Brandon Roy should not play another game, sit out every practice and receive treatment every day until his nagging hamstring injury is completely healed. No more of this "Well let's test it and see how it feels" stuff.
"I felt like it was good enough to try it," Roy said Tuesday night.
I guess it's a good thing when your star player at least tries to play when he isn't 100 percent, but there comes a time when sensibility must take precedence over masculinity. That time is now. Roy is not only jeopardizing playing again this season, he is placing his career in jeopardy.
It's one thing to try to play when the injury is something that can't get worse, such as Kobe Bryant's finger injury. It's a completely different situation when the injury is one where any tweak can cause more damage. Fortunately for Roy, he doesn't think the hamstring is any worse after playing 15 minutes Tuesday night - though his assessment may change once he gets out of bed this morning.
It was obvious to me that Roy wasn't moving well on the court against the Clippers Tuesday night. He seemed to be favoring the hamstring as he was running up and down the court. I remembered that he looked like he was walking with a slight limp when I saw him after the All-Star game in Dallas Sunday night.
"Even early, I was more concerned about the move than I was shooting the basketball," Roy said. "If I'm thinking that much about playing, then it's not really worth being out there."
Roy himself had said that he could tell the hamstring still isn't feeling right even when he gets out of bed.
"I feel good but I still can tell it's there," Roy said. "I still haven't woke up and said it feels like this is gone."
Feeling the hamstring in the morning? When he's walking around the house? Isn't that a clear signal to not play?
If Roy is going to be Roy, he must be completely healed. Shut him down until that happens.
