Jeremy Lin did it again Sunday, leading the Knicks to 104-97 win over Dallas. (Getty Images)

By Matt Moore 

It is no longer a surprise. It is no longer unbelievable. It is no longer improbable. And that makes it no less fun to experience. The Jeremy Lin Experience is very, very real. 

Lin lead the the Knicks  to a 104-97 win over the Dallas Mavericks Sunday as Madison Square Garden was once again taken over by Linsanity. Lin finished with 28 points, 14 assists, 7 turnovers, and 5 steals against the 4th best defensive efficiency squad in the league, as he returned to his double-team-splitting, drive-and-dish-kicking, absolute takeover mode we saw through his first seven games and recovered from the Knicks' loss to the Hornets. He still turned the ball over at a high rate, but after 46 minutes and with that much usage, you have to expect some mistakes, and Lin more than made up for it with his efficiency (28 points on 20 shots), and five steals to convert opportunities for the Knicks. 

The Mavericks tried Shawn Marion on Lin, the same Matrix who shut down LeBron James in the Finals. They tried Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, hedging, trapping, rolling. Some of the traps worked. Dominique Jones put in good minutes on him. But Lin adjusted. That was the question with Lin, whether he could change his game to match how teams would attack him. He did, and made the Mavericks pay.

There isn't much you can say at this point that hasn't been said. But this was a statement game for Lin and the Knicks' belief in him as a legitimate starting point guard. Beating the Lakers with 38 points was his real arrival on the scene. Downing the Mavericks on national television after the Mavs are considered to be one of the best scouting teams in the league? That's putting his stamp on the league. Even if he did need to go right every time to do it (via GameTracker): 




Lin definitely got help from his teammates. J.R. Smith made his Knicks debut, and finished with 15 points. He slumped after a hot start, but also cherry picked a clinching bucket late to help bury the Mavs' last chance. More astonishing that Lin in this game may have been Steve Novak, another fringe player at the start of the season, absolutely lit up the Mavericks, working from the corner and hitting 4-5 threes. It was a pretty absurd shooting display on his way to 14 points off the bench. The Knicks' bench outscored Dallas' deep supporting unit by 10, 33-23.

Lin is a legitimate starter in the NBA. Right now, he's a legitimate star. It's possible he could fade, that he just caught the Mavericks (and Lakers and Raptors and Nets...) on a bad day. But the odds of that are now the same as any other great young player in this league. He's done it against the best competition, and he continues to improve as his team does. Mike D'Antoni has his point guard. The Knicks have a leader. And New York has a bonafide sensation worth getting behind.

The Jeremy Lin Experience is real.

Jason Terry helped the Mavericks survive against a Spurs bench run Sunday night. (Getty Images)

By Matt Moore

DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks, as much as any team in the league, know that this is not anything like a normal season. There are games packed on top of games packed on top of games. Dirk Nowitzki is still trying to get into his normal game condition, evidenced by his struggles in his first game back. The Kardashians are prowling the arena along with the realities of their television show, and have we mentioned the schedule is insane?

Those are just some of the reasons that led Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle to call this year, "wacky" after the Mavericks' 101-100 win over the San Antonio in Dallas Sunday night.

"It's a wacky year," Carlisle said, "and there's a lot of things going on with crazy scores and leads and deficits disappearing, so you've got to be ready for anything. We're fortunate, but it's a good win. "

Wacky. Much like this up and down win that did not come easy. The Mavericks held a strong lead in the third quarter, lead by Vince Carter who finished with 21 points on 8-15 shooting. But then, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who Mavericks guard Jason Terry later called "a mastermind" and who Carlisle called "the greatest coach really ever in this game," pulled his starters. Completely. With 2:12 to go in the third quarter. From there on out it was entirely bench players, and instead of a weak surrender, the trio of Danny Green, Gary Neal, and James Anderson poured in a flurry of lay-ups and three-pointers. The bench squad scored on 8 of 9 fourth quarter possessions to take the lead. Another blown lead in a wacky year.

"We gotta keep working," Carlisle noted after the game. "I love the fact that we came back from nine down in the fourth. It's a tough position to be in, but the guys fought and got it tied and in overtime we were able to get out of here."

