with all- NBA nod

Roy led team

in scoring,

assists, steals

JOE FREEMAN

In a quiet hallway outside the visiting locker room at the Rose Garden, New Orleans Hornets coach Byron Scott disclosed a growing sentiment about Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy that had been spreading around the NBA .

"As coaches, when we scout Portland, we kind of put him in the same category of Kobe (Bryant), LeBron (James), Dwyane Wade," Scott said after the Blazers beat the Hornets in November. "We treat him the same. He's that good."

The respect Roy has earned became clearer Wednesday, when a panel of 122 journalists voted him onto the all- NBA second team. The honor, which places Roy among the NBA's top 10 players and top four guards, further cements his status as one of the best players in Blazers history, even though he just completed his third season in the NBA .

Roy became the fifth Blazer to earn all- NBA honors and the first since the 1991-92 season, when Clyde Drexler was named to the first team. Drexler, Bill Walton, Maurice Lucas and Jim Paxson also have been named all- NBA performers for the Blazers.

"Brandon is very deserving, has been an amazing player and has shown the ability to win at a very high level in this league," Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "Anytime you get voted onto an all- NBA team, it's a great privilege. But I know Brandon and this is not a notch on his belt. . . . He's about success on the court in terms of team."

Roy was rewarded for a prolific season in which he led the Blazers in scoring (22.6 points per game), assists (5.1 per game) and steals (1.13 per game) while averaging 4.7 rebounds per game. Roy joined New Orleans' Chris Paul, San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Boston's Paul Pierce and Houston's Yao Ming on the second team.

NBA most valuable player James of Cleveland, Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Wade of Miami, Dwight Howard of Orlando and Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas were selected to the first team.

Roy's third NBA season, in which he was named a Western Conference All-Star for the second consecutive time and ranked 12th in the NBA in scoring, will be remembered for record-setting performances, game-winning shots and improved, consistent play.

In the Blazers' fifth game of the season, Roy hit one of the most dramatic shots of his young career during an overtime victory over Houston. After fouling Yao and creating a three-point play that gave the Rockets a 99-98 edge with 0.8 seconds left, Roy gathered an inbound pass from Steve Blake and heaved an all-or-nothing 31-foot prayer that swished at the buzzer, delivering the Blazers a 101-99 win.

The improbable game-winner was one of the lasting images of the Blazers' resurgent season in which they won 54 games and made the playoffs for the first time in six years.

"He hates to lose and he's a tremendous competitor," Pritchard said. "That's one thing you don't realize until you see him live, because it's hard to appreciate otherwise. But he's just a tremendous competitor."

Roy's shot ignited a four-game winning streak and a stretch that saw the Blazers win 13 of 16 games. During that winning spell, Roy earned one of two Western Conference player of the week honors.

Shortly after the spell, in a fast-paced 124-119 victory over Phoenix on Dec. 18, he added another highlight to his season. Roy torched the Suns for 52 points, blending three-pointers (he made 5 of 7) with seemingly effortless drives to the basket (he made 19 of 21 free throws). In addition to scoring the second-most points in franchise history --Roy added six assists, five rebounds and a block. And he did it all without committing a turnover.

"This is the best game I've played," Roy said afterward.

One day later, Blazers coach Nate McMillan put the performance --and his All-Star --into greater perspective.

"That championship one day will happen if this continues," McMillan said. "You just need a player like this."

Roy would go on to score 30 or more points 12 times during the season, register another buzzer-beater in a win over the New York Knicks and tie the franchise record for steals (10) during a victory over the Washington Wizards. Roy's clutch play continued into the playoffs when he averaged 26.7 points --the fourth-highest total in franchise history.

From start to finish, the 2008-09 season was Roy's best. He led the Blazers in scoring 50 times, led them in assists 35 times and finished fifth among NBA guards in combined points/rebounds/assists per game (32.5).

"We felt we had a really good player when we drafted Brandon," McMillan said. "He has definitely lived up to the expectations he had coming to Portland. This is great. He had a great year. We were able to accomplish a lot this season and Brandon was a big part of that."

Joe Freeman: 503-294-5183; joefreeman@news.oregonian.com To read his Behind the Beat blog, go to blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat