Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy headlines the Sophomore team that will play in the NBA All Star Rookie Challenge this year.
Looking At The Big Game
In his second season, Brandon Roy is averaging 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.6 assists a game. That’s an improvement from his rookie year.
If you compare those numbers to other superstars around the league, it doesn’t particularly stand out. There are other guys contending for all-star spots that are putting up more impressive numbers.
However, the most impressive thing about Brandon Roy this year are the things that aren’t showing up in the box scores. The 6′6″ guard out of the University of Washington has stepped up and taken over the Portland Trail Blazers. He’s provide leadership and a calming influences for his teammates.
Brandon Roy even led his team on an impressive winning 13 game winning streak in December.
While he appreciates being named to the Rookie Game, it’s no secret that Brandon Roy is hoping to be named to the All-Star game itself.
Sophomore Team
Here’s the rest of the 2nd year players that are going to be playing with Brandon Roy in the NBA All Star Rookie Challenge.
- LeMarcus Aldridge - The 6′11″ forward for the Portland Trail Blazers has made the Greg Oden hype even bigger. These two guys could potentially dominant the inside game for years to come. He’s currently leading the team in rebounding and is 2nd in points behind Brandon Roy.
- Rajon Rondo - The 6′1″ guard from the University of Kentucky has been in the spotlight this year. His job is to successfully distribute the ball to 3 of the biggest NBA stars (Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett). He’s done a good job for the Boston Celtics thus far and deserves to be rewarded with this selection.
- Daniel Gibson - The 6′2″ guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers has the luxury of playing with LeBron James.
- Jordan Farmar - The 6′2″ guard for the Los Angeles Lakers is another guy that benefits from playing with a dominating superstar. He’s a year away from replacing veteran Derek Fisher as Kobe Bryant’s backcourt partner.
- Rudy Gay - The 6′8″forward has replaced Pau Gasol as the Memphis Grizzlies franchise player. He’s also made everyone second guess the Houston Rockets’ decision to trade him two years ago.
- Andrea Bargnani - Even though his numbers have gone down a bit, the 7′0″ forward for the Toronto Raptors is still showing enough to make the Sophomore team.
- Ronnie Brewer - The 6′7″ guard for the Utah Jazz has improved tremendously. He’s even earned a spot in Jerry Sloan’s rotation, which is pretty impressive.
- Paul Milsap - The 6′7″ forward has won over the fans in Utah. His relentless style has also earned him a spot in Jerry Sloan’s rotation as well.
Closing Thoughts
With great wing players like Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay, it’s going to be difficult for the Rookie Team to beat these guys. Plus, throw in a very good big man in LeMarcus Aldridge, and it becomes quite a task.