Brandon Roy Considering Retirement
Brandon Roy may retire for a second time if his knees do not recover from his latest arthroscopic procedure, the Timberwolves guard tells Jason Quick of the Oregonian.
"I wouldn't be disappointed either way," Roy said. "If it ends in three weeks, it ends. It's over. I'm totally satisfied with what I've done. I know the sacrifice and the effort that I put into coming back. It took a lot of discipline to get to where I am. That's all I care about: how hard I've worked. So I can't say I'm disappointed, that would be selfish."
Roy, who underwent the latest of his seven knee surgeries on Monday, revealed to Quick that his knees have reached Level III arthritis, the last step before requiring knee replacements.
Roy, who won Rookie of the Year for the 2006/07 season and made three All-Star teams in five seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, retired in 2011 after being hampered by continued knee issues. His five-year, $82MM contract with the Blazers was waived using the amnesty clause. After sitting out the 2011/12 season, he signed a two-year, $10.4MM contract with Minnesota, the second year of which will become nonguaranteed if his health issues continue. Roy has averaged 5.8 PPG and 4.6 APG in five games with the Timberwolves this season.
Northwest Notes: Wolves Injuries, Blazers, Williams
The latest news and notes from the Northwest Division on Tuesday night:
- J.J. Barea and Nikola Pekovic are both expected to play for the Timberwolves on Wednesday, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
- Wolves coach Rick Adleman told Ray Richardson of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press that doctors cleaned debris out of the knee of Brandon Roy.
- Joe Freeman of the Oregonian sheds some light on Blazers coach Terry Stotts' attempt to juggle the minutes of rookies Victor Claver, Joel Freeland, and Will Barton.
- Freeman also notes that so far, Nicolas Batum is living up to the four-year, $44MM contract he signed this summer.
- Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that Mo Williams is proving to be a perfect fit on the Jazz' roster.
Was It A Mistake For The Wolves To Sign Roy?
Brandon Roy's comeback attempt is off to an inauspicious start. He's out for a month after undergoing right-knee surgery today, having already missed the last four games for the Wolves. In the five contests in which he has appeared, he didn't look like his old self, averaging just 5.8 points on 31.4% shooting in 24.4 minutes per game.
He signed a two-year, $10.43MM contract this summer, but only the first year is guaranteed. The second year can become guaranteed if Roy hits at least one of two benchmarks this season: playing 1,400 or more minutes or appearing on the active list for 65 or more games this season. Both will be tall orders for him now. Roy could also have triggered a guarantee for 2013/14 if he were sidelined for any ailment other than his knees, but alas, that's already by the boards.
So, in light of Roy's latest surgery, what do you think of the decision of GM David Kahn and Wolves management to take a flier on Roy this season? Vote below, and if you have other ideas about Roy's deal, let us know in the comments.
Latest On Brandon Roy
4:39pm: Roy is expected to miss a month after undergoing successful arthroscopic surgery today, according to the Timberwolves (Twitter link).
9:31am: The Timberwolves have officially confirmed (Twitter link) that Brandon Roy will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today, as Jason Quick of the Oregonian first reported last night. While the team will wait until after the procedure to set a timetable for Roy's recovery and return (Twitter link), Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the former Blazer is expected to be out for "a couple weeks" (Twitter link).
Roy's procedure is obviously bad news for a Minnesota team that's been ravaged by injuries early in the 2012/13 season, but the club did give itself some insurance when it negotiated Roy's contract. As we outlined in September, the second year of Roy's T-Wolves deal will become non-guaranteed if his knees keep him sidelined for a significant portion of this season.
The 28-year-old will have to play more than 1400 minutes or be active for 65 or more games to ensure that his contract is guaranteed for the 2013/14 season. Those criteria are still within reach, though this setback means it will be an uphill battle to achieve them.
Odds & Ends: D’Antoni, Roy, Fisher, Gasol, Bucks
Mike D'Antoni was expected to make his debut as Lakers coach tonight, but his balky knee forced Bernie Bickerstaff to continue as interim coach for one more night. D'Antoni, who'll try to hit the sidelines again Tuesday, has told Bickerstaff he'll remain on the staff this season, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. D'Antoni did make one change to the coaching staff, however, bringing brother Dan D'Antoni aboard as expected, the team announced. Here's more from an eight-game day and night around the NBA.
- Knee trouble has kept Brandon Roy out for the past 10 days, and now he'll undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, reports Jason Quick of The Oregonian (Twitter links). Quick doesn't indicate how long he'll be continue to be out, but says he'll miss what would have been his return to Portland with the Wolves on Friday.
- The Mavs aren't interested in free agent point guard Derek Fisher, since owner Mark Cuban wants to see what the current roster can do, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. That means the team will continue to give backup minutes to Dominique Jones, whom the Mavs twice sought to trade earlier this season.
- Larry Coon of HoopsWorld won't rule out a Pau Gasol trade, but doesn't think the Lakers are likely to pull the trigger (Twitter link).
- "Everyone agreed" the Bucks needed a fast start with GM John Hammond and coach Scott Skiles in the final year of their respective deals, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and at 6-2, the team has delivered.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star calls out Roy Hibbert for his struggles this season, just months after the big man signed a four-year, $58MM deal.
