USA - Roy the boy

NEW YORK (NBA) - Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy fell one vote shy of a unanimous choice as NBA Rookie of the Year.

In balloting released Wednesday, Roy was the runaway winner in a down season for first-year players, receiving 127 of 128 first-place votes and 638 points from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters in North America.

Roy is the first Trail Blazer in 35 years to win the award. Sidney Wicks won in 1972, one year after Geoff Petrie shared the award with Boston's Dave Cowens in 1971.

The other first-place vote went to Toronto Raptors' Italian forward Andrea Bargnani, the top overall pick in the 2006 draft who finished with 264 points.

Selected sixth overall by Minnesota and traded to Portland in a draft-day deal, Roy led all rookies in scoring at 16.8 points per game.  He also was tops among rookies in assists (4.0) and minutes (35.4) per game.

Roy shot nearly 46% from the field and 84% from the line while averaging 4.4 rebounds and 1.18 steals.  He missed 25 games due to injury but helped the Trail
Blazers improve by 11 wins from the previous season.

At the Rookie Challenge at All-Star Weekend, Roy had six points, three rebounds four assists and a steal in 24 minutes.

The 7ft Bargnani received 77 second-place votes. He began in inconsistent fashion but became a reliable reserve and spot starter, averaging 11.6 points and 3.9 rebounds as he helped the Raptors reach the post-season for the first time in five years.

Memphis forward Rudy Gay was third with 93 points and Charlotte forward Adam Morrison was fourth with 44 points. Minnesota guard Randy Foye, who was traded for Roy, was fifth and Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge was sixth.

New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul won a year ago.

FIBA