"Getting out of here," that's probably the theme of the NBA season for almost all the teams caught in this hellacious compacted schedule. It's some sort of weird, mutant version of the age old cliche of "survive and advance." In this year with so many outliers, teams need depth, and they need pacing, and they need some luck. The Mavericks have had little of that this year, but having the kind of veterans they do gives them the experience to get through crazy games like Sunday's.

Compared to their struggles to start the year, the Mavericks recovered, played like World Champions, and finished off the non-stars in overtime. It takes experience, it takes veterans, it takes a mindset to "survive." Oh, and Jason Terry, that helps too.

"I was locked in," Terry said after he finished with a game-high 34 points on 14-23 shooting and 4 assists in 37 minutes.

His is always the second name on the Mavericks behind the Big German, but lost in the Lamar Odom trade and the free agency departures and the injuries is the fact that Jason Terry still wears Mavericks blue. And he's a survivor. Terry has made huge shot after huge shot for the Mavericks throughout the years and on Sunday showed why the Mavericks will keep learning, keep adjusting, and keep improving as veterans do even in a wacky year, and will be there at the end, when the playoffs begin.

"I watched the film [from the first meeting between the two teams] and there were some shots that I know I would make if I got them again," Terry said. "I said if I continue to get those same looks and opportunities that I'm going to be aggressive and take them."

It was Terry taking and hitting big shots along with the kind of consistent team effort on defense and the glass that got the Mavericks back in control. It was also players like Carter, who have been around long enough to make the plays when they need to, especially against an inexperienced crew like the upstart bench mob from San Antonio. Carter later said this season comes down to simple survival.

"That's what it's going to be about it. It's going to be about survival. Every guy on the team has to be ready to play, because you just never know."

What the Mavericks do know is that they have guys who have been there, done that. Other teams may have more youth, more depth, fresher legs and more wind. But does having the veterans in a season like this, even with the wear and tear on older bodies, help the Mavs in their mindset?

"I think so," Carter said. "And just making sure your young guys are prepared."

Carter complimented Roddy Beaubois, starting at point guard yet again for the injured Jason Kidd. "My hat's off to Roddy. It gets to where he's not playing big minutes, and he plays spot minutes and then he gets the start. To play like that, it gets a salute from me."

Veterans putting the young guys in a position to make plays, and Jason Terry hitting big shots when the Mavericks need them. If the Mavericks are going to survive this year, that's the approach they want to have. It's not about the division lead the Mavericks took Sunday night with the win. It's not about getting Nowitzki back into the rotation or worrying about blowing a lead to a group of bench players. 

This season is not about being perfect. It's about survival. And the Mavericks are as well prepared to survive as any team in the league.

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Posted by Ben Golliver, Matt Moore, and Royce Young



Chauncey Billups and the Los Angeles Clippers

One week ago, we noted that the easy start -- just six games in 16 days -- was over for the Los Angeles Clippers. Since then, wins over the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets. That's four wins to go with just one loss, to the Utah Jazz on the road, during a brutal 5 games in 7 days stretch that had to be managed without All-Star point guard Chris Paul. It doesn't, reasonably, get much better than that, as the Clippers sealed their magical win thanks to a last-second jumpshot by Chauncey Billups, who stepped up as primary ball-handler in Paul's absence and finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists in 32 minutes against the Mavericks.  -- BG

Jason Terry and the Dallas Mavericks

it would have been an A+ on any other night, but Jason Terry's resume was robbed of a dramatic game-winner thanks to Billups' heroics. Terry had an uneven game on Wednesday but was huge in the fourth, sinking a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left to cut it to a one possession game and then burying another one with 5 seconds remaining, see below, to improbably put the Mavericks up by one. The lead lasted just four seconds. The Mavericks fall to 8-7 and continue to search for a sense of certainty. What a difference a shot would have made in that regard.-- BG

