Has LaMarcus Aldridge Reached his Peak?
by bowdown on Jun 5, 2010 5:38 PM PDT
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PrintI have a scary stat for you my friends. Aldridge has averaged exactly 7.4 FG makes per game since his sophomore year. Does he have anything more to offer to us? We know he will probably peak at 8.5-9 rebs per game in his prime but we havent seen any offensive development. I am afraid we need a change. Thats the truth. Aldridge is all he can be right now. There is no more physical maturity he is going to go through at this stage. His offensive game has plateaued to an above average inconsistent/ un-clutch scorer.
Do you think we will be asking for a trade after the 10-11 season?
Give your thoughts
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we will find out this season
he has 3 strait similar seasons
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
draft Ekpe Udoh
I think it might just come down to health of our team
Aldridge is descent. We have other potential major stars in Roy, Oden, Batum
WITH ODEN ON OUR SIDE
And Aldridge is still above average
Plus I personally feel he is a player that will improve with age. At the end of his current contract he will have earned another just like it if not better.
Very durable so far
Be honest his jumper is pure – 3 pointers will come next and they will be money! Greg is the inside man. Don’t make the leopard change his stripes cause it’s not gonna happen. Yes, he is overpaid but he is a player to build around.
by Jacksonville on Jun 5, 2010 10:16 PM PDT up reply actions
agreed
Oden’s health is the lynchpin in Aldridge’s future. When LMA has a big behind him he is twice the player he is when forced to play the 5 or with Juwan at center. When Oden was healthy Aldridge looked great. When Camby came it opened up LMA’s game.
As long as Greg can remain on the floor and Camby get still get up and down the court, I think LMA is a good fit for this team.
I remember the LMA bashing coming to a peak during the time period between Joel’s injury and the Camby trade.
The poll is kinda weak
We might not see much more in terms of statistical production, but he’s the right PF for this team.
He has the potential to do a lot more, but it’s not his role to do it. The guy is content to help his team mates and not complain. I honestly think that if Oden and Batum end up being better than him, he’ll have no problem being a 4th option. And yet, he’s good enough to be the #2 on a playoff team.
by HailOden! on Jun 5, 2010 5:57 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
exactly... This poll is way to all or nothing
Cant pick “Yeah! He has plenty more to show us” He hasn’t reached his peak but he likely will contribute at a similar level for at least the next few years… (which is good) He has a little room to grow on defense but I would be suprised to see any significant changes to his offensive game…
That being said no way I could select “Nope. I think he is what he is now and it is not enough” He is a very good PF. Yes he isn’t the best PF in the league but he is one of the better young PF.
If Oden can become the inside presence he was intended to be it makes LA even a better fit for this team than most. We need to spend less time worried about LA and a bit more worried about our training staff and what we do when Andre Miller runs out of years he can contribute
"At 49, I can say something I never would have said when I was a player, that I'm a better person because of my failures and disgraces." -- Bill Walton
by MischiefPortland on Jun 7, 2010 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Posts about LaMarcus have plateaued early this year.
Posts about LaMarcus have plateaued early this year.
I’m waiting expectantly for somebody to bring me something new, but everybody that disses him really is pretty soft. I just wish we could bring in some posters from another site who aren’t scared of the dirty work. We really missed our chance to grab some BSoS posters who could actually take it to the rack.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
by mittsabishy on Jun 5, 2010 6:38 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
LOL
everybody that disses him really is pretty soft.
Gotta love this. Rec’ed
by upper left corner on Jun 6, 2010 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Individual predictions are tough in a team game,
especially when he could go either way.
He has the shown ability to reach ridiculous heights.
&
He has not always shown the desire to climb the mountain.
He is what he is
but if the team can find a more legitmate number 2 (like a healthy Oden) then it will be enough. That said, I don’t really expect Oden to ever get and stay healthy.
