Abbott: LaMarcus Aldridge, All-Star?
Henry Abbott of TrueHoop.com talks about Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge's All-Star candidacy...
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"The result is a top ten PER -- at the moment just behind Dwight Howard and ahead of Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin -- and a new round of calls that this man deserves to head to Orlando with those certain All-Stars."
"Of course it's a big honor to make the game. But if I get that whole week off, I'm not going to be mad, because my body has been going through the fire. I always play a lot of minutes, and this season even more. If I got that time off I wouldn't even be mad."
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As ThisizKiki noted in the FanShots, the Blazers have launched their Aldridge All-Star campaign by sending out custom-made Beats by Dre headphones to Western Conference coaches and select national media members.
Interestingly, Fran Blinebury of NBA.com suggests that Blazers center Marcus Camby deserves some All-Star consideration too.
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At 37 years old in his 16th NBA season, Marcus Camby has never gotten the All-Star recognition he deserves because he simply doesn’t score enough points. For all that LaMarcus Aldridge has done for the Trail Blazers this season, Camby is the old man at his back getting rebounds and blocking shots.
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ed: text updated, bumped to front page
4 months ago
austinpwnz
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Top 10 per is nice!
I hope he can keep that up. I felt his best chance was to beast with the Blazers staying among the top teams in the West. That ship has sailed though so it will be interesting to see what happens.
He’s getting a whole lot more attention this year though. Even without all the lobs he’s having a career year.
Go to espn.go.com/nba
In the bar near the top, there’s link for “Stats” (among the links to “Scores,” “Teams,” “Standings,” etc). That will take you to a page that has the leader board for box-score stats. Above the board is a silver-grey heading that has two links in it on the right hand side, one that says “Hollinger Team Stats” and one that says “Hollinger Player Stats.” If you click the latter, it will take you an advanced stats page that is automatically sorted by PER.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
Coaches will get him in...
Duncan is a no in my book and so is Gasol…That would leave Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, and Paul Millsap, and LMA. Millsap is marginal as well.
#7
At this point, he's got to be a lock....
you could argue he’s a top 10 player in the league. He will get in over Duncan and Gasol…. you could even argue he would get in over Dirk….if you want to base comparisions on individual play thus far this season.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
Yeah, at best, Dirk hasn't been any better than LA this season
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
Aldridge will be a all-star for sure
Among last year’s 12 allstars – Melo & Deron is out. Manu is injured. Duncan is not even close to allstar level.
Remaining 8 will be voted/selected again without a doubt, plus Bynum will be voted as starting center:
Kobe Bryant
Chris Paul
Russell Westbrook
Kevin Durant
Pau Gasol
Blake Griffin
Kevin Love
Dirk Nowitzki
Bynum
3 spots left. Aldridge, one player from Denver & Utah (Gallanari & Millsap?) filled in.
Aldridge is the most deserving among the three.
I can’t think of any player who deserves to replace either Gallanari or Millsap, not to mention Aldridge.
Can that many forwards make it in, though?
I’m too lazy to look it up, but doesn’t the bench have to follow the 2 guard, 2 forward, 1 center lineup? And then there are a couple at-large spots?
"Say his NAME, Portland. Gerald Wallace is...awesome." -Dave, 4/9/11
The play with it...
They will call Dirk and Pau centers.
Still needs one more guard
which should go to Kyle Lowry. Nene seems to have a better shot at backup C than Gallo does at making it as a F or wild card.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
I think one of those spots would go to guard....
It’s hard to pick who though…remember when there were so many really good guards in the west? Not very many “all-nba” guards anymore.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
Harden doesn't deserve it as much as Lowry, and maybe Parker.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
Duncan wasn't even close to an allstar level last year either
"What began as a credible protest against bank bailouts, crony capitalism and the like has, in large measure, been hijacked by crazies and criminals,"
it seems like the coaches need to stop picking the guy who was REALLY GOOD
for most of his career..but is still good but probably will be just fine to not be picked.
Love Tim Duncan but COME ON….let the younger players play.
It was a career acheivement award pick
I would have thought that the other 13 all-star appearances would have been sufficient
"What began as a credible protest against bank bailouts, crony capitalism and the like has, in large measure, been hijacked by crazies and criminals,"
Gotta be honest...
I posted this so fast because I was excited to get the Ben edit-and-front-page treatment…my next goal is to post one that follows this style guide and is indistinguishable from an edited post.
Plus, it’s interesting, after LMA’s well-publicized all-star goal in the past.
"Say his NAME, Portland. Gerald Wallace is...awesome." -Dave, 4/9/11
I think he almost always edits them in some way
unless it’s really simple.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
challenge accepted!
:)
"Say his NAME, Portland. Gerald Wallace is...awesome." -Dave, 4/9/11
if he didn't edit it, he'd have to pay you 35% of his hourly rate.
them’s the rules.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
I doubt B Roy would have ever shown indifference to being an all star.
The great ones have an unreasonable drive to dominate and be the man. Thusly, they do things like put their bodies on the line drawing fouls in crunch time, and relish the opportunity to show up their peers at a meaningless exhibition game while soaking in the publicity of it. The truth is, truly great players are selfish, seeing team play as merely the vehicle through which they achieve their own personal goals.
That’s why LMA will always be a great guy and excellent player, but never truly great as a first option.
Come on, let's all hug it out.
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Feb 1, 2012 2:51 PM PST via mobile reply actions
I think its more of a PR type thing
last year he was very public with how important it was, and when he didnt make it, it was a major blow. This time around he plays the non-chalant card, and when he gets named to the team he can gush about how great an honor it is to be chosen by the coaches, without the risk of being majorly embarrassed by another snub.