Old Man Games

Andre Miller with 28-10-8. Steve Nash with 26-5-11. Chauncey Billups going Mr. Big Shot. It was a night for the old guard, literally, to step up and deliver. There's something to be said for having a guy out there who knows what he's doing, and while none of those guys are going to lock down Dwyane Wade or give you 40, they're still contributing for their teams, all past the age of 35. -- MM

Denver Nuggets

Getting a road win against Philadelphia is A-worthy. But they could have closed it out in regulation had they just played a bit tighter. After looking a bit shaky over the weekend, Denver gets a huge win in overtime on the back of their depth, against a team that had over half their points from the bench. A little tighter play and Denver could have saved itself a later departure.  -- MM

Nick Young

In the end, Young put up 24 points, hit 5-10 from 3 and helped the Wizards pull off the upset of the season with a 105-102 win over the Thunder. But Young started the game 0-7 and even the shots he ended up making weren't of the smart variety. He was hoisting contested 3s, fadeaway jumpers over the outstretched arm of Kevin Durant and never attacked the basket. Again, it worked out for him and he was a big part of Washington's win, but I don't think Flip Saunders wants to see that kind of shot selection routinely. -- RY

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies were out-rebounded, gave up a 49 percent field goal mark, and had 16 turnovers. But on a night where Rudy Gay was not prominently featured, the still got the win. The Grizzlies are back to "finding ways to win" which is such a huge part of their game. Lionel Hollins should get some pop for how he's managing minutes night to night based on who is thriving and who is struggling on any given night. You would have liked to have seen a wider margin of victory against the Hornets and some better defense, but more than enough for a passing grade. the end. -- MM

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers lost to the Hawks in Atlanta, 92-89, losing their sixth straight to the Hawks and dropping to 1-3 on their current 6-game road trip. They lost forward Nicolas Batum to a scary eye injury during the game and, afterwards, the team reportedly held a players only meeting to discuss accountability. That's not good, considering this team's captain, LaMarcus Aldridge, was touting his squad as a Western Conference contender just a few weeks ago. The only thing keeping this from being an "F" was the play of point guard Raymond Felton, which has been terrible of late. Felton shot just 3-for-9 but finished with 10 points, 8 asssists, 1 steal and just 1 turnover, after committing 8 in a Monday win over the New Orleans Hornets. Hey, it counts for progress right now. Jamal Crawford, who finished with 22 points on 22 shots and added 5 assists, was another (sort of) bright spot. -- BG

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder hit 48 percent from the field and held their opponent to 38. And they lost? How? Because they gave the Wizards 40 free possessions. With 21 turnovers and 19 offensive rebounds for Washington, Oklahoma City completely fell asleep in the second half, allowing 59 points while losing to the league's worst team. Remember, the Wizards have had trouble breaking 70 lately. And they just beat the West's top team? Somebody failed, big time. -- RY

Glen Davis

Keep your pants on, bro. -- BG

Posted by Ben Golliver. 

To the winners go the spoils, and Jason Terry is basically living out that adage Willy Wonka style after helping the Dallas Mavericks defeat the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

Terry minced no words during the series, wondering aloud whether Heat forward LeBron James could guard him and, and he took another shot at James back in July. 

Now, via IAmAGM.com, comes a new look for Terry: a rap video cameo.

Dressed in a black t-shirt, gold chain, sunglasses and a Mavericks hat cocked a bit to the side, Terry plays hype man during the filming of a video for a track by rapper Young Jeezy. The song, titled "Win", has an easy-to-remember chorus: "Win. Win win. Win Win. Win. Win win." Yes, repeating the same word is easier than finding a rhyming word and it still produces most of the desired auditory effect.

Anyway, in the video, a pool game breaks out and the camera gets trained on Terry, who apparently is not a shark and recently lost a friendly wager. 

"Lose. Lose, lose," Terry says, mimicking the song's chorus. "I feel like LeBron and them right there."

Laughter erupts from the background, as it should.

Here's the video courtesy of YouTuber use OGxKushington.

Posted by Ben Golliver. 

Rankings by EOB Staff.

 
This is the fifth segment of the CBSSports.com Eye on Basketball Elite 100, counting down the top-100 players in the NBA. 

