From ROY to potential MVP

There is a checklist for becoming an NBA star, and Brandon Roy is close to completing the list. Make every correct play down the floor, check. Be a team leader, check. Be great at something (Vision, basketball savvy), and really, really, really good at everything else, check. Make others around you better, check. Be clutch in big time moments, check (The ink is still fresh on that check mark.) Become consistent every night... not quite yet, but getting there.

Brandon Roy is becoming an all star in the NBA, and is beginning to look like a potential MVP candidate every night. Roy is developing into what MVPs are supposed to do for their team's. MVPs make the biggest plays in the biggest moments, no matter the struggles that they have had during a game. The shot that Roy hit last night against the Rockets proves that point. He also kept making plays for the rest of his team the other night in Utah even though he wasn't playing well. He's doing what great pitchers do in baseball, even though he may not have his best stuff, he keeps his team in the game by doing other things.

Roy makes every correct play down the court. Making correct decisions makes others around him better by putting them in great situations. This is important since he has the ball in his hands every possession. He feeds Aldridge when he has a mismatch, he penetrates and kicks when Rudy is on the floor. You don't see Roy kicking to the Vanilla Gorilla Pryzbilla 20 feet from the basket, and you don't see him kicking out to Batum. Batum's strengths are around the basket, being a slasher, and Roy knows this. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of all his teammates.

The main goal now for Roy is consistency. Jason Quick of the Oregonian in a recent article after the Utah game stated that Roy needs to be better. This is true, but one thing that Portland fans, and writers need to realize is that Roy is still growing. Roy is now facing defenses who have geared up to stop him all summer. Other teams have heard how great the Blazers are going to be this year, and they want to stop the best player. Roy is very smart and doesn't get too high, or too low. Adjustments will be made, there is no need for snap judgments after 4 games of an 82 game season. The Blazers aren't going to compete this year for a title anyways, they will be competing this year and the year after. He needs to go through the growing pains, the same way that rookies QBs can be thrown into the fire. I think Peyton Manning, Troy Aikman, and John Elway turned out alright after going through growing pains. Basketball is no different, players need to learn how to play, compete, adjust, lead, and finish games at the highest level

If given proper time, and fans can understand that this year is still a rebuilding year for the Blazers, then Roy will be able to check the final box in his checklist of becoming an MVP candidate.