate. There was less than 10 on the clock, you don’t have that much time. You get the ball to your best player and let him go. Two spot up shooters, a couple bigs ready to rebound. Blake and Outlaw were spotted up in the corner. Where else are they supposed to go? Cut and risk taking up Roy’s space to penetrate? That’s genius. If Blake and Outlaw go moving without the ball randomly it could lead to a turnover. That’s hypothetical though. To my point, if you watch the clip he provides, it is clear that as Roy penetrated past the three point-line, both Outlaw and Blake lifted from being spotted up in the corner to move toward the wing to make it an easier pass. They were both guarded. They waited for Roy to make his move and then moved like they were supposed to. So much for not moving.
V.
Quote from him: “Does Roy have to shoot the ball on every single possession in the last minutes of a close game?” He doesn’t. Ladies and gentlemen….Travis Outlaw. If he had a clue about the Blazers, he’d know that Travis Outlaw is just as much of an option in the 4th quarter. He’d also know that Brandon Roy and Nate often GO TO TRAVIS as the primary option late. I probably shouldn’t mention the 11 fourth quarter points Travis had against the Cavs the other night as an example. Or the fact that the offense was going through Travis during the heart of the fourth quarter. I shouldn’t do that. huh? Also, he uses Rudy’s big shot in Miami as an example that anyone could have taken that shot. I guarantee if you go to Blazer’s Edge or Bust A Bucket and ask ‘who do you want taking the last shot of the game?’ Roy wins handily. The players want it in Roy’s hands, the coaches want it in Roy’s hands, Roy wants it in Roy’s hands. No offense to Rudy but I’m not sure I want to see an iso play for him at the end of the game at this point. And ps, hitting a jumper with 50 seconds left with your team already up 4 is completely different than hitting a game-winner with the game on the line. So much for ‘exact same situation’.
VI.
To say that Roy is the type of player who “has to take the last shot” is again preposterous.
I’m done. I’ve said enough and I think my head is starting to spin. But honestly, people out there…am I that off-base? Am I overreacting? Am I right to think this opinion has more baloney than Oscar Mayer? Or am I being a “Roy Boy”. I would love to hear opinons on this.