Didn't you used to be Brandon Roy?

[Rastapopoulos]

I don't think it's the end of the world that we lost to Golden State in Oakland. If they hit their shots, and you miss open threes, you're essentially done. And the Blazers must have felt like they were Gulliver visiting Lilliput out there - swarmed by midgets. And finally, the Free Greg Oden guy could get PLENTY of good material from that game (the one where he dived on the floor and Ellis acted like was an extra in a John Woo film was only the most glaring.)

BUT: Brandon got his ass handed to him by Monta Ellis, and that's just inexcusable. If Brandon doesn't like playing SF because he gets pounded, well this was his chance to pound back. But he just didn't know want to do! And the Blazers kept going to him again and again. I honestly think we would've stood a better chance if Roy hadn't played at all and Bayless (who is very Ellis-esque, only with less speed but more bulk) played all his minutes.

What's with Roy these days? Last year I marveled that he could get a layup any time he wanted. He just seems a step slow this year. And it can't JUST be because he's "unclear on his role". You can be unclear on your overall role, but it's not like he's Bayless and worried he'll get yanked. And he should know that when an iso is called for him, his role is to put the fucking ball in the fucking basket.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I want to blame playing the 3 in Nate's system which puts the small forward almost exclusively on the perimeter, but ... I don't really know what to say. Maybe it's a combination of Greg clogging the lane because he's actually down there now as a passable threat on offense, maybe it's Miller handling the ball more than Blake ever did, maybe he's just not putting his body on the line early in the season because he's saving himself for a stretch run. Who knows.

All I know is that pretty much every player on this team outside of Oden is having a down year: Blake, Miller, Roy, Webster (yes, I know he was hurt last year but he's about as effective), LMA, Pryzbilla ... Maybe the secret sauce to last year's success was actually Nic?

 

[Kaydow]

Roy hasn't played like an All Star this year - that simple. 9 out of the last 11 games he's been held to 20 pts or less. He didn't have an 11 game stretch like that ALL of last season. His shooting % is way down. He doesn't look as explosive. He has trouble handling the ball some nights. I don't know who this guy is I'm watching. It's not 2008-9 Brandon Roy. That guy was great. It's hard to believe he hasn't dropped 30 since October 31st. He didn't play well in the preseason either. I don't know if he's unhappy with something, or if he sat on his ass all summer (as some have suggested), or if he's playing hurt, or what. I know he's expending more energy guarding SF's, but geez people . . . who's he had to guard recently? Morrow? Charlie V? Marvin Williams? I'll give you Gerald Wallace - that's a tough match-up. But Peja? Corey Brewer? Not exactly super physical guys. Besides, in the two games prior to going with the "3 guard", he had 16 and 19 (13-36 FG) He just hasn't looked anywhere near as crisp & explosive to me all season. He looks very . . . guardable.

 

[MIXUM]

roy is not making the all star team....

neither is la


or oden

 

[oldmangrouch]

Bottom line: Roybe got his.

 

[THE HCP]

roy is not making the all star team....

neither is la


or oden

Jamal McGloire was once an all-star!

 

[Rastapopoulos]

From ESPN's weekend Dime:

Some numbers of note from the West this week:

....
20: Portland's Brandon Roy has scored 20 points or fewer in eight of his past 10 games. Even stranger, Roy made 42 trips to the free-throw line in three games played in October and has since made just 46 trips to the line in 10 games played in November.

I guess starting Andre Miller has made more changes than we thought. Of course, Roy scored 40 points in a loss, and then we went on a winning tear. Is it possible this team doesn't fit Roy any more? Or are we really going to get rid of Miller?

 

[magnifier661]

From ESPN's weekend Dime:



I guess starting Andre Miller has made more changes than we thought. Of course, Roy scored 40 points in a loss, and then we went on a winning tear. Is it possible this team doesn't fit Roy any more? Or are we really going to get rid of Miller?

Well Portland would get rid of Miller before Roy, even if it doesn't seem right. But I will guarantee you one thing, if Miller is dealt, and Blazers play 100% better, it's time to forget about bringing in a true PG. Just find good "combo guards" to play along-side him. Maybe we already have them in Bayless, Fernandez and Blake? Who knows.

 

[Shooter]

Roy is definitely "off." It's been pretty evident since the preseason. Aldridge also seems sub-par. Only Oden seems to be progressing. Very disappointing to see, since this was the year the "big three" were supposed to take a step forward together.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I think it would help everybody if Blake went down with a month-long case of the Swine Flu and we could see if Miller is the problem or Blake is the problem.

Of course, then we'd have to play Martell more. And he'd be the problem.

 

[magnifier661]

I think it would help everybody if Blake went down with a month-long case of the Swine Flu and we could see if Miller is the problem or Blake is the problem.

Of course, then we'd have to play Martell more. And he'd be the problem.

But what if that happened, then Webster played well, Miller played well, Oden stays in for 35 minutes and averages 30 points and 18 boards, and Roy and Aldridge combine for 100 points, and we go on a 20 game win streak? I bet people would say it's because we had such a smooch schedule.

