The Portland Trail Blazers’ all-time starting 5

Shooting Guard: Brandon Roy

Career stats: 18.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 4.3 RPG, 45.9 FG%, 34.8 3P%

Brandon Roy was a hero in Portland during his tenure and arguably one of the franchise’s biggest what-ifs. Drafted sixth overall in 2006 by the Minnesota Timberwolves and traded to Portland, no one could see his career coming. As a fourth-year player out of the University of Washington, Roy made an immediate impact, averaging 16.8 points per game in his first season, building the reputation as one of the league’s best scoring 2-guards.

Roy would become the kind of talent Portland had been desperate for since the departure of Clyde Clyde Drexler. He was a prolific scoring wing, drawing comparisons to the offensive abilities of Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady at the time. Roy would become the 2006-07 NBA Rookie of the Year and become the torchbearer for the future of the franchise.

Brandon Roy’s prowess on the court would only develop and improve over the years, leading to him averaging a career high 22.5 points per game in his third season, including 26.9 points per game in the postseason. He was a favorite to the Blazers faithful and represented as one of the most lethal offensively weapons to ever wear a Rip City uniform.

Of course, Roy’s injury troubles have been well documented and ultimately led to the downfall of his career. Due to cartilage issues in both knees, Roy announced his early retirement from the NBA in 2011 after just five seasons.

Despite this, in just five years of work he still managed to be one of the most memorable Trail Blazers in history, making three NBA All-Star appearances, an All-NBA Second and Third Team selection in 2009 and 2010, respectively, and averaging over 20 points per game for two seasons. His amazing scoring ability and leadership, even in such a brief tenure, grants him a spot in the Blazers’ all-time starting five.