To give a slightly longer version of your 2nd quote:

Roy’s knees have also had an impact at the defensive end of the floor, where he was never a standout in the best of times. Finding a good matchup for Roy on defense might be a problem in the postseason, though the Blazers’ most likely first-round opponents (the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers) both use slower, bigger point guards who are ideal opposing numbers for Roy. Despite his limitations, it is hard to find evidence of Roy hurting Portland defensively. Over the course of the season, the Blazers have been better on defense with him on the floor.

This doesn’t actually say that Brandon is a good defender. It just says that team defense as a whole has been better since Brandon came back. But as was noted at the beginning of the article, Brandon came back at the same time that Camby and Wallace were re-integrated into the lineup. Personally, I don’t think Brandon is a bad defender. I think he can easily vary from poor to excellent depending on the lateral quickness of his matchup and his personal level of motivation on that given possession.

At the end of the day, I would argue that Gerald Wallace is the primary contributor to our improved defense. Secondarily to that, I would say that Brandon is not hurting the defense because the person whose minutes have most been consumed by Brandon’s return is Patty, and Brandon’s size and tenacity make up for the Hustle and Flop that Patty brings to our defense.

Roy was ALL OVER kobe at the end of the Lakers game… and Kobe hit it earlier. Roy’s a good late-game defender because he doesn’t fall for pump fakes often and generally keeps a maxim of “stay between my guy and the hoop, leave as little space between bodies as possible”. I remember a year or two back him shutting down ’Melo at the end of the game.

He knows how not to foul in a crucial moment.

Unless it’s Yao shooting a corner jumper.

it’s a helluva lot easier for him to get his shot, get to the hoop, get open on the perimeter, etc, so pick your poison.

I think this is more of the team and blazers edge trying to push the public to accept Roy’s return. If it was a player we were trying to get ride of I bet a story about how much they hurt the team would be up instead.

That said, that contract is untradeable at least for the next few years, which all of course depends on the new CBA and a bunch of other unforeseeable factors.

So the main question is, “What can this new version of Brandon Roy provide (since he is here to stay for at least awhile), and how is he best utilized?”