I’m just waiting for the eventual tear down and rebuild in three years time after Brandon takes his medical retirement, Aldridge gets traded for expiring contracts, and Oden starts dental school. Let the Nic Batum era commence …
you depress me
"In fact you might say that Ugly is the Blazers' secret weapon this year."
-Dave
As for the Blazers...They are officially the NBA equivalent of a movie serial killer
-basketbawful
I like Lamartha and hope he stays....
as our 3rd or 4th option. My hope is Greg stays healthy, Brandon improves this year, and Nic becomes a 3rd option / part time playmaker. Lamartha as a 4th scoring option sounds pretty sweet to me. That is of course if he doesn’t have that breakout season and become what he has the potential to be.
"What people need to know is that those pictures were taken a year and a half ago, and I've grown since then." - Greg Oden
but I have a feeling he wouldn't call Aldridge "LaMartha" to his face
and neither would Chad Doing. Ii would be more like “Yes Mr. Aldridge, could you sign this for my nephew, please?”
“HIs name is Dario”
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I think Aldridge can get better at putting the ball on the floor like Amare. He could also get better at that face up game. Creating space
with a jab step or two and hitting a little 10 footer.
I likes me some LA
Remember that LA has the same problem as Roy. He has not had a consistent line up to really pin him down as maxed out. He is our most consistent player. He is a lesser Dirk! 18 and 8 is solid. 50% shooter that can spread the floor with his range. Yes, he is not a game changer a la Broy. But his job is to play his role and he does that well. Why offer a max contract to a player that they don’t feel confident in having?
You make this team that much less when you lose him. Look at the stats after Camby came to town. He needed a teacher to show him the way. I hardly ever remember seeing the tip out rebounds a la Camby come from LA before his arrival.
If you want a pitbull then go get Tyrus Thomas or Ben Wallace to back him up.
I wouldn't mind signing Wallace
just to have someone LMA could pick up some serious, physical defense from. Of course, we have Camby, but I don’t see anything wrong with having him learn from two former DPOYs
Tyrus Thomas a pitbull?
more like a bean pole, he’s a leaper not a banger
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
LA
The way he’s playing right now is not worth his contract. However, the way he’s playing right now is also pretty much what the team needs what with Oden coming back next year. This year he was a major disappointment in the playoffs, but he won’t have to think about crashing boards as much with Oden back in the lineup.
actually
he was still getting paid his rookie wages last season—so he outplayed it last year.
next year is when he starts earning the big bucks
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
draft Ekpe Udoh
by thomasikehara on Jun 5, 2010 10:21 PM PDT up reply actions
LaMarcus is 24 years old.
Considering how he played some excellent basketball the second half of last season, the only way he’s reached his peak is if he has no desire to improve (which I firmly believe is untrue). This is a guy who played pretty darn well in the playoffs without Brandon Roy and a center playing over 30 minutes (much less a center who was thrown into the rotation at the trade deadline and playing on a sprained ankle).
Like Dave said in all of his season reviews, this season is very hard to assess. LaMarcus played out of position for a very good portion of the season. Once he is paired up with a brute force center (like Oden and/or Przybilla) next year like he likes playing with, I think we will see a very different LaMarcus Aldridge.
kind of a lame pole
i think he is what he is and that suits me just fine
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
draft Ekpe Udoh
Need to see what he can do with Oden
For more than 1.1 seasons.
"OK Kids! Who wants a basketball? That's why I love my Chevy Silverado."
Remember Jermaine?
That’s the thing that scares me, as soon as we trade LA (IF) he will blossom on some other team. Pluse Aldridge has shown a lot more potential than Jermaine O’Neil did when we traded him. I think in time Aldridge can be a KG type minus the A-hole quality that one Garnett poses.
"With the first pick of the 2007 NBA draft, the Portland Trail Blazers select: Greg Oden from Ohio State University"
la is a starter for us
oneil rode the bench when he was with us
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
draft Ekpe Udoh
by thomasikehara on Jun 6, 2010 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions
I remember. He went out and got a tatoo something to the effect of “year of the resurrection” but it wasn’t until he got to Indiana when the lived up to its meaning. Either way I’m just saying lets not write off #12 just yet.
