Brandon Roy offers valuable advice to Lonzo Ball

Former Portland Trail Blazers go-to guy Brandon Roy was a bright, shining star who was on a trajectory headed toward the Hall of Fame. In his first four seasons in the league out of the University of Washington, the silky-smooth 6-foot-6 wingman with a deft scoring touch was the Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star, and a two-time All-NBA selection before knee injuries hampered him to the point of retirement in 2011.

And although he attempted to return to the game with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2013, another knee injury put an end to any hopes of a comeback and Brandon was forced to step away from the game for good. However, he still has plenty to offer to Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball — starting with some sound advice about returning from a serious knee injury.

Be realistic

Lonzo has yet to play on an NBA court since injuring his knee in January 2022. He’s underwent several surgeries, the latest being a cartilage transplant surgery in April 2023. The recovery process is a long one, and Lonzo will need to be realistic about how much time he has for recovery and what kind of a player he’s going to be, if and when he returns to the floor.

“Ball has to be realistic with himself and what he’s going to be able to do,” Roy said. “It might not be at the level of an All-Star point guard, but there are some things he can adjust to his game, and he can still help a team.”

Trail Blazers legend Brandon Roy is representing Portland at the #NBADraftLottery.

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Stay patient

Roy understands how frustrating the entire process can be. After all, he went from being All-NBA Second Team in 2009 to averaging just 12 points during the 2010-2011 season.

“It’s okay to not be 110% Lonzo Ball. It’s ok to be one day 80%, then one day 70% and then one day 60%, because you are young and you should do it as long as you possibly can,” Roy added.