Friday, December 16, 2011

Farewell Brandon Roy

How does a true shooting guard play? He is someone who is a volume scorer. Someone who can beat you off the dribble and shoot the lights out from beyond the arc. He is a triple-threat player virtually unguardable - you just can't find any way to stop him. 

Michael Jordan established the standards of a great shooting guard and how should one play. A quite tall player who is explosive and has the ability to score from anywhere. He is supposedly also a great perimeter defender, with versatility, who also has a knack of grab binga lot of rebounds. 



Over the past several years, there have a been a shortage of GREAT shooting guards. The only two players who we can place there namely Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade (for obvious reasons). Both Kobe and Wade can easily dominate the game but let us stop talking about them since this article is not about them. We are hear to mourn the loss of Brandon Roy, someone who has revitalized and re-energize the city of Portland. 



Roy was one of the highly touted rookies in the Draft Class of 2006 but his stock slid with team's not risking their draft picks to an established player with chronic knee problems. Roy was given a chance when he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the sixth overall pick in the draft and was later traded to Portland for Randy Foye, the seventh overall pick in the draft. 



From the get-go, the Blazers built their franchise around Roy pairing him with the second overall pick in the draft, Lamarcus Aldridge. Roy even won the Rookie of the Year that season with his stellar play and great marketing, ROY for R.O.Y, nothing better than that, right?  The following year, they drafted Greg Oden with the first overall pick in the draft ( I think still to this very day they regret making that decision). With all the luck in the world, the Blazers potentially formed a core group of young stars who can contend for a title in the next five years. Sadly, things have not gone their way, as usual, with all the injuries and bad luck in the world. Oden to this very day has played in less than 100 games with a variety of knee problems and injuries that needed major surgeries. Aldridge has been solid but has also suffered his share of injuries but not as devastating as the ones of Brandon Roy. 



Roy, as already previously mentioned, has had lingering knee issues for the longest time. It always seemed that he had an immediate cure to his injuries since he always seemed to come back strong, quickly, and effectively. Later do we know that Roy had more complexed problems than those repaired by a quick surgery. 



He has a knee condition that is called degenerative knees, or his knees don't have cartilage to protect the bone. The wear and tear of an 82 game season seemed to have caught up on his knees. Imagine the pain he is in day in and day out. It's virtually your knee cap touching the skin every time you ran and yet he seemed to hide the pain. An admirable act indeed! 



Come to think of it, in that state of excruciating pain, he was able to do many great things. His mid-range game, arguably the best in the NBA next to the Black Mamba's, dazzled and frustrated his defenders. Roy had a very explosive first-step to the basket, something that players could not defend even with able knees, and scored at will. He had enough spring in his legs to finish around the ring in every conceivable way. The thing I'd miss the most from Brandon Roy is his clutchness, if there's such a word. When the game is close, you know who to give the ball to. You wouldn't want to be on the opposing end when you know that Brandon Roy is going to take the last shot. He seems to make them with the utmost ease despite shooting it off-balanced, with a defender all over him, and in unimaginable angles. Roy is the epitome of a clutch player. A player with a never give up attitude who is going to fight 'til the very end. 



Knee injuries have derailed and destroyed a lot of careers. Players that COULD AND SHOULD have been in the Hall of Fame. Life always seems to bring down people destined for greatness. People who could have done so much more than what they did. We can easily sum that up in what Rocky Balboa once said,"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!" 




Life indeed is a b*tch but it is we who decide on how we want to deal with it. We can't escape the harsh realities of life. We just have to stand up and dare to begin! 




The NBA will miss the 3rd best shooting guard in the game in the present, any number's fine since my opinion doesn't seem to matter. A true professional who played the game of basketball in its simplest and most beautiful essence. A graceful player who showed up game in and game out hurt or not giving a show to the fans who cheer him on despite all his injuries. An admirable person who played even if it hurts. Most importantly, a player who respected the idealisms and values of the game and played it with all his heart. 



Thank you Brandon Roy! Thank you for everything you've done. I really do hope you pull of a Grant Hill and return to the NBA. It won't be complete without you! 




No comments:

Post a Comment