"With the first pick of the 2007 NBA draft, the Portland Trail Blazers select: Greg Oden from Ohio State University"
The tatto read "1999, The year of the Resurrection"
During the 1999-2000 season Jerm averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game
Playing behind Grant and Wallace, for Mike Dunleavy
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/POR/2000.html
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I can't really complain about a 24 yr old getting me 18 and 8 on solid shooting percentages
Would I like him to improve, go inside more, become a help defender? Of course.
Doesn’t mean we should trade him because he isn’t Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol in one.
by collectiveshane on Jun 6, 2010 10:10 AM PDT reply actions
People have such short memories,
and are so impatient! Can’t we all remember when Pau was disparaged by almost everyone for being soft, etc.? How about Dirk? Too soft, only plays outside, weak defense. Players learn, grow, mature, improve. Why would we possibly suspect that someone as young and physically gifted as LA would not continue to improve?!?
To be fair, Pau was never soft.
It was more of a by-product of fans’ stereotype regarding Euros: that they are “soft” players that play out on the perimeter. The Gasol brothers always scored inside and were willing to bang the boards. It was not Pau’s fault that he was the best player when on a team when it is clear that he should never be a top guy if you want to contend for a title.
Also, both Pau and Dirk are LA’s superior by far. Pau, even in Memphis, was a legit all-star and Dirk is a superstar. LA, not so much.
"I think he’s been doing some good things. I think he’s been doing some good things. He’s had to play a lot of minutes lately with Blake being out. I think he’s been doing some good things." -Nate McMillan
yeah, both were stars by LA’s age. Neither had put up their best seasons yet, but they were both playing at a level quite a bit higher than LA.
Are you saying that
Pau was more highly regarded than LA after his 3rd year in the NBA? That’s certainly not how I remember it. We knew going into a game against the Grizz that either Sheed or Zack would dominate. I also seem to remember the rap against Dirk that he was not good in crunch time, didn’t have what it took to be a champ, wasn’t a warrior, etc. Same things they were saying about PAU. When was the first time Pau made the allstar team? Dirk?
And to xedubx, I was not at all implying that LA is as good as either of those guys, but only saying that people were all saying the same things about them early in their careers. What was being said probably had a lot of truth to it, as it does about LA, but those players developed, as I believe LA will.
except LA being "soft", shall we say, is true.
opposed to Pau. Aldridge does take a large # of his shots in the perimeter…and I won’t even get into his defensive rebounding rate.
Also, if you are suggesting guys like Pau and Dirk improved drastically in their first four years to current times, that would be false as well. Both made incremental improvements, but not a drastic one that would take for Aldridge to be an all-star. Both players’ production stayed rather similar throughout although Gasol improved his efficiency when he went to the lakers while Dirk’s usage went up in his prime. After 3 or 4 years in the league, what you see is likely what you get, except for few rare examples like Chancey Billups. Rather, it would be unwise to count on Aldridge to make another leap as he did from year 1 to 2.
"I think he’s been doing some good things. I think he’s been doing some good things. He’s had to play a lot of minutes lately with Blake being out. I think he’s been doing some good things." -Nate McMillan
I would argue
That Pau is the best player on his current team, and they are contending for a title.
Pau is more efficient than K*be and way more vital to their success. That team proved when K*be was hurt that they can win without him. When Gasol was hurt, they struggled. Now, that’s not conclusive, but it’s a pretty good sign that, while being the second option on his team, he is their top guy.
That whole sidekick thing to the superstar
does have some merit it seems.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Well, this is what I suspect as well.
But I also thought that Scottie Pippen was actually more important than MJ in second and third championship run as well.