 

[barfo]

I bet people would say it's because we had such a smooch schedule.

That's it. It's the cheerleaders fault. They haven't come out for smooches.

barfo

 

[MARIS61]

Miller, and the many accomodations Nate feels obligated to make for him, is killing this team.

Square peg/round hole.

Dealing him ASAP is the only solution.

 

[Uther TheGardener]

roy is lazy cus he got his long term contract and thinks he is better than he is

plus nate needs to go....

 

[jlprk]

Roy isn't the first player who seems great when the team is all about him, but who looks ordinary when the whole system is no longer shaped around what he can and can't do. There have been thousands of such players at all levels, but they are forced to change when they move up a level. Some of these 1-man shows can't change, like Iverson, Ryder, and maybe Roy.

 

[Uther TheGardener]

so maybe we need to trade him.....

 

[andalusian]

I guess starting Andre Miller has made more changes than we thought.

Not all of us. Some of us thought that Roy and Miller do not co-exist very well for quite some time. We are under-utilizing Roy in order to integrate a role-player. That is never a good thing to do with your best player. Our biggest mismatch, offensively, was the ability of our small-guard to break his defenders from the dribble and attack the rim or create for others. We turned him into a jump-shooter.

Of course, Roy scored 40 points in a loss, and then we went on a winning tear. Is it possible this team doesn't fit Roy any more? Or are we really going to get rid of Miller?

If the FO is going to get rid of Roy in order to integrate a 33 years old no longer as fast as he was PG - they have clearly fallen off the wagon.

 

[Ed O]

If the FO is going to get rid of Roy in order to integrate a 33 years old no longer as fast as he was PG - they have clearly fallen off the wagon.

Part of the allure of Miller is his ability to get more from Aldridge and, in particular, Oden.

I'd rather have a great Oden and a great Aldridge than a great Roy. It doesn't mean that Miller will get the big guys to that level, but I don't think that going away from Roy is so much about going towards Miller as it is going towards the big guys.

Ed O.

 

[andalusian]

Part of the allure of Miller is his ability to get more from Aldridge and, in particular, Oden.

I'd rather have a great Oden and a great Aldridge than a great Roy. It doesn't mean that Miller will get the big guys to that level, but I don't think that going away from Roy is so much about going towards Miller as it is going towards the big guys.

Would be nice if this was the case, which so far, has not.

LMA is not playing as well as he did last year. Oden is scoring and rebounding at about the same rate. His improvement comes from cutting some of his turn-overs over last year, mostly.

I think that the idea that they wanted to get Oden involved more is probably right, but there was a reason they wanted to go for Turk first and Miller was their 3rd or 4th option. Turk would have worked much better next to Roy, simply because he can spot-up and space the floor much better.

 

[Ed O]

Would be nice if this was the case, which so far, has not.

LMA is not playing as well as he did last year. Oden is scoring and rebounding at about the same rate. His improvement comes from cutting some of his turn-overs over last year, mostly.

I think that the idea that they wanted to get Oden involved more is probably right, but there was a reason they wanted to go for Turk first and Miller was their 3rd or 4th option. Turk would have worked much better next to Roy, simply because he can spot-up and space the floor much better.

You might be right about their thinking (although I think that contract would have been a disaster for the team) but either way, Roy will have to adjust to things sooner or later.

Ed O.

 

[andalusian]

You might be right about their thinking (although I think that contract would have been a disaster for the team) but either way, Roy will have to adjust to things sooner or later.

I absolutely agree that the contract would have been a disaster. Not this year or the next - but closer to the end of it. I thought that a proper compromise would have been 3 years guaranteed and team options after that. Toronto overpaid and they are stuck with him - so I can't really fault anyone about it.

I also agree that Roy needs to play better without the ball - but, in this case, I think it is less of a Roy issue than a Nate issue - and I do not usually think that Nate does a bad job.

If we are playing with Miller, and because of his (Miller's) limitations he has to be the primary ball handler, the team's offensive philosophy needs to change.

I think that Nate actually believes that as well - and that's why he wanted Miller to be in the 2nd unit playing fast, where the first unit would be playing more as it did last year. For whatever reason - the 2nd unit did not play well with Miller as the PG (some of it because Miller did not play well, some of it because Rudy was garbage at the start of the year) - and the first unit was really playing team defense poorly (Webster just can not do the things Batum can) - that he went the way he did with the 3 guard rotation.

I still think that once he did this - and we have seen that it does not work that well - maybe we need to rethink the offensive philosophy for this unit - and say that if we are stuck with Miller as the primary ball-handler - we can no longer be a half-court team with the first unit?

I really do not know where they are going with this - but the biggest issue is not Roy, imho - if the offensive philosophy is to have the ball in Miller's hands and play half-court, you can not really blame Roy for becoming a jump-shooter. The spacing is not there, the post is clogged. What else can he do?