It seems to me that Roy has just stepped up a whole 'nother level this season. He's doing what Kobe just learnt to do for the Lakers last year: he moves the ball around until a point in the game when the offense is struggling and then... he just takes over. It's amazing to watch, because the other team just can't do anything about it. I've watched every game so far, and there's always a stretch where he will just get about 3 or 4 layups/midrange jumpers in a row. Just 'cuz he wants to. I don't think I've seem a Blazers player this unstoppable in... well, ever. Even Clyde, if he was forced into a half-court game, you knew his jumper was streaky at best. Roy is just so smooth. And the weirdest thing is, as many people have noticed, he seems to do it all in slow motion. He just slips through the defense like mercury through your fingers and it's a layup (hardly ever a dunk because that would just be showboating). It's a dream to watch.
They mentioned it yesterday, but I don't think there's another move that spells "Cobra Strike" than Roy taking the ball, bending down, dribbling slowly between his legs, and everyone in the stadium (including the defender) knowing Roy's gonna score.
I remember discussing Roys ceiling last year and thinking he had hit it. Now I have no idea. His confidence with the ball reminds me of some of the greats. If he as as ball dominating as Michael or Kobe, it makes you wonder how many points he could score. I have no doubt he could be at the top if he was inclined to. Thanksfully he is more focussed on other things--like winning a title.
Not in their first few seasons. I'm not saying Brandon is better. I just have always thought of Brandon as a Jack-of-all-trades, and a master of none. I'm starting to wonder about that. He is really starting to look like a premier scorer as well as solid team player.
Been saying it for a while, everyone has underestimated how good a scorer this "kid" is. I think the early schedule actually gave him confidence. Everyone talked about what a tough matchup Oden was going to have at the beginning of the year and no one noticed that Roy had some pretty tough matchups too (Kobe, Artest, Bowen, etc). After the Houston game his confidence just exploded. You can see that MJ/Kobe look on his face when he starts to take over the game. He's starting to apply himself more than just in the 4th quarter now. Last night we started to lose touch with the Knicks and he came into the game and just dominated them to get us back in the game.
to really be fair, you would have to acknowledge that shaq and kobe were equally important in winning those titles.
No they were not. If you took Kobe and replaced him with, let's say, Ray Allen in his prime you do not think these championships would happen? On the other hand - if you took Kobe away and replaced him with David Robinson would it end the way it did? I doubt it.
I have been amazed by opposing fans, and some PDX ones, about the talk of his ceiling. First, he was already basically at his ceiling as a rookie, most seemed to think. "Oh, sure, he look sgood, but he played 4 years of college, we all expected him to be the most NBA ready" etc. The he won't average 20 a game comments from some other fans, can't carry a team, 2nd or 3rd player on a good team sort of things. I've been off on my assesments with many players, thinking they would be better or worse, but I felt before the draft he was hands down the best player in that draft, and that he was superstar material, and so far, he hasn't let me down. I bought my season tickets the day after we drafted him, wanting to watch as many of his games as possible. He is certainly a special player, and fans of other teams always dismiss him until the day after we play them. Stats don't nearly begin to tell the story with Brandon. Okay, end gushing.
Shaq was more important, but Kobe was crucial too. I don't think the Lakers win those titles if you swap out Kobe for a lesser talent. The only perimeter player of the time whom you could have swapped for Kobe and still given the Lakers the same likelihood of winning was the Orlando Magic version of Tracy McGrady, since he was playing at a similar level. The Lakers needed two supreme talents, even if Shaq was the more important player. In addition, Kobe's far and away the most important on the current Lakers team, and they went to last year's Finals and are the odds-on favourite for this year's title (though certainly not guaranteed). So Kobe is clearly a talent that helps teams win a lot.
haha shooter! i was wearing the black roy jersey. i was sitting with all the guys with the spain flags lol. where di you sit? i also met a cool chinese kid that goes to college in NY who loves the blazers. he tooka pic with me cause i was wearing a roy jersey. nice guy though....but nobody compares to those crazy spanards!
I didn't think so last year, but this year's performance is making me believe that Roy has superstar potential (and my definition of superstar is pretty strict...only about 5-6 players tend to qualify at any given time). He's such a comforting player to have...you don't worry about mental lapses from him and he's always a trump card you can play when the offense is struggling. He can create...for himself and for others. He's really been a revelation. He was really good last year, but he's taken another big step forward this year.
I was just below you, a little to your right, in Sect. 222. My girlfriend and I were also sitting with some Spaniards. They went crazy when Rudy came in and hit his first two shots. I started shouting, "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!" right along with them!
