Brandon Roy was a flat-out stud when he was at his best.
Balling and Blogging Featured Article
By Onie Dator, Blogger August 1, 2015
During the 2005-2006 US NCAA season, there were two players who won the attention of the country: Duke's JJ Redick and Gonzaga's Adam Morrison. They both got all the attention, fame, adoration and to a certain extent, even the hatred of college hoop fanatics all over the world. They turned the Player of the Year race into a personal duel. They were able to mask all their potential red flags as NBA prospects because of all the hype that surrounded them. In turn, they became lottery picks in the 2006 Draft as Morrison went 3rd overall and Redick went 11th overall. Yet, quietly, as the whole season was being dominated by the two, there was one gem of a player who was playing in the Pac 10 for the Washington Huskies. And his name was Brandon Dawayne "Daggers" Roy. He did not get the type of publicity that Redick and Morrison got. Yet, for fans who saw him play, all of them knew (including me) that this humble, confident senior from Garfield in Seattle, Washington was the real deal and the real stud. B-Roy finished his senior year with averages of 20.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 4.1 apg. In addition, he shot 50.8% from the field, 40.2% from dowtown and 81.0% from the foul line. (All stats were once again taken from the highly recommended basketball-reference.com) As a result, the Associate Press named him as a First Team All American. The success he had in college was only the beginning for Brandon Roy as he was headed next to the NBA as a sure-fire lottery pick.
Source: youtube
The 2006 NBA Draft would go down as one of the most hit or miss types of draft in recent memory. The Toronto Raptors had the luxury to pick first and eventually, ended up making history by selecting Italian Andrea Bargnani, who became the first European to get selected first overall in the NBA draft. Ironically, the other guy that they considered drafting was a senior from Washington named Brandon Roy. Conventional wisdom would tell us that Roy would get drafted next. Yet, for some reason, four picks passed before he finally heard his name called by Commissioner David Stern. Minnesota selected him sixth overall as Roy looked poised to team up with Kevin "Big Ticket" Garnett. This team up with KG never materialized as Roy was eventually moved to Portland in a deal that involved seventh overall pick Randy Foye. The idea was for B-Roy to team up with the second overall pick LaMarcus Aldridge and secure the future of the Blazers. No one wanted to directly admit why B-Roy slipped down to sixth when he could have gone first. Still, it was obvious that teams were wary about Roy's knee issues and if his knees could actually hold up. In other words, everyone knew that Roy, as a basketball player, was really, really good but they weren't so sure if his knees were equally as good. It was very tough to swallow but it eventually turned out to be true.
Brandon Roy and Randy Foye during the 2006 NBA Draft
Image source: images
November 1, 2006, Brandon Roy officially made his NBA debut and he was brilliant from the get-go. He looked poised, matured and very much ready to contribute. He played like a vet who knew the NBA game from the inside-out. He literally had Rookie of the Year on his back (ROY) and he undoubtedly, separated himself from the rest of the group. By the way, just for the record, Gonzaga star Adam Morrison who went third overall ended up as a bust and so was Tyrus Thomas who went fourth. Shelden Williams who was selected fifth overall by the Hawks would be known more as the husband of WNBA star Candace Parker than being an actual NBA player. Andrea Bargnani never lived up to the billing (You can ask Raptors and Knicks fans about it). JJ Redick, who went 11th overall, didn't play much until he found his niche as a role player in 2009 for the Orlando Magic. In fact, late first round picks Rajon Rondo and Kyle Lowry turned out to be the eventual all-stars of the batch with B-Roy. Anyway, Brandon Roy had solid numbers during his rookie campaign as he posted averages of 16.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.0 apg and 1.2 spg. He shot 45.6% from the field, 37.7% from three point distance and 83.8% from the foul line. Yet, no matter how great B-Roy was, there was still one major red flag that would turn out to be the major hindrance of his career: Injuries. Brandon only played in 57 out of the possible 82 games for the Blazers. Still, there was no reason trying to question a guy who was so talented and was only 22 at that time. Everyone would rather believe that he could get through his knee cartilage issues more than anything else. Optimism was at its highest but as always, reality would factor in and be the antagonists among the optimists.
