This makes so much sense it hurts. I'm concerned about Roy, but I'm not a "Roy Hater." Anybody who criticizes one of the favorite players on the team gets branded a "hater," and it's stupid. The problem is, you fall into bad habits when you don't play hard, and Roy has fallen into some very bad habits this pre-season. When other players see the team's All-Star loafing through a game, they get the message that it's okay to turn it "on" or "off" whenever you feel like it. That's a bad message, especially for the younger players. Roy is doing this team a disservice by his lackadaisical play right now.
Bad habbits that aren't there come regular season! Why can't you grasp the fact that he is good enough to coast when it doesn't count? I can't wait for the 28 or so threads your going to start after all our loses this year saying, "SEE...... if Brandon hadn't of coasted in the preseason he would have played better tonight and we would have won!!!!..... SEEEE!!!!" We'll lose our 2nd game of the season in LA and you'll go,"SEE!!!!! I TOLD YOU GUYS!!!!!!" Just relax.
and HCP why can't YOU grasp the fact that as a leader IMO he is NOT setting a good example at all for a lot of the young guys we have. Guys like Kobe have EARNED the right to cruise, Roy has won nothing, sorry but for me if he can't play hard for the 26 minutes he is playing then I will criticize him for that and I think it a mistake and poor leadership.
I agree showing the young guys he's coasting does not set a good example, but the young guys aren't 3rd graders! They are grown ass men trying to make the NBA. They aren't sitting around saying,"I'm taking tonight off cause Brandon is!" These aren't kids. By the way, what do YOU think Roy will average once the games count?
I think it's senseless for Roy to bang himself up during the preseason, there's no reason for it. He came here to play with other Blazers before TC started unlike many teams so I'm not to worried about his leadership and other players getting the wrong msg. Of course he's going to bring a different intensity when it counts. I have full confidence in Roy knowing what is best for him and the team to be playing at his best come next Tuesday.
I think he has forced bad shots for 3 years. Not because he wants to, but because he has to within our "offense" I think with the issues he and Miller have, and Brandon's desire to want the ball more and run more ISO's, it will only increase the poor shots he is forced to take. Also, Brandon always plays worse in preseason than in the regular season, but never this bad. Brandon is averaging 8.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg 2.2 apg. His previous preseason he averaged 12.4 ppg (his worst until this season), 2.1 rpg, 4.4 apg. Until he shows me something different, I will assume he is the typical athlete who got paid and relaxed.
They may not be saying that but they will follow the tone the leader sets. Also, if other players weren't influenced significantly by some players on a team then would the Blazer organization have been as concerned about the JailBlazer image as they were? or that whenever we now draft or trade for players that character plays such a big key. IMO a "leader" loafing or cruising is in it's own way just as bad.
I am glad you have that "full confidence", I don't. And if he can't play hard for 26 minutes (at 26 yrs old) in preseason then I worry about his overall health, especially the knees.
What has his FG% been over his career? I always considered him under control compared to a lot of SG's in the league. If Rudy can keep his shooting up, they won't be able to double Brandon, thus equaling easier shots and higher FG% in my opinion. IF!
He has yet to "lead" this team out of the first rd, and for me his "potential" leadership role is just emerging, he has not IMO been a strong leader so far. If he is to become one it will happen this yr and next, if not then we'll see what happens.
Almost all veterans cruise to some extent in the pre-season. Therefore, either there are no leaders in the NBA or you aren't really zeroing in one what constitutes leadership. Guys like Kobe have earned the right to be bad leaders and instill bad habits in the younger players on their teams? That seems like a peculiar stance.
The problem with your theory is that Roy has cruised the last couple of pre-seasons also and didn't do so in the regular season.
yet the point you miss, at least IMO, is the standard and attitude the sets with the TEAM. I'll make a fearless forecast here, over time and beginning this year WES MATTHEWS will emerge as the hart and soul type leader of this team, not the scorer or go to guy perhaps, but the guy that really gets this team playing winning bball. and Kobe from all I have heard has an exceptional work ethic, given the championships he has won I'd suggest that part of his leadership has worked for the teams he has been on
