Motivation for tonight's game

Do players have a hard time getting up for preseason games? I don't know the answer to that question, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Sure, there's pride and competitive nature, but lets be real; there are 82 games, at a minimum, that actually count, and this ain't one of them. I could see how it might be difficult to psych yourself up in the exhibition season, especially on a neutral court with half of the team already injured.

But here's some motivation, at least for Brandon Roy: In a head-to-head comparison in Hoop Magazine (the official mag of the NBA), B-Roy is topped by Joe Johnson, for reasons that I'll let Hoop explain.

On defense:

Johnson has never been asked to check the opponent’s perimeter stud (that duty usually fell into the hands of Josh Childress), but with J-Chill off to the Mediterranean, Johnson might be asked to step up his defensive role. He certainly has the size to even match up against LeBron James; however, JJ’s problem will be against the smaller guards who rely on speed and quickness (think Dwyane Wade), where his lack of lateral quickness will be exposed. Because Johnson has the luxury of having a shotblocker like Josh Smith behind him, he can gamble for steals (he gets about one per game).

[snip]

This is the one area of Roy’s game that still needs plenty of work. He has pretty good size for a guard, but his foot speed isn’t good enough to keep up with the NBA’s more explosive slashers. He has, however, improved on his ability to at least channel his opponents into the paint for the bigs to contend with, something that will no doubt be an attribute with Greg Oden finally joining the frontline—a bunch already plenty big and versatile—this season.

Advantage: Johnson

Uh, excuse me? Joe Johnson is a better defender than Brandon Roy? Did the world just start rotating backwards? Is there another Joe Johnson who plays for the Hawks that I'm unaware of?

I find it strange that the writer starts the graph about Johnson's defense by stating "Johnson has never been asked to check the opponent’s perimeter stud." Who do you think Brandon Roy is checking? And on top of that, why do you think it is Johnson doesn't take the tough defensive assignment? Maybe because he can't hack it or is unwilling to put in the work. Either way, that's no argument for Johnson's defensive prowess.

Not only is the Brandon Roy that I know an above average defender, but he also managed to shut down Jo-Jo last season for a W. Sure, one stellar defensive performance isn't all encapsulating, but if you're going to compare the players head-to-head, should you at least consider how they played head-to-head in the clutch?

And speaking of clutch, the folks at Hoop Magazine also gave the edge in that category to ... Joe Johnson?

Atlanta is full of budding stars, but when the game is tight, the gameplan is usually simple: get the ball in Johnson’s hands and clear out. We saw it often during last season’s tightly contested seven-game playoff series against Boston, when JJ was unafraid of the big moments. In his Game 4 performance, he put up 35, including 20 in the deciding fourth quarter to put a legitimate scare into the eventual champs. That showing only raises his confidence level heading into this season.

[snip]

Despite the aforementioned pedestrian percentages, Roy almost always seemingly hits shots when he needs to. He imposed his will on several opponents last season, especially during the Blazers’ early-season 13-game winning streak. And he possesses an astonishing ability to get to the rim for a high-percentage layup, even when the defense is geared up for him. He still has no playoff experience, but we wouldn’t be surprised if that bell is answered this season thanks to Portland’s seemingly loaded roster.

Advantage: Johnson

Johnson is undoubtedly a heck of a player, but with the game on the line, is there any coach who would rather have Johnson over Roy? I've trying to be as objective as I can, and there's no way I see anyone taking Johnson over Roy late in the game. The first 46 minutes of the game, especially if you need scoring? Yeah, I could see that. But the last two minutes in a tight one? No chance. You go with Roy.

So if you're reading this Brandon, go out tonight and show 'em the error of their ways.