2007 Rookie of the Year
Source: youtube
For the next three seasons, it seemed like Brandon Roy's hope of having a prolonged career would win out the stinging reality of his lack of knee cartilage. He elavated himself to an All-Star level type player as early as his sophomore year. He was named an All-Star from 2008-2010. He made unforgettable game-winners. He posterized people with his dunks and schooled them with his basketball IQ. He revived Rip City and brought them back to the playoffs. And it wasn't too long when people started noticing and considered him as a legit NBA superstar. The numbers do not lie. In his sophomore year, Brandon Roy put up averages of 19.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1.1 spg and a career- best 37.7 mpg. He played in 74 regular season games. In his third season, B-Roy put up averages of 22.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.1 spg and a career- best 78 games played in the regular season. He shot 48% from the field, 37.7% from three point distance and 82.4% from the line. This was also the season in which he led the Blazers to the playoffs and garnered averages of 26.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.3 bpg and an amazing 39.7 mpg in six very impressive games. In addition, Brandon was also named to the All-NBA Second Team. His fourth season was also brilliant but it also had signs of not-so-good things to come. His averages were still impressive as he put up 21.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.7 apg and 37.2 mpg but he only played in 65 games. He was not healthy during the playoffs and he was only able to play in three games and averaged only 9.7 ppg while shooting only 30% from the field and a dismal 16.7% from downtown. Actually, looking back, this turned out to be the beginning of the end.
The Natural
Source: youtube
By the way, the reason why Roy's injury was way more severe and career-threatening than rupturing ligaments like the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) was because of how he could not do anything about the cartilage present in his knees or in his case, the lack of it. The cartilage is typically defined as tough elastic tissue which functions as shock absorbers. In other words, the cartilage makes sure that the kness will be protected from all the beating it gets from the typical daily grind. In B-Roy's case, the lack of cartilage made it incredibly painful on his part because his bones were now in contact with each other and there was little or almost zero protection for his knees. And yet, Daggers fought through it with optimism and unmatched will, which he exhibited in the hope of prolonging his career and bringing smiles to basketball fans every single time he stepped on the floor.
Injuries
Source: youtube
The worst fears of everyone came into fruition during the 2010-2011 season. Brandon Roy was put on a minutes restriction and played in only 47 games. Out of these 47, he started only 23 of them. His numbers plummeted down so much and people wondered if he could ever be back to the Brandon Roy of old. Unfortunately, it never happened. Brandon Dawayne Roy was never the same. When all hope was essentially gone, Brandon Roy came up with one last monumental performance during Game 4 of their first round battle with the eventual Heatles Spoilers, the Dallas Mavericks. They were down by 23 and it seemed over for the Blazers. Yet, for one last time, Brandon Roy put on his Superman cape and led his Trail Blazers all the way back. It was like watching a flashback of a Hall of Fame career that could have been. It seemed like Brandon knew that it was coming to an end and he just went all in and left it all on the floor. He literally and figuratively, saved his best tricks for his last epic performance. And as he waved goodbye to the Portland crowd, it was like seeing Superman saying his sweet farewell for one last time. It would go down as one of the best moments in NBA history.
The Night Superman Showed Up for One Last Epic Performance
Source: youtube
As expected, reality set in and took charge of the situation as B-Roy retired from the game of basketball because of his knee issues. He tried to make a comeback during the 2012-2013 season out of his sheer love for the game. Ironically, it was Minnesota who gave him that shot but Daggers played in only 5 games and was shut down for the season because of injuries. On May 10, 2013, B-Roy was officially waived by the Timberwolves and he eventually, retired from the game of basketball for good at a very young age of 28.
Source: youtube
Most people would look at Brandon Roy's career with a common theme of what could have been. Still, personally, as a guy who truly enjoyed how Brandon Roy played basketball, I would rather look at it as a career in which he dedicated and committed a big chunk of himself in order to at least, try to make it work. He could have easily given up basketball from the very first time he severely injured his knee in High School. Yet, what he did was he kept on pushing and trying to make it work. And honestly, more than the highlights and the game-winners, I would remember Brandon Roy as a guy who never gave up and fought it out until the very bitter end. He never, ever stopped trying and that was what made him truly great.
Brandon Roy tried until the very end.
Image Source: images
I guess, sad as it may seem, there are just things that are not meant to be. Brandon Roy was not meant to have a long career physiologically speaking, but he made the most out of the short time that he was given to make an impact beyond basketball. For a time, there were instances when B-Roy looked like Superman saving the world whenever he made miraculous plays after miraculous plays for the Blazers. The figurative S on his chest represented HOPE. It was so fitting for him because he reminded all of us through it that if he could do it, then we could all do it. We just have to find our own S (HOPE) within ourselves.
Hope
Image Source: images
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