Dime Mag: Roy - #7 best go-to player

[Fez Hammersticks]

The best part is that he’s just getting started. The progression of Brandon Roy’s NBA career is hurtling toward H.O.F. status faster than the beaten paths of Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, among other legends. Look it up: Rookie of the Year in ‘07, All-Star in ‘08, All-Star and All-NBA and top-dog status on a 4th-seed playoff team in ‘09, where he dropped 26 points a night in the postseason.

In Portland, Roy is the only thing resembling a go-to guy. Period. He doesn’t have a Chauncey Billups or a Tony Parker or an Amar’e Stoudemire by his side. Travis Outlaw will make shots in the fourth quarter, but he’s a safety outlet; more Robert Horry than Kevin Durant. Roy gets as much attention from opposing defenses as any player in the NBA, and yet he’s still close to unstoppable when Portland needs a basket. He finished seventh in the League in “clutch time” scoring last year, putting up 42.0 points per 48 minutes, and was sixth in fourth-quarter scoring at 7.0 points. And since coming into the League, he’s shooting 36 percent on game-winning field goal opportunities, higher than LeBron, Vince, Kobe, Dirk and Pierce.

Roy doesn’t need a point guard to set him up; he is the point guard when situations get critical. Only 10 percent of his clutch time buckets last season were assisted — meaning he’s creating for himself — and Roy averaged 6.2 assists per 48 minutes of clutch; higher than Pierce, Kobe, Parker, Derrick Rose, T-Mac and ‘Melo. (Plus Roy’s 7.9 rebounds per 48 in the clutch was higher than ‘Melo, Pierce, Joe Johnson, Vince and D-Wade.)

LINK

 

[BlazersBlood]

They have him ranked ahead of Anthony and Paul. I can't think of the 6 off the top of my head...James, Bryant, Billups, Wade, Pierce, & Ray Allen?

 

[STOMP]

They have him ranked ahead of Anthony and Paul. I can't think of the 6 off the top of my head...James, Bryant, Billups, Wade, Pierce, & Ray Allen?

that would leave Ben Gordon out of their top 30... which wouldn't seem very sensible

STOMP

 

[kobe23]

When Roy entered the league he was already a mature player that was very sure of himself. Kobe on the other hand was an immature teen that wanted to be the best right away, thats why im not surprised Roy is getting all the praise he is right now.

However, Roy has a smaller window for proving himself in the form of winning stuff (championships, mvps, etc) coz he entered the league when he was 22 (Kobe has 5 yrs over him LOL). Personally i think Roy is lightyears away from what Kobe has accomplished, but he could maybe pull of a "wade" type career and win one early in his career (i hope he does, im a fan of his game).

 

[Shooter]

Since coming into the League, he’s shooting 36 percent on game-winning field goal opportunities, higher than LeBron, Vince, Kobe, Dirk and Pierce.

Roy is better in the clutch than Lebron and Kobe?? I love it.

 

[BlazersBlood]

that would leave Ben Gordon out of their top 30... which wouldn't seem very sensible

STOMP

Those 6 were just a guess. I guess Gordon should be in there somewhere, but ahead of Roy?

 

[maxiep]

I like how that writer thinks we don't have anyone else we could go to at the end of the game. I look forward to teams ignoring LaMarcus, Greg and Andre to focus on Brandon.

 

[STOMP]

Those 6 were just a guess. I guess Gordon should be in there somewhere, but ahead of Roy?

I wouldn't put him there but thats my opinion just as this list is someone else's. I'd certainly put BG and the 6 that you listed ahead of Derrick Rose. Maybe they've got an oversight going on like that one link from earlier this summer that left Brandon out of the top 10 current SGs?

STOMP

 

[illmatic99]

They have him ranked ahead of Anthony and Paul. I can't think of the 6 off the top of my head...James, Bryant, Billups, Wade, Pierce, & Ray Allen?

Parker?

 

[MrJayremmie]

I like how that writer thinks we don't have anyone else we could go to at the end of the game. I look forward to teams ignoring LaMarcus, Greg and Andre to focus on Brandon.

I agree, I didn't quite understand this....

In Portland, Roy is the only thing resembling a go-to guy. Period. He doesn’t have a Chauncey Billups or a Tony Parker or an Amar’e Stoudemire by his side. Travis Outlaw will make shots in the fourth quarter, but he’s a safety outlet; more Robert Horry than Kevin Durant.

Doesn't make sense at all. Aldridge is a phenominal basketball player and is a very good second option. He really is probably a 20 and 9 player. If Oden shows what he has so far this year, he is another HUGE option. Miller is a pretty damn good scorer as well as playmaker. Yet they mention Travis Outlaw? I suppose Outlaw is definitely #2 on our team in clutch shots, which he deserves huge props for. But as a go-to-guy, I think we have 4, honestly. To say Roy is the only one RESEMBLING a go-to guy on our team is silly, IMO.

But I suppose i'm just being picky here. It was a nice article that gave Roy huge props. Thanks for the link.

 

[ironcrotch]

Roy is better in the clutch than Lebron and Kobe?? I love it.

Amazing innit. Didn't Lebronze just hit his first game winner last year? Roy had like 18* his rookie year.







*slight exaggeration

 

[BlazersBlood]

Parker?

I guess substitute him for Ray Allen or Pierce. Honestly, I don't think Pierce or Allen should be up there anymore, but I couldn't think of anybody else. Parker SHOULD be up there.

 

[STOMP]

I guess substitute him for Ray Allen or Pierce. Honestly, I don't think Pierce or Allen should be up there anymore, but I couldn't think of anybody else. Parker SHOULD be up there.

hell Manu and Duncan aren't that bad of go to options either.

STOMP

 

[BenDavis503]

Pierce is a 3 and Parker is a 1. Come on.

 

[BlazersBlood]

Pierce is a 3 and Parker is a 1. Come on.

This has nothing to do with positions, just the "best go-to players."

The list is strange anyways. I never thought of Bosh or Diaw as go-to players.

8. Carmelo Anthony
9. Chris Paul
10. Deron Williams
11. Vince Carter
12. Joe Johnson
13. Danny Granger
14. Steve Nash
15. Kevin Durant
16. Gilbert Arenas
17. Derrick Rose
18. Chris Bosh
19. Andre Iguodala
20. Tracy McGrady
21. Baron Davis
22. Michael Redd
23. Devin Harris
24. Kevin Martin
25. Al Jefferson
26. O.J. Mayo
27. Stephen Jackson
28. Nate Robinson
29. Boris Diaw
30. Rip Hamilton

 

[BrianFromWA]

I think the article was heavily dependent on "clutch-time" stats, where LMA scores less than the following (per 48 clutch minutes):
Brad Miller
Nocioni
Andray Blatche
Mbah a Moute
Derek Fisher
Mark Gasol
Anthony (no, not Mr. Longoria) Parker

and, horror of horrors, Bargnani. He also shot 29% on his 19FGA/48. Outlaw, for comparison, shot 40% on his 23FGA/48. Roy was 47% on his 28FGA/48.
I think that qualifies LMA as "not a stellar second option" for the purposes of this article.

 

[BBert]

Good call Brian. Of course LaMarcus is way down that list...we give Roy the ball every single time in 'clutch time.' I think that may change a bit this year. Roy, LaMarcus, Oden, Miller and Rudy. Guard that!