by Alex Kennedy, Hoopsworld.com

Brandon Roy’s comeback was one of the biggest surprises of the summer, and when the Minnesota Timberwolves begin their season in November, all eyes will be on the former All-Star to see what he can do at this point in his career.

Will he return to form and become the go-to scorer that Minnesota has been missing? Or will his injuries limit him and make him a shell of his former self? Roy believes he can still be an impact player for the Timberwolves, and he doesn’t think his knees will hold him back.

“Honestly, right now and all summer long, I’ve been preparing to not have to take a step back with my game,” Roy told NBA TV. “I’ll be honest, some of the lift isn’t what it used to be, but my explosiveness, my explosiveness to get to the basket is good. More than anything, I think I’m a lot smarter of a basketball player.

“The NBA season is long and my body isn’t what it used to be. Right now I feel great. Me and coach (Rick) Adelman are going to sit down before the season and communicate throughout the year about how I’m feeling and what’s the best way to get the most out of me. I feel great. Right now, there’s nothing holding me back. I can go out there and play as much as I like.”

After announcing his retirement last December, Roy wasn’t sure if he should make a comeback. He felt that he could still contribute on an NBA team, but he wanted to hear that from others before making a decision. He called some of his NBA friends from Seattle, such as Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas and Will Conroy, and asked them to give him an honest assessment of his game.

“I went in the gym with a couple of friends of mine and I was like, ‘Be honest, how do I look?’ And they said, ‘You would be crazy if you didn’t play basketball again.’ I felt really good, but sometimes you need that outside opinion just watching you. It was tough, being out of … [For more on Can Brandon Roy return to form?, click here.]