The Portland Trail Blazers are now down 2-0 in their first round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, mostly in part due to Jason Kidd’s youthful play, the Blazer’s difficulty shooting and a lack of production from their bench.

One of the most important pieces for the Blazers coming off the bench is three-time all-star Brandon Roy, who finds himself with a much smaller role than ever before. With Wesley Matthews playing so well as the starting shooting guard and Roy coming off his knee injuries, Brandon Roy continues to be a reserve.

Usually he still gets a good bit of time on the court as the sixth or seventh man, but in Game 2 against Dallas, he came off the bench after Patty Mills and only saw eight minutes on the court.

Roy spoke to reporters after the game:

“There was a point in the first half, and I was thinking ‘You better not cry,”’ Roy said. “I mean, serious. I mean, there was a moment where I felt really sorry for myself. Then I was like, nah, you can’t be sorry for yourself. I’m a grown man, but there was a moment there that I felt sorry for myself. Especially when I think I can still help.”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little hurt, or disappointed,” Roy said. “But the biggest thing is to keep moving, to try and keep my spirits up. But it’s tough man. I just …. I just always thought I would be treated better. That was a little disappointing for me.”

Considering Dallas has taken to clogging the paint and forcing Portland to shoot over their defense to beat them, Brandon Roy is an important part of this Blazers team. Getting him going is imperative for Portland’s chances to turn this series around. As it stands now, Roy is shooting one of eight from the field for two points.