NBA Playoffs 2011: Brandon Roy's All-Star Career on Life Support

Watching Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy play this season has been like a helpless onlooker observing a suicide jumper on the ledge of a tall building. It’s impossible to know what he’s going through but, as a NBA fan, you have to feel terribly sorry for the guy.

It seems like yesterday when Roy burst onto the scene and took home Rookie of the Year honors in 2007. On his way to three straight All-Star appearances, Roy became the catalyst of the Blazers' return to relevance and led them to consecutive playoff berths after a five-year hiatus.

Although Roy only managed to play 57 games his first season due to a bone issue in his left heel, injury woes were a thing of the past as Roy participated in 74 games in 2007-08 and 78 the following year. Improving upon his 2008-09 campaign in which he averaged 22.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds, Roy put up 26.7 points per game in the postseason against Houston, including a 42-point outburst.

Roy had established himself as one of the game’s elite young players. Despite back-to-back losses in the first round of the playoffs, the Blazers were thriving and the future looked very promising.

Little did we know that a high school injury to his right knee and a college injury to his left knee would come back to haunt him.

Roy tore the meniscus in his right knee with nine games remaining in the 2009-10 regular season. With the Blazers playoff-bound, Roy made the decision to undergo surgery two days before the series versus the Phoenix Suns.

Remarkably, Roy rehabbed in overdrive and returned to play in Game 4. Falling to the Suns just two games later, his speedy recovery was all for naught.

In hindsight, did Roy put too much stress on his surgically-repaired knee too soon?

At the start of the 2010-11 season, Roy was up to his usual antics, but by December his production had declined until he was forced to sit; his knees were sore due to a lack of cartilage, and he needed an operation—again.

After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on both knees, Roy was able to suit up a month later on Feb. 23. However, he was used sparingly off the bench to avoid any aggravation to his knees.

His minutes may have been limited, but Roy clearly was not the player we’d come to know. He was missing his explosiveness, and his shooting touch had vanished.

Of the 24 games he appeared in after going under the knife, Roy reached double-digit scoring seven times. In fact, he only surpassed the 20-point plateau once.

As Roy’s struggles worsened, he fell out of favor with head coach Nate McMillan. In Game 1 of the Blazers’ first-round matchup with the Dallas Mavericks, Roy mustered a measly two points on 1-7 from the field over 26 minutes.

His stock had plummeted so far that in Game 2 he saw just short of eight minutes on the court. Roy had been reduced to sitting as role players Rudy Fernandez and Patty Mills were summoned to take the floor ahead of him.

Following the game, Roy said he was insulted and felt like crying since his role had essentially been diminished to that of a scrub. He couldn’t fathom being treated this way, especially being the $82 million face of the franchise.

Roy bounced back in Game 3, scoring 16 and dishing out six assists as a reserve in close to 24 minutes. But, Game 4 was vintage Brandon Roy.

Roy averaged a point per minute in that fourth game, touching nothing but the bottom of the net from all angles. He finished with 24 points on 69 percent shooting, including 18 in the fourth quarter. Roy also kissed one off the glass with 39 seconds left that gave the Blazers the lead permanently.

Just when we were ready to count him out, Roy had us wondering if this could be the turning point. Would this series-tying victory signify the end of a gigantic bump in the road leading to a hall of fame career?

With the hope of the Blazer faithful sky-high, Roy came back down to earth in Game 5 and scored a dismal five points, hitting just two of seven attempts. Trailing 3-2, Portland will be fighting to stave off elimination in front of the home crowd Thursday night.

Since the emergence of shooting guard Wesley Matthews, the Blazers have a streaky replacement for Roy who can knock down the three. Unless his condition improves, Roy may never be a starter in this league again.

A man of great character, Roy will likely handle this hardship with dignity. On the other hand, no matter who you are, the incapacity to perform as you once had takes its toll mentally.

It had been rumored that Roy was considering an experimental surgery in which the meniscus in each knee would be swapped with that of a cadaver’s. No professional athlete has ever undergone this procedure during their playing days, but former all-pro running back Marshall Faulk has reaped the rewards since having it performed in retirement.

Literally grinding bone on bone game after game, it remains to be seen whether Roy will ever regain that superstar form with any degree of consistency. It’s sad to say, but he may have reached his peak in 2009, and we are currently witnessing his decline.