Amidst the post-lockout pestilence, Brandon Roy’s “retirement” barely created a buzz outside Portland.
No pomp, just rotten circumstances.
It figures. Roy’s injury-provoked getaway at 27 mirrors his injury-shortened career — deserving of more decibels, but instead blending into the background.
That Roy’s knees did him — and us — no favors by finally giving out was shameful, because it deprived those who cover — and covet — good basketball a chance to see what might have been.
That’s not to suggest Roy’s premature evacuation distantly approaches a category five tragedy, as his $62 million platinum parachute attests. Nor does it insinuate the “get-acquainted offer” wasn’t enticing — five Frail Blazer seasons with per-game averages of 19 points (48 percent field-goal shooting), 4.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists.
Despite missing 89 games during that span, including 35 a season ago due to cartilage-deficient knees, Roy inarguably was the league’s second best offensive guard behind Kobe Bryant. What’s more, he defended the Black Mamba as well as, if not better than, anyone. Some of their pitched battles were almost worth having to endure TNT’s halftime heathens.
In an age and a league sopping with pretenders steeped in pretension, Roy was pure pleasure to behold. Roy radiated class inbounds and out. A sight for scarred skeptics, the cross-over guard boasted controlled fervor and willowy execution. He’d beat you off one or two dribbles, out-hang-glide-Clyde, and finish at the halo with either hand — even when bone rubbing against bone restricted his mobility.
Roy’s toughness was astonishing. Upon returning from surgery after eight days (I have trouble getting from the driver’s seat to the trunk that fast) he helped Portland win Game 4 of its 2010 first-round playoff series against Phoenix. Last year’s testament to his testosterone occurred in Game 4’s home win over Dallas when he went for 24 points, 18 in the fourth quarter.
At his very best when makes were mandatory, Roy manufactured more ties and wins at crunch time with a minimum of mirth and affected behavior afterward than anyone in the history of the game — except maybe Derek Fisher.
That leaves us off at the Timothy Leary side of this space. Having properly curtsied to Roy, I have an educated sense we might not have seen the last of him, hence the quotation marks around “retirement” in the opening paragraph.
Yesterday the Blazers amnestied his contract ($15.03M salary this season). Understood; it instantly gets them below the luxury tax and removes Roy from their cap. However, by doing so, it also allows under-the-cap teams to bid on him.
What happens if Roy is claimed off waiver by, say, the Timberwolves, a distinct possibility? From what I’m told, he has made it clear to general manager David Kahn he does not want to prolong his career in Minnesota. Yet, if he retires rather than reports, he would forfeit $62M.
What if Kahn plays nice? What if he respects Roy’s wishes and decides not to bid on a guy he reveres so wholeheartedly, regardless of limitations, and another team snatches him off the waiver wire? What happens if that team is in the Western Conference? Think T’wolves owner Glen Taylor might get a little peeved?
Then again, Kahn welcomed Bonzi Wells, a rather fascinating choice, into the fold yesterday. The 6-foot-5 moody militant hasn’t seen NBA daylight since 2008. Who released him, Dominican kidnapers or Somalian pirates?
I do not know if another Western Conference team is interested in Roy. I do know the Pacers would love to have him. Assistant GM Kevin Pritchard greatly facilitated Blazers president Steve Patterson when Roy, the No. 6 pick of 2006, was acquired on draft day for Randy Foye — from none other than Minny Ha-Ha.
I also know, for sure, Roy has been working out and shooting around at the University of Washington. As Larry David would say, “He looks pret-ty good — pret-ty damn good.”
* What a shocker!
Amnestied ($27M) Baron Davis already is out for supposedly a minimum of 6-8 weeks with a herniated disc, according to his agent.
Ahem, exactly which part of Baron’s body and being isn’t bulging?
FYI: I’m as positive Davis’ back trouble has nothing to do with the weight around his midsection as I am the extended time frame is not a bluff to scare off claims by every team not nicknamed the Lakers, Knicks and Heat.
The top competition is praying one of those teams eventually signs Barren.
* Reggie Williams called Warriors GM Larry Riley moments after signing with the Bobcats to thank him for getting the chance over the last two seasons to showcase his 3-point shooting prowess.
How often does a player do something like that?
Well, as long as I asked, Anthony Tolliver also called Riley after signing a free agent contract with the Timberwolves.
So, that makes a total of two in 40 years I’m now aware of.
A Development League pickup, the 6-foot-6 Williams averaged 9.2 points in 80 2010-11 games, burying 42 percent from afar and 47 percent overall. His marksmanship earned him a salary bump from the minimum (762G) to a 2-year guarantee, starting at $2.5M, with Charlotte.
In a pair of Warriors’ victories, Williams notched 18 points per in the fourth quarters. At one point during his can’t-miss splurge against the Suns, coach Alvin Gentry screamed at him as he ran past the bench, “Where the bleep did you come from?!”
This just in: Column castigator Frank Drucker reports, “To celebrate Eddy Curry’s arrival, Miami changed its nickname to the Heat n’ Serve.”