Blazers report: Roy hopes to play during preseason

PORTLAND — A familiar question is back in Portland Trail Blazers training camp: Will Brandon Roy play in any preseason games?

Blazers coach Nate McMillan said last week that he doubted Roy would see any action to allow the All-Star guard time to recover from surgery to repair torn meniscus cartilage in his left knee. But on Monday, Roy gave a very different account, saying he and McMillan had discussed the situation and that he expected to play in some of the exhibitions.

“I don’t know how many minutes I’ll play in the games, but I want to play preseason because if you look at our schedule, the start of the season is tough and I don’t want to use those games to get in shape,” Roy said. “I kind of want to be there. So it’s important that I get a lot of games in, lot of reps.”

Roy went through a similar situation last season when a heel injury flared up during training camp. McMillan initially planned to sit him out of the entire preseason before

Roy convinced McMillan to let him play so he could tune up for the regular season.
Roy said he has not felt any soreness in his knee, even after playing in five-on-five, full-court scrimmages at the Blazers’ practice facility last week.

Roy said he expects McMillan to limit his activity during training camp, likely using him in the morning sessions of two-a-day workouts.

But Roy said he believes McMillan will relax that policy when preseason games begin next week.

After a year of waiting to be healthy enough to participate in regular, live practices, Greg Oden had an unexpected description for his feelings on Monday.

Nervousness.

“Every training camp you get nervous for it because you know it’s nothing but running and learning a whole lot of new stuff,” Oden said. “You know, I haven’t really had to learn to play in I don’t know how long.”

Oden said he expects to participate in one full practice session and half of a second each day in training camp.

Expect one new wrinkle in LaMarcus Aldridge’s game this year: A 3-point shot.

The 6-foot-11 forward has been working on that shot for more than a year, but only attempted seven last season — making just one — because his size was needed in the paint to bolster the Blazers’ thin frontcourt corp.

But with Oden shoring up the middle, Aldridge said he is ready to start shooting — perhaps taking as many as 20 3-point attempts this season.

“I’m gonna make them if I shoot them,” Aldridge said, “because I’m not going to take dumb shots. If I’m in the flow of the game, I’ll shoot it.”