Brandon Roy: Will the Portland Trail Blazers Guard Ever Return to Form?

Brandon Roy is working out, lifting weights, playing basketball and feeling great.

In other words, he's getting back to the basics.

The 2010-11 campaign represented some heavily uncharted territory for Roy, and after undergoing arthroscopic surgeries on both knees back in January, he's just looking to play his game.

Roy knows what's being said about him, and he uses it as motivation to continually improve.

But he's not guaranteeing anything. At least not yet.

In an interview with Jason Quick of The Oregonian, Roy was rather contrite about his future and how some may view him now that his image has taken a hit:

"

I just don't even want to put anything out there. I don't want to get hopes up one way or the other. I'm just trying to work to get better. And if I surprise a million people, that's better. Hopefully I can surprise some people.

"

That's a rather lax attitude for Roy to take, but it's extremely appropriate considering his demeanor since he came into the league.

Roy's career numbers are good, but not great, at 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists, and it's understandable as to why many believe he'll never return to the level of play that we saw from him when he was at his best between 2008-10.

But that doesn't mean that we should bet against him.

There are encouraging signs for the 27-year-old that simply should not be ignored.

Roy said he had mixed results recently after resuming basketball drills. The bad news? He says he doesn't have the same lift on his jumps as he did during his run of three All-Star appearances.

The good news is that he has surprised himself with his mobility and he has been free of pain and swelling. Plus, his knees feel stronger than they did during the season—in part because of the nearly three months since the season ended and in part because the January surgeries are even further in the past.

Does that mean that Roy will bounce back and suddenly regain his All-Star form? No.

But does it mean that Roy is washed up and his best days are behind him? Absolutely not.

Former Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard knew about Roy's knee condition when they signed him to a maximum contract, so it's clearly not an issue they were heavily concerned about.

And as long as Roy continues to experience no pain or swelling and continues to strengthen his knees, he should have plenty of spring left in his step.

He might even be exactly the type of X-factor player the club needs to lead a successful postseason charge.

Whatever the Blazers get from him at this point is an added bonus to an already promising roster.