Jan
30
There is a lot of talk around about the return of Brandon Roy to the Blazers active roster.
A lot of Blazer fans can hardly wait for that to happen. At the same time there are some who like the way the Blazers are playing now and think that the return of Brandon might somehow change the way this team is working together.
Let me say, I agree with how this team is playing without Brandon is pleasant to the eye, but the goal of everyone should be to be a championship contender.
If you add a healthy Roy and Greg Oden with a greatly improved Aldridge + Batum, you are in the chase for the Cup.
The question on Roy & Oden’s health and whether they can ever be 100% again can only be answered in the future, but you have to be patient enough to wait on those two to see.
Now the question of the chemistry of the team by adding Roy and Oden and how it will effect the win and loss column is also on the minds of some of our fans.
The fans are especially worried about how Roy will fit in with this group that seems to be working together with a lot of chemistry.
Let me start out with a little history lesson on one of the great Blazers in past history. I have studied a lot of different personalities of players and what they contributed towards winning games for the Blazers. Two of the players that had the greatest influence on winning games and understood how different situations effect different players; I believe you call it pressure in the 4th qt to get the job done, were Clyde Drexler and B-Roy.
Clyde once told me, the NBA is a lot different than playing high school or college ball. In the NBA there are so many different skills that make up a good team.
You need a great thinking pt. guard; you need rebounding, shooters and defenders. It’s not often you get that in any one player. So they have guys that make NBA teams that are the best at different areas like Buck Williams, great defender and rebounder; Jerome Kersey, high energy, great teammate.
The missing factor on great teams is the guy who will step up to the make the big play in the end of a big game to either win or lose the game. A person who will take the responsibility of missing or making that shot at the end of the game. One who will take the pressure off the shoulders of his teammates who maybe don’t have the skills to get the job done in a pressure situation.
Clyde would say that’s why I get paid a lot of money because I understand what it takes to perform under pressure.
Brandon Roy is of the same mind set. He has never been about anything except winning. On his high school, college and NBA teams, he has always been one of the big assist guys along with big scorer. He has always been able to try to find the best way to win games.
He will have no problem making sure LaMarcus Aldridge gets his inside game going every night now that LA has an inside game.
He will have no problem playing a more up-tempo game if that’s what Nate decides is best for the team. If Roy is 100% healthy, and that is an "if"; we will have to. If Roy is 80% healthy we will know with his basketball IQ he will try to figure out how he can best win games with his knees, not how to best get more shots for Brandon Roy.
The future of the Blazers is very difficult to determine now because of injuries to almost all the key personnel.
The future will be bleak if we listen to talk radio or newspaper talk and don’t give this team the time to at least get a little healthier for the future. If things don’t work out, then we can all write about what changes need to be made.