Check out the earlier installments: 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61

As we near the halfway point in our countdown of the top-100 NBA players, we take the opportunity to honor two first-time NBA champions who share a first name, a position (guard) and an age bracket (old). Dallas guards Jason Terry and Jason Kidd were both critical components of the Mavericks' run to the 2011 NBA title, highly-skilled role players who outpaced expectations in the postseason to provide franchise forward Dirk Nowitzki with the help he needed to take down the Miami Heat. 

For their contributions, Terry and Kidd both find themselves in the 51-60 range, along with two Utah Jazz forwards, two polarizing big-dollar pivotmen and four other players who range from young and immensely talented to nearing their last legs.

Without further ado, let's proceed.

60. Al Jefferson, F, age 26, Utah Jazz

2011 Stats: 18.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 49.6 FG%, 20.20 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 62, 53, 62

The wide-bodied Jefferson stared basketball death in the face twice – first by playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, second by tearing his ACL – and he lived to tell about it, playing in all 82 games for the Utah Jazz last season and returning to his near 20-10 form. Jefferson can’t be mistaken for an all-around player: he’s a liability defensively, is a bit of a black hole and he doesn’t boast much range. But he can fill it up around the hoop, take up space in the paint and secure a solid portion of the boards.

There are a lot of parts in Utah’s frontcourt, especially after the Jazz used the No. 3 overall pick to select Enes Kanter, but the fit is questionable and further roster shake-up is definitely a possibility. Thanks to his big-dollar contract that extends through 2012-2013, though, Jefferson is likely to remain in place through next season as a stabilizing force in the middle surrounded by a roster in flux.

59. Brook Lopez, C, age 23, New Jersey Nets

2011 Stats: 20.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 49.2 FG%, 19.33 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 55, 67, 55

Talented, promising seven-footers are rare in the NBA, especially those who boast 20 points per game scoring ability, no major injury history and excellent character.  That’s Brook Lopez, and together his skillset and background combination is rarer than a needle in a haystack. The only problem? It’s a big one: Lopez isn’t a particularly productive rebounder and hasn’t proven to be a game-dominating force in the middle. His rebounding and block numbers took a step back in his third season as a pro and the Nets won just 24 games.

On a better team, Lopez would score less, shoot a lot less and be required to do significantly more dirty work. Still, on anybody’s team, he stands as a solid core piece.

58. Jamal Crawford, G, age 31, Atlanta Hawks

2011 Stats: 14.2 points, 3.2 assists, 1.7 rebounds, 42.1 FG%, 14.29 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 62, 57, 55

Arguably the league’s most fun scorer to watch operate, Crawford has every dribble move you could ask for, plus a pretty shooting stroke to boot. He’s fearless and fearsome with the ball in his hands and he gives the impression that he would be happy to play hoops anytime, anywhere. But during his age 30 season, and his first year under new coach Larry Drew, Crawford saw his scoring productivity take a significant step back (from 18.0 points in 2009-2010 to 2010-2011) even though his playing time remained essentially the same.

That wasn’t great news for Crawford, who was in a contract year and is likely approaching the downside of his career. His defense has long been suspect. Crawford would make an excellent role player on a contender that needed some scoring pop off of its bench and it will be quite interesting to track where he lands during free agency.  

57. Thaddeus Young, F, age 23, Philadelphia 76ers

2011 Stats: 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 54.1 FG%, 18.46 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 61, 61, 50

Young probably qualifies as a surprise for being so high on this list. He can thank his potential and his player efficiency rating for that. His overall efficiency is driven in large part by his high shooting percentage and an excellent scoring rate in a reserve role.

Doug Collins leaned heavily on veterans Elton Brand and Andrew Iguodala last season – shocker, I know – but Young was still able to show plenty during his turn through the frontcourt rotation, more than enough to make him a top priority for the Sixers during the free agency period. At 23, and with further development still ahead of him, Young should command a sizable offer. Philadelphia shouldn’t hesitate to match as long as it isn’t totally ludicrous.