I JUST WANT MY BASKETBALL BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Sean in Vancouver on Feb 1, 2012 2:59 PM PST up reply actions
I would bet my salary this year that he really, really wants it, but after last year, won't let his mind go there just yet.
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
Yeah, he's looking at the silver lining to the cloud should he not get it once again
And that lining is nothing to sneeze at (to mix metaphors). A week of rest in this ridiculously grueling season would be, well, golden.
I still believe in Greg Oden. The Blazers' medical staff? Not so much.
I'd change my handle to "bringback'09," but I'm too lazy.
it's hard to be great as first option when you are a power forward...kind of depend on the whole
GUARD thing to move toward you….
And I think some of this has to do with coaching.
Wasn’t Tim Duncan first option for a few years? And who is the coach for his team?!!! ugh…I wish Nate McMillan would STUDY that man’s moves.
LMA is a lock at his current production
Griffin has star appeal even if he isn’t as efficient or skilled. Bubble players are Gasol, Nowitzki and Millsap.
Millsap has a higher PER – but is playing fewer minutes at a lot lower usage. Gasol doesn’t even belong in the discussion. The only thing he has going for him is history. Nowitzki pretty much the same – but has a much higher usage than Gasol (and Gasol’s is even lower than Millsap’s).
Of the small forwards, the only two West SF’s that deserve consideration are Durant and Gallinari.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Love, of course, is also a lock
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Love deserves it more this year than he did last year.
Also think it has a bit to do with being Caucasion…many love him just for this IMO.
Let me get this straight
Kevin Love won’t be voted in by the fans, so if he makes the squad it will be because he was selected by the coaches, and the coaches will select him because he is white? I have to admit this leaves me a little speechless.
not really Love is exactly the same player he was last year
it just so happens that adding a pretty good point guard and a damn good coach to what had been probably the worst collection of rotation players in the NBA helps your team win games. Who knew?
i keep dancing on my own.
yeah I’m quite confident LA makes it. I’d love for Love, LA and Millsap all to make it as I think they deserve it, even if its at Gasol’s expense (and I think a lot of Gasol as a player).
Gasol isn't as good this year. And wasn't as good last year in the playoffs..that whole
girlfriend thing messed him up.
PER weighs usage heavily
so Millsap’s performance there is even more impressive.
i keep dancing on my own.
Anyone else surprised that LMA is having a better (stats) year than last?
I guess I’ve been taking him for granted this year. Another eye test failure.
His passing is the only thing that's really better
His usage ticked up, so his PER goes up. Everything else disappears when you account for pace.
What is surprising is how his TS% is the same, even though he’s shooting more long jumpers and attempting fewer FT’s per FG.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
we often fail to remember how LMA played fairly poorly in the BRoy uncertainty phase last year
He didn’t hit his stride until a month or two into the season.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aldrila01/splits/2011/
"Say his NAME, Portland. Gerald Wallace is...awesome." -Dave, 4/9/11
December Dallas game...as I recal...l was his breakout game.
If Miller was with the team this year, I think his numbers would be through the roof.
December 15th
a date that will live in Blazer infamy…well not really infamy per se…but we will remember it …sorta
"What began as a credible protest against bank bailouts, crony capitalism and the like has, in large measure, been hijacked by crazies and criminals,"
He's actually been a bit of a slow starter the past couple of years
I hope that trend continues this year, because it would mean he’s improved a lot and is going to explode at the end of next month.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
Maintaining TS% with higher usage is a actually a pretty big deal
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
I've read different things on that
Some say TS% goes down with higher usage rates, some say it’s practically constant. But it seems to be broadly agreed that ORtg usually goes down when usage goes up, and LA’s ORtg has done that this season.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
His ORating is down because of a very slight uptick in his TOs (nothing concerning) and a very slight downtick in ORB. These probably don’t have a lot to do with his usage.
i keep dancing on my own.
Lifetime Achievement Award?
Expand the roster by one slot and have at least one player a year get picked…..
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
lol, I'd rather not...
"If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind."
by thankyouforblaze on Feb 1, 2012 5:45 PM PST up reply actions
me too. Love Camby.
Such a wise smart player. Loved the whole “groin” strain thing…“yeah, I may have a groin strain..and will pull myself from the Sacramento home game…” sometimes a player has to take things into his own hands.
duh. his name is LaMarcus Allstar
"If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind."
by thankyouforblaze on Feb 1, 2012 5:45 PM PST reply actions
This one isn't true actually
“I always play a lot of minutes, and this season even more.”
…LMA has played less minutes per game this season than he has since his 2nd year in the league
But this one is dead on
“People say I should have made it last year,” he explained. "I thought I wasn’t going to make it, because it’s, you know, a lot of politicking and things like that. "
I hope he busts through this year
"What began as a credible protest against bank bailouts, crony capitalism and the like has, in large measure, been hijacked by crazies and criminals,"
Probably feels like more minutes due to the compressed schedule....
or if we invent a new metric and look at minutes played per real life time passed… ;)
"Say his NAME, Portland. Gerald Wallace is...awesome." -Dave, 4/9/11
You should do that
I will name it after you
(no one else will …but I will)
"What began as a credible protest against bank bailouts, crony capitalism and the like has, in large measure, been hijacked by crazies and criminals,"
but how many games in how many days? I'm sure he's going by how his body feels.
He’s probably muscling more in the post than he had to last year. And less alley oops with no Miller….
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