Brandon Roy Playing a More Cautious Game

Observers and opponents have noticed that Roy hasn’t quite been himself this season, but he says that it’s all part of the plan to stay healthy. From Blazers Edge: “Roy told me he is already making adjustments to his game and schedule given the heavier minutes load and some mental attention he’s paying to the miles that are already on his body. ‘I think now my practice time is going to cut down a little bit. In the games, I’m just trying to pick my spots a little more smarter. I think just with some of the injuries I’ve had in the past, just trying to make my reads, be a little bit smarter, attack the basket, try to get guys in the air.’ While observers have been calling for Roy to settle for his jumper less and attack the basket more, Roy made it sound tonight like his new perimeter-first approach has been by design. ‘I’m just playing a little bit more of a ground game,’ Roy told me. ‘Some of that is just trying to continue to understand my body and how I can get my game off. Pick my spots about when to go to the basket. I’m not jumping as high as I was. Tonight I thought I finally got the pump fake off in the paint, got the foul. Try to do things like that to keep opening my game up.’ Roy has never been a whiner. Indeed, he is the opposite. He has played through injuries and pain too many times to count. But here we have a new look for Roy: apparently healthy but cautious, acknowledging some slippage in his athleticism and actively looking to evolve his game away from situations that could lead to injury. His mind is that of a chess player’s, his thoughts multiple moves ahead. But this is a 26 year old man, who should still be a year or two away from his prime, openly stepping into a new chapter of his career. Get ready to settle for Brandon Roy settling for jumpers.”