Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus writes... ------------------------ "There are a couple of different ways you can look at the difference (between LA's stats in the first 25 games vs. the last 23). One is that, for the last month and a half, Aldridge has been one of the NBA's top players--regularly outplaying other contenders like Griffin and Love. The other perspective is that Aldridge was not anywhere near an All-Star for a month and a half to start the season, and those games count too. As part of the "LA to LA" campaign, Blazers fans have agreed to ignore the fact that Aldridge's middling play hurt the team during its below-.500 start. The upside is this: If Aldridge continues to play at this level, next year there will be no debate about his All-Star credentials." ------------------------ Ed: bumped to front page