Still, lot has to be said about having a supremely talented perimeter player to take pressure off you, even if you are the most important player on that team. Pau might be most important member on his team, but it’s still kobe’s team and he takes the shots in the crunch time. Plus, what allowed Pau to become more efficient is due to having guys like kobe, Odom, and Bynum to free him up from the double and triple teams he faced in Memphis. Hence why I support getting a legit star to pair with Roy given Oden’s health and Aldridge just not being good enough.
"I think he’s been doing some good things. I think he’s been doing some good things. He’s had to play a lot of minutes lately with Blake being out. I think he’s been doing some good things." -Nate McMillan
I don't think I agree with your last point
But as far as LMA not being good enough, we’ve never really seen Roy play without him or ZBo. LMA, on the other hand, has played without Roy, and this season he did really well in that situation before the playoffs. LMA spreading the floor and drawing double teams (a little more often than Roy does, by merit of his size) is part of what makes Roy so good. And let’s not forget that Roy gets a good number of his assists off of pick and pops with LMA.
I think the issue is that we need a better, healthier team to surround Roy and Aldridge, as those two are perfect teammates for each other. We have our K*obe and our Pau (I just threw up a little in my mouth making that comparison), what we need are our Odom, Bynum, and Artest. Having Oden and Batum healthy, Miller settled into his role, Camby for a full season, and Bayless more developed will increase LMA’s efficiency the same way that the other L*kers make Pau and K*be better. Same rules apply to both players.
the great 18+ fade away jumper…the cornerstone of every great PF.
I would love to replace LA with an actual POWER forward who can defend the bigger guys of the league and take the ball to the hoop against not only good defending #4 but also Centers that slide over for coverage or on a switch. Unfortunately, LA has shown this is outside his comfort zone; relying on the fade away to make a bucked rather than go toe to toe to the hoop. This is also why, IMO, PF seem to dominate against the blazers down on the post unless a player like Camby can slide over to help defend when the ball is taken to the hoop.
People seem to think LA will do better once he has a solid presence of Oden next to him, but I doubt its much better than when Camby is in there. Defensively, Camby is better than Oden so it won’t change much there, which is a major issue for the blazers. Offensively, maybe…but I doubt its much more than the current situation. My bet is that pair benefits Oden more than changing much of LA’s numbers…and of course that depends on if Oden can use those moves to the bucket he worked so hard on last off season and we saw a few glimpses of before his injury last year.
I would trade LA for a true power forward any day of the week.
the great 18+ fade away jumper…the cornerstone of every great PF.
A few names of power forwards who were known for their outside shooting ability
Elvin Hayes
Maurice Lucas
Dave DeBusschere
Jerry Lucas
Karl Malone
Bob Pettit
A couple of centers in the same category
Patrick Ewing
David Robinson
James Edwards
Bob Lanier
Willis Reed
I’m not saying that LMA is going to be an all-star or hall of famer, but to dis-associate outside shooting from the PF position is to not understand NBA history. Like I said yesterday, I find that Blazer fans who feel that LMA is too soft is in relation to how pessimstic they are about Oden’s return to healthy production. Greg is what you’re looking for LMA to be: a beast. If #52 can stay healthy, he’ll need a sidekick who can spread the floor playing alongside him at the PF position
The Blazers have a pretty good one, he wears #12. I’ll keep him around, every day of the week
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Seeing those names, I just keep wondering how would things of been different if we were able to bring over a young healthy Sabonis. Not taking anything away from Big Duck (R.I.P) but man, “What if”
"With the first pick of the 2007 NBA draft, the Portland Trail Blazers select: Greg Oden from Ohio State University"
You're all wrong about LA
Aldridge has always puzzled me. During his rookie season he was very effective in paint. A lot of people probably don’t remember cuz they didn’t start watching again til we were winning, but LA got offensive boards, he blocked shots, and he played aggressively. That is until Nate McMillan turned him into a jump shooter. Watch this Vid of LA I found on Youtube. Tell me what you think.