- Before Damian Lillard came into the league, he watched a lot of video of fellow point guard Derrick Rose and picked up a few of the former MVP's habits, observes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
Latest On Timberwolves’ Injuries
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been plagued by injuries to their key players in recent weeks, which has forced them to play shorthanded and turn to free agents such as Josh Howard to shore up the rotation. However, Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has some good news for Wolves fans on the injury front involving several players.
Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, neither of whom have played this season, are starting to participate in light offensive workouts, and are both still scheduled to return to the court sometime in December. Center Nikola Pekovic, who injured his ankle last week, is participating fully in practice and is on track to return on Wednesday.
Two Timberwolves players who have yet to participate in basketball-related activities since being sidelined are guards Brandon Roy and J.J. Barea. There is no timeframe for either one to return to action.
Odds & Ends: Lazenby, O’Bryant, Hibbert
- There is no timetable for Clippers guard/forward Grant Hill's return to action (he has been out after suffering a bone bruise in his right knee on October 14th), although an MRI on Friday revealed that his condition hadn't worsened (Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports).
- Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune mentions that Timberwolves guard Alexey Shved is starting to become more comfortable playing in the NBA: "It's so different here from Europe, it takes time…I feel pretty good. Now I'm starting to know what I can do."
- Eric Patten of NBA.com makes note of DeAndre Jordan's development and it has been an important cog in the Clippers' offense.
- Greg Stiemsma credits Al Jefferson and Kevin Garnett as two players who have helped with his development as an NBA player, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- Although Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy was removed from the lineup tonight because of knee soreness, coach Rick Adelman says that he won't be overly concerned for now and hopes that it's just a minor setback (Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago reports).
- Former Warriors lottery-pick Patrick O'Bryant is headed abroad, as Sportando.net reports that he has been officially signed by Tiburones de Vargas of the National Basketball League of Venezuela.
Odds & Ends: Bogut, Jennings, Rose, Irving, Roy
We learned tonight that the Warriors have shutdown center Andrew Bogut for 7 to 10 days and Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News says that all signs point towards the Aussie big man's absence extending longer than that. Bogut said that he may have pushed it too much and that he would consider himself a liability on the court right now, writes Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times. There are only two games tonight, but still plenty of links from around the league:
- In the early going, the absence of a contract extension has brought out the best in Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, writes Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen. Since he couldn't come to an agreement with Milwaukee, Jennings will hit free agency this summer.
- According to Russell Westbrook, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will come back from his knee injury this season stronger than ever, writes Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago. Westbrook and Scott Brooks also said that while the Bulls are a different team without Rose, they still must be feared because of the way Tom Thibodeau prepares them to play, says Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
- Beckley Mason of the New York Times opines that it isn't too early to consider the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving among the NBA's elite point guards.
- After sitting out last year, Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy is rusty, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Roy says his knee are fine, however, and will begin to look more for his shot to try to get his career back on track.
Odds & Ends: D’Antoni, Clippers, Lakers
- Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK describes how Kevin Martin is fitting in with the Thunder as he looks to transition from being the main guy in Houston to the sixth man in Oklahoma City.
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post reports that Nets guard Keith Bogans suited up for tonight's game against the Raptors after being out with an injury since February.
- The following three links are all courtesy of the Los Angeles Times: Firstly, Broderick Turner discusses Vinny Del Negro's task of finding minutes for all five of his rotation big men at the power forward and center positions, adding that doing so through the Clippers' first two games was easier because of foul trouble. Secondly, Ben Bolch reflects on current Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey's tenure with the Clippers, his departure, and the ties that Olshey still feels with some of their players. Lastly, Eric Pincus says that today's day off for the Lakers was needed, considering that Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, and Jordan Hill are all trying to play through injuries. Metta World Peace agreed, saying that the team had already gone through seven or eight straight days on their feet and that it had "hurt them a bit."
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press writes about how Nikola Pekovic and his physical play during Timberwolves' practices have played a vital role in the development of Greg Stiemsma.
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune talks about how veteran additions Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko have fared in Minnesota so far.
Western Notes: Meeks, Tinsley, Roy, Blazers
The NBA released its annual report on the growing international presence on its rosters, noting the Spurs have a record eight players from overseas, notes Art Garcia of Fox Sports Southwest, and that includes players from Australia, Brazil, Canada, France and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy points out (Twitter links). The Timberwolves have five of the league's international players from four different countries, according to the team (Twitter link). As the league continues to attract talent from around the world, here's what's going on around the Western Conference.
- Jodie Meeks couldn't be more content with his decision to sign with the Lakers, even though the Wizards and Bucks offered him more money this summer, Kennedy reports.
- In the same piece, Kennedy also checks in with Jamaal Tinsley, whose deal with the Jazz is non-guaranteed, as we learned last night. The backup point guard is enthusiastic about Utah's veteran offseason additions, but Brad Rock of the Deseret News believes the team's younger players are the key.
- Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press looks at how the Timberwolves plan to use Brandon Roy this season, noting that the plan is for him to see 30 to 32 minutes per game, down from his career 35.6 MPG average.
- The Blazers hired Chris McGowan as team president last night, but he'll take a hands-off approach to the basketball operations side of the franchise, reports Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
- No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis is set to make his debut for the Hornets on Wednesday against the Spurs, and Davis believes he gained much from going against Duncan as the Hornets conducted voluntary scrimmages against the Spurs in the summer, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
- The focus is on the present in Memphis, where Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace largely stood pat over the summer with a roster on the fringes of contention amid the ownership transfer from Michael Heisley to Robert Pera, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal examines.