"In talking to (Dr. ElAttrache), I asked if it could get any worse," Roy said. "He said there's a chance, but he doesn't think so. But there's no curing it. He said there are players who have worked with it. You just have to take the medication and monitor it."
In the meantime, it's likely we have seen the end of the old Brandon Roy. The one who switched hands in mid-air while making a driving layin in traffic against Toronto two seasons ago. The one who attacked the lane and finished a game-winner against the Knicks. The one who lept high and blocked a Carmelo Anthony jumper with his finger tip to preserve a victory.
There will be a lot more jumpers. A lot more post-ups. There will still be drives -- he beat his man a couple times in the fourth quarter on Friday -- but they will be more calculated and measured.
For the past week, that has been a hard thing for Roy to swallow. But after talking with family and friends, he came to realize it was a reality.
On Friday, with his mind no longer thinking about microfracture, and the swelling in his knee subsided enough to give him some freedom on the court, he started to embrace his new career.
"I could see myself coming in the fold now," Roy said.