BRANDON ROY

How good is Brandon Roy?

He's so good that Boston Celtic coach Doc Rivers has put together highlight videos of Roy that he gives to his sons to study.

"He's one of my favorite players in the league," says Coach Rivers. "He plays under control, he plays unselfishly, and he plays at gears that young players don't play at. Most young players play fast and out of control, and for them it's all about getting 'my shots.' But his whole attitude is based on team play."

As Ian Thomsen describes him in his story today on SI.com, "the 6'6" Roy plays like an aging vet who takes pride in outsmarting the rim-scrapers while conserving energy to extend his career. In fact, he is a 24-year-old blessed with a 41-inch vertical leap, which he uses only when necessary. He wears neither tattoos nor jewelry. In this era of unparalleled athleticism and style over substance, Brandon Roy is the NBA's curious version of Benjamin Button—a young body driven by an old-school mind."

Says Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard: "He absolutely changed the direction of our team."

So, asks Thomsen, "how does he make the spectacular look so effortless?"

The answer is fundamental: Roy can dribble so well that you can't tell which is his weak hand, and at 211 pounds he has the size to shield the ball as he reads the defense and waits for a play to develop. He has a coach's mind, an intuitive understanding of teammates and opponents swirling around him as if they were X's and O's diagrammed on a whiteboard.

Teammate Steve Blake contends that Roy is "always on balance, so if someone reaches in, he's able to spin and he's not falling over."

Portland coach Nate McMillan says Roy has "three moves that will get you... a crossover, a pump, a spin."

According to Chris Paul, it's a matter of angles and efficiency:

"He goes in straight lines. Anybody who knows basketball knows if you go around a guy, you need to go right by him. He takes a minimal amount of steps, and then he's at the rim."

To improve, Roy says he needs "to make some mistakes."

"I think that's where my potential lies — taking more risks, trying to play with more flair and having more fun out there."

JERRY WEST

A couple of excerpts from Jerry West's book "Mr. Clutch", which was published 30 years ago.

West, averaged 27 ppg over 14 seasons with the Lakers.

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I've seen too many players who never improve because they think they've got it made. What they do well, they enjoy doing, naturally, so that's what they practice, sort of showing off, like a great hook-shooter who spends all day shooting hooks. I've seen too many players who won't practice what they don't do well, because they're afraid of showing these faults up, of being embarrassed by them. I always practiced ballhandling rather than shooting because I needed ballhandling practice more than I needed shooting practice.

The more you come through, the more you're apt to keep coming through. Confidence is a lot of this game. If you don't think you can, you won't.

LEBRON JAMES & TIGER WOODS

What does LeBron James have in common with Tiger Woods?

According to Chris Ballard in SportsIllustrated, "Just as Tiger Woods remade his swing when he was already dominant, James spent last summer quietly reconstructing his jumper, working with assistant coach Chris Jent five days a week, an hour and a half per session."

Why?

If you watched James shoot last year, you know why; even though teams were petrified of his penetration, he sometimes looked like he was chucking pumpkins at the backboard.

Ballard describes how Lebron -- "like a pee-wee player, began by putting up one-handed shots close to the basket."

He graduated to "one-dribble jumpers and free throws, then midrange shots. Remarkably, never once during the sessions did he fling a three-pointer."

Says Coach Jent:

"Form first, and the range will come."