Image via WikipediaAfter making the All-Star team the past couple of seasons, Portland's Brandon Roy has gained national recognition for his play and the regular season success of his team.
LeBron James, for example, is clearly a great player, maybe the best in the NBA right now. He has been able to build a superstar image primarily upon his individual exploits, without having led his team to an NBA championship.
Kobe Bryant is a player who, while less heralded coming into the league, has been able to build his own superstar legacy based more on championships than on individual success. He could also be know as the league's current greatest player, but his image is built differently than that of James. Each great player has his own story.
So how does Brandon Roy fit into this conversation? Or does he even belong in the conversation at all? To examine the issue further, we can look at his individual and team accomplishments on their own merit, and then see how they compare to the current stars of the NBA.
This coming season will be Brandon Roy's fifth in the NBA, and at age 26, he is entering what should be the prime years of his career. But already, he has shown that he can put up excellent numbers on a good team, and make his team better.
By comparison, Roy averaged 21.5 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds last season, playing 37.2 minutes per game and appearing in 65 games. His field goal percentage was 47.3 percent and he shot 33 percent from three point range, with two turnovers per game.
The one thing he has struggled with in his career is being injured. Last season, it was especially problematic, as he wasn't able to do much at all to prevent his team from another first round exit. But all players struggle with injuries and, referring to the above comparison with Bryant, both players missed a similar number of games during their first four seasons.
Brandon Roy is a superstar, any way you look at it. He has performed at a high level the past four seasons, and should continue to do so for the next several years.
Don't do Brandon Roy a disservice by calling him anything less than a superstar. He deserves credit for being able to play his game at an NBA level and for being the leader of a team that, if healthy, has a legitimate chance at competing for a conference championship this year.
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