Was he hurt, was Nate sending him a message, or what? I think it was Nate saying "OK, you don't want to play so much? Then you don't get to play so much."
Watch this: [video=youtube;xD42XErYh-s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD42XErYh-s&feature=sub[/video] [video=youtube;NnfsWPmum3k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnfsWPmum3k[/video]
Brandon seemed pretty happy on the bench at the end of the game. I wouldn't have expected that reaction if Nate was trying to send a message. I don't think Brandon WANTS to play fewer minutes; I think he's freaked that his legs won't allow him to play the minutes he has.
This. I think we're finally seeing the proof that Roy's legs are hindering his ability to play the way he wants to.
I don't think this was a message at all, I think he really does need to preserve himself if he can. And during a drubbing like we saw tonight everybody benefitted. The reserves got a chance to step up and assert themselves, Roy is hopefully fresher for the roadie, and Nic is taking more shots and is finally getting his number called which seems to be going pretty damn well given his shooting percentages and hoops IQ. I don't think this team can get where they want to go with Brandon doing this every night, but if the team can learn to play a more team oriented game with him limited and Brandon can come back into the fold and play within that structure, without completely disrupting it and maybe even learning to flourish in it, good things could be in store for this team.
You think it's his back? He was talking about explosiveness... when a player talks about being explosive, I think legs.
Apparently he is experiencing swelling and discomfort on his left knee. http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2010/11/blazers_insider_brandon_roys_k.html
Let him rest if Rudy is going to play like he did tonight. Hopefully, though, it is just a matter of limiting his minutes after a brutal start to the schedule. He did make a nice move around Tayshaun, but that was about it. He looked like he was still laboring a bit up and down the floor.
Not any more. I was really hoping it was the back, though. And now Oden is going to get his knee looked at in LA? Here we go again. You might be correct in that the best thing for this franchise may be a lockout next season.
