Within a matter of hours the NBA will announce the All-Star reserves to play in New Orleans, and as of last night Brandon Roy was racking up some big votes.
"I think he's played well and this team has had so much success that I think he deserves it," LeBron James said of Roy. "I wished him well in getting down to All-Star weekend as a reserve."
With Portland's recent success and ascension in the Northwest Division, Roy's name is nearly slated as an All-Star reserve this season and certainly his numbers and Portland's resurgence out West makes his cadency understandable. With Thursday decision day, Roy's numbers will surely speak for him.
The reigning 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year is averaging 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists per game and Roy ranks second in scoring among sophomores, and is first in assists.
Yet LeBron James isn't the only one making a case for the second year guard.
"I talked to about four guys (other coaches) who said they were going to vote for Brandon and that he should be on the team," head coach Nate McMillan said before the Blazes lost a heartbreaker to Cleveland on Wednesday night.
"Now, I don't know how true that is. They could be blowing smoke, but he (Roy) convinced them that he should definitely be on the team. If you look at his numbers and look at the turnaround of this team, you've really got to consider that. You've got to."
Roy will also have some competition in reserve voting. Both New Orleans' Chris Paul and Baron Davis of Golden State are Roy's main competition. Paul is the home town hero and author of the Hornets feel good story this season, and Davis' numbers make him a viable candidate.
So does that mean it's a snub if Roy doesn't make it as a reserve?
"It just depends on who does," McMillan added.
"There are some other guys out there who are playing well too. And I think the guy is really competing against is Chris Paul because his team has the best record in the West right now.
"For me Davis, and their (Golden State's) record is not ours. Of course he's a had a pretty good year. But if you look at the numbers and you look at the record, which I think you should, nobody expected us to be here. But I don't think Baron should be in the running with what Brandon has done and what this team has done."
McMillan believes it comes down to Roy and Paul, and it would be considered a "snub" if Davis is New Orleans-bound instead.
"Yeah, I think so personally. You're talking about, they (Golden State) made the playoffs last year and people expected them to be back. Then you look, and this guy (Roy) was player of the week twice. He was the best in the West twice just a month ago and his team is flirting with first place."
On Wednesday, Roy (along with fellow Blazer LaMarcus Aldridge) was named to play in the Rookie-Sophomore Game at All-Star weekend and there were talks if Roy is voted in as a reserve as well, that he "could" see action in both games. But out of the two contests, only one of those games really matters.
"The thing is to get on the big stage," McMillan said flashing a grin.
Now we wait to see what stage Brandon Roy will be performing on.
