| 25 January 2010
It’s going to be a busy Thursday for Brandon Roy this week, one where his fate will be determined in multiple ways.
Not only will the reserves be announced for the All-Star Game in Dallas on Feb. 14 – where Roy should once again be selected by coaches as a go-to guard out West – but he’ll also learn the latest status of his injured right hamstring as Roy’s scheduled to be re-evaluated on Thursday after missing a projected four games.
One has much to do with the other.
If Roy is cleared to play with a healed hammy and if he is selected as an All-Star reserve, will he - should he - make the trip to Dallas or opt instead to take more time off?
It’s never too early to ask the question, even if we are still a few weeks out from All-Star Weekend. It’s part of trying to read what’s going on with Roy’s health and how bad that right hamstring really is.
Then again, it’s not like Roy hasn’t dealt with the dilemma of All-Star verus injury before.
Back during the 2007-08 season – Roy’s sophomore season in the league – he was selected as a reserve for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, where he went on to score 18 points and 9 rebounds. But many forget that Roy actually hobbled into All-Star Weekend after injuring his right ankle after an MRI revealed a sprain.
Still, Roy made that trip to New Orleans. Will he make the trip to Dallas when decision time comes?
But this time is a little different. It’s not like he’s dealing with a sprain here, folks. We are talking about a cross country flight from Philly to Seattle to seek a second opinion and ultimately to receive an infusion of platelet rich plasma in Roy’s hamstring. Who knows what will come from Thursday’s re-evaluation appointment at this point, but as Roy awaits his pending All-Star selection, the Blazers desperately look ahead to the rest of the season – with a healthy Roy they hope.
So, should he stay or should he go?
As the All-Star Game approaches one week at a time, that is and will be the question at hand.
Update (2:00pm)
I've fielded a couple emails and responses about the whole "if a player is selected as a reserve and is battling an injury, can he decline the All-Star invite" question, and I'm not sure how this answer is going to sit.
According to multiple league sources, if/when a player is chosen as a reserve, said player must attend the All-Star event as mandated by the league office or risk a fine. That amount would be set by David Stern and it's uncertain what the amount would be if/when said player decided not to attend. One source said it would be substantial.
Sources also confirmed that, if/when said player attends the All-Star game, if they play and how much they play in the game is solely up to the respective head coach.
Some believe the playing time could be "negotiated".
Either way, the player is obligated to attend or face a fine.
Update (7:15pm)
Here's the final word on this straight from the league office, thanks to Mark Broussard, Senior Director of Basketball Communications.
"If they receive enough votes from the coaches they will be named as a reserve. Should they be unable to play at the time of the All-Star Game due to injury the Commissioner would name a replacement," Broussard said in an email exchange.
So there you have it. Always helps to check with one more source.
photo: espn.com
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