So this week marks the first time I'm participating in the blogger MVP and ROY rankings coordinated by Ryan over at HoopsAddict.
The most valuable part (see what I did there) about doing these rankings is weighing the merits of players and teams that we see A LOT less than we see the Blazers, thereby establishing a barometer for where our guys are at.
The more I thought about it, the more confident I felt including Brandon in the mix -- he's got a pretty solid case for being a top 10 candidate.
- His team has a winning record and multiple quality wins.
- He's going for 21/4/5 right now.
- Pretty much every time you've seen us write or heard Nate say "we caught some breaks tonight" or "We didn't play great but we got the W" that is due to Brandon Roy. The Blazers, without Brandon, probably would have gone 2-8 instead of 6-4. If that.
- He had arguably the shot of the year -- a buzzer beater against a highly-regarded conference rival.
- He provided consistency to start the year as the team integrated new pieces and dealt with unexpected injuries (do not underestimate the "value" of this consistency).
Has Brandon struggled at times? Sure. Some sloppy passing. Some miscommunication on pick and rolls. A few ill-advised shots. A tough-to-swallow 3 point field goal percentage. And there were a few games where he didn't single-handedly deliver a victory.
So vote in the poll and let's talk MVP for the first time this season. If you're feeling bold, share your top 10 (up to this point). I'm of the opinion that only one player from a team can be up for the MVP in any given year. Maybe you feel differently?