Seems like he plays the same now, only with better range
He grabbed O boards, but he boxes out better now because we have other players who rebound. And wasn’t he the backup center at the time? That would explain why he would do more work in the paint back then, but as we have seen, he doesn’t really do well when playing the 5 for extended periods.
He was the Backup C
I’m just trying to show people that LA isn’t as soft as people think. I’ve said many times that LA had his best year as a rookie before Nate got his hands on him. I’ve heard Aldridge get drilled by the fan base here for not playing inside. It’s always been my opinion that LA is playing the way the coach is asking him to play. You can see from the vid that he’s capable of playing around the rim, so why they don’t give him the ball closer to the hoop is beyond me.
I've never agreed with the people who think he needs to play closer to the rim
The last thing we need is more defenders packing the paint. Having Aldridge out on the perimeter stretches the help defense out, especially considering that whoever is on LMA is probably pretty decent sized. Let Oden work down low, and let Aldridge work away from the rim. Having a floor spacing big is crucial when your offense depends so heavily on penetration oriented guards like Miller, Roy, and Bayless. If anything needs to change about his offense, I’d like him to extend his range a little, turning a few long 2’s into 3’s would add some extra scoring.
Do you change your opionin watch LA hi-low game.
They continue to have Gasol below ft extended, and bynum is almost most always within a few yards of the rim, yet they get great looks, much better then Aldridge does.
People confuse being on the perimeter with spacing.
Try-angle
It looks pretty good when Kobe isn’t busy making it look dumb.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
Since when does LA's offense depend on guard penetration?
You’re comparing apples and oranges. Fisher is a shooter, K*be is lethal anywhere, Artest relies pretty heavily on the 3 for offense (though he’s no sniper), Odom is a floor spacer like Aldridge…
When your only guy generating offense more than 15 ft out is Batum, it’s way to easy to pack the paint. We complained about the team taking too many jump shots this season, but it would have been easier to avoid that if Miller and Roy had an easieer time getting into the paint. 3pt shooting helps spread the floor, as we saw when we played PHX. That’s not confusing being on the perimeter with spacing, that’s knowing what it takes on the perimeter to achieve proper spacing.
It’s always been my opinion that LA is playing the way the coach is asking him to play
Ding-ding-ding we have a winner!
LMA was interviewed by BT Smith earlier this year and said something like “I never pay any attention to the fans or media because they don’t even know what our strategy is from game to game”
Zing. I’m sure he didn’t say it to be mean-spirited, it just is what it is
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Wow
I’m surprised at how many people think he has max’d. Everytime I watch LaMarcus play I think to myself how unstoppable he will be when he finally develops a decent post game. Everything else is already in place.
"I been ridin' the midnight train, got ice water in my veins." -Bob Dylan
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice
To me its not really a question
of how tough he is, or whether he’s maxed out, but rather a question on
how competitive he is.
While he’s a very good player, I don’t know if he has the drive to be a champion.
I'm not sure that Brandon has the drive to be an elite defender, either
but he seems to get more of a pass than LMA, for some reason
they both need a coach like Thibodeau, who won’t let them take possessions off, on D
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
It's just not gonna happen in this system
He won’t reach 20pts per as long as he only gets 14 shots. He doesn’t get to the line enough cuz most his shots come from the outside which is where the coach wants him. He’ll never get 10 boards either. We don’t take many shots and with Camby, Oden and Pryz it doesn’t leave many rebounds for LA. Plus, we don’t use him to crash the boards on offense.
It’s funny how many people want LA to do this and be that. However, as soon as LA says screw Brandon, screw Coach, screw the system, and just does his own thing people will want to run him out of town for that too.
nah i dont think we will ever
find out what LMAs ceiling is.
simply because of the system he is playing in. Im sure if he was required to be “The Man” for an NBA team his stats and style of play would be a lot different.
For the Blazers he will be 2nd to 4th option, so to expect 20 and 10 is unreasonable imo.
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