56. Ty Lawson, G, age 23, Denver Nuggets

2011 Stats: 11.7 points, 4.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 50.3 FG%, 17.99 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 52, 54, 66

A favorite of the advanced stats community dating back to his time at UNC, Lawson entrenched himself as the starter in Denver, so much so that the Nuggets moved Raymond Felton, a starting caliber point guard himself, to the Portland Trail Blazers for Andre Miller, a veteran who should slide nicely into a big-minute backup role. The key to Lawson’s game is exceptional quickness and speed as well as his excellent shooting touch. That makes up for the fact that he’s often an undersized defender, and his toughness helps too.

His minutes and production should continue to rise next season. On a post-Carmelo Anthony team full of questions and free agents, plus a rotating cast of characters, Lawson is the surest thing.

55. Carlos Boozer, F, age 29, Chicago Bulls

2011 Stats: 17.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 51.0 FG%, 18.90 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 68, 47, 56

In his first season as a Chicago Bull, Boozer continued to be who we thought he would be: a multi-dimensional offensive force who doesn’t play much defense and isn’t quite reliable enough to be the No. 2 guy on a title-winning team. On paper, pairing Boozer with center Joakim Noah, a defense and rebounding specialist with energy for days, makes all the sense in the world. Injuries to both players probably slowed their acclimation together and it’s possible Year 2 for the new-look Bulls will be even more profitable than Year 1, which ended with tons of awards and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The new standard has been set though: beat the Miami Heat. A scapegoat has been established too: Boozer. The four years and 60ish million dollars remaining on his contract make the bulls eye on his back even bigger.

54. David Lee, F, age 28, Golden State Warriors

2011 Stats: 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steal, 50.7 FG%, 17.86 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 60, 58, 52

Speaking of highly-paid and polarizing power forwards, Lee was forced to deal with falling short of big expectations last season as well. Signed as a major money free agent by the Warriors in the summer of 2010, Lee was seen as the much-needed inside presence to complement an up-and-coming backcourt combination of Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. Lee’s scoring numbers took a hit playing with the pair, who can each fill it up, raising questions about whether Golden State’s core needs a bit more diversity in its skillset.

All (well, most) signs point to the new Warriors ownership getting the franchise moving in the right direction; whether or not Lee is able to get back to his 2009-2010 contract year production levels will be a major factor in determining how quickly Golden State is able to reach its goal of making the playoffs.

53. Jason Terry, G, age 33, Dallas Mavericks

2011 Stats: 15.8 points, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals, 45.1 FG%, 15.93 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 58, 43, 59

2010-2011 wasn’t Terry’s best season statistically but there is no question that it will be the campaign he remembers most vividly when he looks back on his career when he eventually retires. Quite simply it was a dream. Terry has entered the fourth quarter of his career arc at 33 years old but he remains an excellent shooter and pick-and-roll operator with a penchant for taking and making shots at opportune moments. He has to worked around defensively because he’s undersized for his position and is getting a bit long in the tooth but Dallas found the right mix, allowing him to focus on what he does best: make shots and talk trash. A key emotional leader, Terry’s confidence never wavered in the playoffs and his swagger put an exclamation point on the Mavericks’ team effort in the Finals.

It’s likely all downhill from here for Terry. But who cares? He reached the pinnacle.

52. Paul Millsap, F, age 26, Utah Jazz

2011 Stats: 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, .9 blocks, 53.1 FG%, 19.83 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 54, 53, 53

Thanks to the departures of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer in the last 14 months, Millsap has improbably moved into the centerpiece mainstay role for the Jazz, at least until young forward Derrick Favors has another three or four more seasons to develop. In hindsight, Utah was extremely wise to match a toxic offer from the Portland Trail Blazers when Millsap was a restricted free agent during the summer of 2009. His work ethic, energy and consistency are unquestioned, and Millsap provides valuable contributions both inside and outside on offense.

Will he ever reach All-Star status? Probably not, especially because the Western Conference is loaded at his position. How Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin will get production from Millsap and Jefferson, while also developing Favors and Kanter, remains a bit of a mystery. Until the youngins are ready, though, Millsap is more than happy to trot out his hard hat and lunchpail game 82 nights a year.

