In regards to what if stories of talented young players that seemed primed to be all time greats until injuries negatively impacted their careers many names come to mind. Names like Derrick Rose, Penny Hardaway, and Grant Hill instantly come to mind. A player I feel like also fits that category is 3 time all star Brandon Roy who if not for injury could have been one of the great guards of all time. Here, I will highlight some of the great moments of his brief yet promising career that was sadly cut short as well as address how one of greatest players of all time felt how special of a player he was in his prime.
Brandon Roy was born in Seattle, Washington and played 4 years at Washington University. Roy had a breakthrough senior season where he averaged 20.2 points per game and led the Huskies to the sweet 16. His stellar season led to him earning Pac-10 and All-American honors which made him a highly touted NBA prospect. He did not have to wait long as he was drafted 6th overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was then traded on draft night to the Blazers for fellow draftee Randy Foye. The trade proved to be the right move for the Blazers as Brandon Roy made an immediate impact starting with his first game where he drop 20 points in a win against the Seattle Supersonics. Despite only managing to play 57 games in his rookie season due to injury he was able to win the NBA Rookie of the Year. He finished his impressive rookie season averaging 16.8 points per game and showed great potential to become a future star.
Roy followed up his rookie campaign with an even better sophomore season, where he improved his scoring average to 19.1 points per game. He was selected for the NBA all star game as a reserve. His second season became a sign of what was to come as his third season he would put up the best numbers of his career. Roy's scoring average leveled up to a career high 22.6 points points per games. He also managed to get his career high in scoring this season with a spectacular 52 point performance against the Phoenix Suns. He not only earned a second consecutive all star appearance but also respect from some of the leagues best players. In particular, NBA legend Kobe Bryant who rarely would compliment his opponents called him " a bad boy and said "he's ahead of his time" when asked about him during an all star weekend press conference. Brandon Roy led the trailblazers to a 54-28 record which was good enough for the 4th seed in a very competitive western conference. However, they were later defeated in the first round by the Houston Rockets where Roy finished his first playoff series averaging 26.7 points per game. Despite a disappointing playoff loss he still was able to finish his 3rd season 9th in MVP voting.
Before the start of the 2009-10 season Brandon Roy's hard work had literally paid off as he agreed to a 4 year max contract with a fifth year option. This move was expected to establish as him as not only the franchise player for the Blazers but also one of the premier players in the league. Early on, Brandon Roy was able to live up to his new contract as he was able to once again become an all star and lead his team to the playoffs averaging 21.5 points per game. He unfortunately was injured near the end of season with a slight meniscus tear which expected to keep him out through the entire first round of the playoffs. He did manage to return in time for game 4 to lead the Blazers to a win but were eventually defeated in six games by the Phoenix Suns.
A player with the kind of start to a career that Brandon Roy had can make it hard to believe that he eventually could be considered underrated. A player that Kobe Bryant once said had "no weaknesses in his game" was on the verge of what could've possibly become the early portion of a future hall of fame career. Disappointingly, due to a debilitating knee issue he struggled with since college Roy missed a large part of the 2010-11 season. He later underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on both his knees but was never quite the same player once returning to the lineup. He started only 23 of 47 games played that season and averaged just 12.2 points per game in what was a very forgettable season. Still, Roy did manage to have what ended up being the last great playoff performance of his career with an epic 23 point comeback against the Dallas Mavericks. Roy scored 24 points and hit multiple clutch shots to win the game and tie the series but soon after lost to the eventual champions Mavericks in 6 games.
Before the start of the shortened NBA lockout season in 2011 Roy's issue with his degenerative knees had become so severe to that point that he announced his retirement at just 27 years old. This did not yet spell the end of his NBA career as the following season he signed with Minnesota Timberwolves. Sadly, he was only able to play 5 games as he required season ending surgery on his right knee. Roy was later waived by the Timberwolves effectively ending his NBA career. He still spoke positively about his attempted NBA comeback stating "Any time you walk away from the game, you have 'what-ifs'. I feel like I was able to answer those questions last year by going out there and giving it a try."
The story of Brandon Roy's career in the NBA speaks volumes as to how quickly situations can change in the career of a pro athlete. Roy, in my opinion, would've without a doubt became one of the great guards ever to play the game. if not for a chronic knee issue that had affected him before he even became an NBA player. Looking back at the electrifying talent that Brandon Roy was and considering how special he could've been due to his early career success makes him one of the most underrated players of all time.
Source: Portland Trail Blazers YouTube Channel
Well Written Article.
Brandon Roy was my guy!