How you like me now?

OOOOO ya! (picture from OregonLive.com)

I will admit it, I had given up on Roy.  Once an all-star with moves I tried to mimic in pick up games, he had become a bench contributor in my mind.  Not someone to be completely looked over, after all he still had his J and his $13M per year contract.  But give me Batum or give Rudy another chance off the bench first.  Lamarcus has the #1 slot covered.  Maybe Oden had hardened me, so much promise that faded with injury.  Don't hear me wrong, I never lost respect for the man who single-handedly slammed the door on the Jail Blazers.  I would take the Frail Blazers any day.

Then he almost cried after the second loss to Dallas.  C'mon man, accept who you are, you are still getting paid buckets-o-cash, maybe you'll get IT back next year, until then don't distract the team.

Then he scored 16 points in the next game.  There is that bench contributor I was talking about.  Keep it real BRoy, way to not cry.

THEN came Saturday April 23rd.  Down 23 points, an offense-less Blazer team was led by the Roy of old to victory.  Ummm, I... I did not see that coming, ummm sorry man, point taken.  In the picture above he seems to be saying "Oh really? You thought I was done?"  24 points in 24 minutes off the bench = NOT done. 

This season I have seen Aldridge take the whole team on his back and win games.  But this effort by Roy was more than putting the whole team's weight on his surgically repaired knees.  He gave them hope, hope in healing, hope in the potential next round, hope in the underdog, and hope in the comeback.  I mean even Rudy was playing defense for goodness sake, what other evidence do you need?

I don't know if Roy can keep this type of play up, but as long as he can provide that type of leadership, the Frail Blazers have a shot.