They did run one set like that in the 3rd and it ended predictably. Roy got halted around the middle of the key, made a jookie move to get a little space but couldn't, shot a crazy-ass fadeaway... and drilled it as time expired. I think the plays run in crunch time (middle-to-late 4th quarter) are more of an indication of where Nate is going with the Roy/LMA pairing.
This exactly! the 1-5 set is way too easy to defend. Keep in mind, Roy was 2-8 in the first half. Repeat, he missed 6 of his 8 shots in the first half. He is not the old Roy.
I've said a few times here that I didn't believe the Roy situation was as dire as it has been presented. I don't think old Roy is back, and he likely never will be. I do think that Brandon can be an efficient player. I like him in this role of bench player, but fourth quarter player. I still want the offense to run through Aldridge, but I'm okay with an occasional Roy ISO to (Scott Ferrell voice) 'shake it up'.
I think I like the new Aldridge more than the old Roy.... if the current Roy can co-exist with the new Aldridge, I think I might prefer that to the old Roy and the old Aldridge.
That would be a perfect world. Then we can hope that we get a new Oden. One that doesn't get into foul trouble and can play more than 20 games in 3 seasons. If that happens, then my signature will hold true!
I had a sinking feeling that I'd see a tweet today saying he missed practice because of his knees, thus making him "Not back". Luckily Joe Freeman and Jay Allen are tweeting that it's his back that caused him to sit out today. I guess I can accept that. I really had hoped last night's performance will be repeated, but having my bad feeling partially confirmed sucks.
I hope I don't have to eat my words.....but I never did either. The talk that he might never play again did not make much sense to me, based on what we saw 3-4 games before he went out. Will he ever be the same as he once was? Probably not. But he can still be a very good NBA player.
I remember that orthopedic surgeon who said the best way to maximize the minutes remaining on Roy's knees is to let him sit out of practice. I wonder if the staff has taken that sentiment to heart a bit. I mean yeah, he did some twisting and turning out there, but i wonder if saying his back is hurt is just a way of saying "sit down and relax" without giving Roy "special treatment". I look at that performance as probably a one-game-in-four deal. He'll like have two more games at 66% of that, and one at 33%. But having him at all is better than not having him.
Agreed. He does not have to score every game. Him just being out there gives the second unit so much more stability. And down the stretch in the 4th quarter just having him as a threat will help LMA. I still don't like the Rudy/Roy back court for most games though. I can't see that working against Philly. Maybe Cleveland. But the second unit needs Mills to get it together.
And if you look at the other players (Miller and Batum), he helped when their game wasn't working out too well. This will happen to Roy or any other player for that matter. This is why I have this weird feeling about the ballclub. They all have stepped up when others aren't having a good game.
Great game by Roy. It's hilarious to listen to the too predictable talk radio and Jason Quick "Is Roy BACK?!" dribble. He wasn't even the Roy of old last night, let alone for a significant string of games. He was pretty good though, and I'll be happy if he can consistently be 80% of what we saw last night, with an occasional big game -- like in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the Roy Of Olde is gone, but he did look about as good as the Roy of 2009 (Miami, for example): reduced athleticism, extreme efficiency. While his first half was a little lame (2-8), he was 7-10 in the second half using LMA as a decoy to let him pick his drives and shots. It will take an entire team working together to get Roy those efficient looks, but he's a good enough player to hit the shots. Remember, from the waist up (ala Sabonis), he's still Roy.
Roy is Roy. At some point we have to stop worrying about whether he's the "Roy of old" and just appreciate him for who he is: still one of the few players we have who can consistently free himself up for a shot and knock down the critical ones.