51. Jason Kidd, G, age 38, Dallas Mavericks

2011 Stats: 7.9 points, 8.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 36.1 FG%, 14.46 PER

Composite rankings (random order): 49, 44, 64

As with Terry, the 2010-2011 season was the best of Kidd’s career, even if his production was a far cry from the days in which he put up triple-doubles on the regular. Kidd was a pleasure to watch this season as he did so many vital things so well. He knocked down open jumpers. He exhibited excellent shot selection, almost always preferring the extra pass to a contested shot of his own. He orchestrated the halfcourt offense brilliantly, knowing when it was time to force-feed Dirk Nowitzki and when it was time to swing the ball around the perimeter. He defended larger players well, using his quick hands and excellent instincts to more than make up for his lack of lateral quickness. The list goes on and on but he was about as important as any NBA player has been at the age of 38.

For all of that, he got his first ring. A fitting lifetime achievement award for a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Posted by Ben Golliver. 

Last week, we pointed you to the curious case of Nathan Blackhall, a LeBron James super fan who tattooed the All-Star Heat forward's face on his leg, giant headband and all.

Just when we thought James had the "NBA player with an obsessed fan who went way too far with the body art" crown wrapped up, an excellent and familiar challenger emerged: Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.

Bryant has been around longer, won five more rings, played in a larger market and established a global popularity that makes him the gold standard for James to match, along with Michael Jordan, of course.

So it comes as no surprise that a member of Bryant's large legion of devoted followers crammed a giant portrait of Bryant on his lower leg, an image even more detailed and rich than the James monstrosity.

Just take a look to the right. Bryant is pictured in a thoughtful pose, chin resting on his hand as if he's deep in thought and eyes looking out to the distance.  

Unfortunately the fan has yet to be publicly identified. Well, maybe that is fortunate, given the endless mocking that always results from this painted tributes.

Want to see more NBA tattoos? We've got you covered.

• Royce Young breaks down Kevin Durant's "business tattoos"
• Jason Terry got the NBA Finals trophy tattooed on his arm
• Monta Ellis has a tattoo of a giant tree on his chest
• Andrei Kirilenko has a Warcraft tattoo on his back

Hat tip: Complex.com.

By Matt Moore

For more on Brandon Roy, check out our interview with him from this weekend's event in Seattle. 

Brandon Roy is injured. Despite telling CBSSports.com over the weekend that he's finally pain free, he's always going to be "injured" to a degree because of the condition of his knees. He's gone through physical and emotional hell over the last year in dealing with the realities of his knees.

One thing that has not suffered, though, is his confidence. Roy's not only still confident that he can be the Roy of old, he's calling out (and then saying he's not calling out) players that are able to stay on the court. From the Oregonian:

"I can still create off the dribble," Roy warned. "I still think you are crazy to put a guy who can't guard on me. You'll get exposed all night. So I don't want to get away from that.

"But I have to get in a position again where the team believes enough in me to make me a threat," Roy said. "I don't have to be The Guy, but just a focal point again, to where -- not to knock a player -- but if Jason Terry is guarding me, then my team can believe I can expose that matchup. That's part of getting my confidence back to where I can give confidence back to Coach and the organization."

via No promises, says Brandon Roy, but doubt him at your own risk | OregonLive.com. 

Roy likely chose to single out Terry because of the success that he had against the Mavericks ... in one game. Roy's comeback game in Portland seemed like a miracle moment, a reckoning of all those who doubted that Roy could come back. Then Roy went back to being the 9.3 points per game scorer he was during that playoff series before the Mavericks booted the Blazers back home. Terry, it should be noted, went on to guard LeBron James and do it pretty effectively in the Finals. 

Roy's not trying to be overly antagonistic; he really does think he's that much better than Terry. But he could learn a thing or two from JET. Terry manages to understand his role while also playing to his strengths. He recognizes his place on the team but contributes in a huge way and sitll gets headlines.

Maybe if Roy had learned to trust and rely on LaMarcus Aldridge earlier in his career, he wouldn't have had to carry the load as much. But what-ifs are no use. Roy is who he is, and that won't change, physically or mentally. This will be his approach.

No matter what, he'll go down swinging.