Will Brandon Roy Make an Impact?

Craig Mitchelldyer-US PRESSWIRE

Brandon Roy has gone from a NBA superstar, to an injury-prone nobody, to an early retiree that never really got blossom into his full potential.  Now, he’s back on the court and redeem a legacy he left behind.

After a lengthy knee rehabilitation program that lasted all of a year, he began working out for NBA franchises in hopes of returning to the spotlight.  Luckily, the Minnesota Timberwolves liked what they saw out of the 28-year-old veteran in workouts and signed him to a two-year deal.

“Brandon’s talent, experience and leadership will be helpful to our young team,” Timberwolves spokesman David Kahn said.  “We’re confident in his ability to return to play at a high level and we look forward to him continuing his career in a Timberwolves uniform.”

Well, it didn’t take long.  Roy’s first NBA preseason game back was encouraging to say the least.  The veteran guard debuted with 13 points (5-of-9 shooting), four rebounds and one assist in 24 minutes in a 84-70 rout over the Indianapolis Pacers.  His performance went so well, it led Pacers’ head coach Frank Vogel to say that Roy looked as good as if he never had any knee injuries.

Before Wednesday, Roy hadn’t played in the NBA game since the 2011 playoffs where he dropped a Roy-like 24 points against Dallas in the first-round series.  Though, he was still hampered by knee injuries at that point.  You’d have to look even further back to the three year span between 2007 and 2010 where Roy really shined.  During that three year stint, he averaged 21.1 points, 5.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, earning him All-Star honors each and every year.

Still, Roy has a lot to prove since his golden years.  He has to play smart and efficient basketball since he no longer has the capability of jumping out of the gym or creating his own shot.  He has to be a distributor, especially with the likes of All-Star Kevin Love on his team.  And most importantly, he has to take the proper precautions to endure such a lengthy and, sometimes, arduous NBA season.  If that means sitting out on back-to-back nights, than so be it.  It’s better than the consequences of further knee repair and the likelihood of a second early retirement.