In a season of mountainous highs and Marianas-level lows, one of the biggest things to take away is how stellar LaMarcus Aldridge has been in a Blazer uniform.
December 9th, 2014 versus the Detroit Pistons, Aldridge drilled a three from near the top of the circle to beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter. In the process he passed Terry Porter for second all-time in Trail Blazers scoring. This topped off a stretch where Aldridge won Western Conference Player of the Week and made his fourth All-Star appearance.
To truly understand the level to which Aldridge has soared, consider that Aldridge has scored more points for the Trail Blazers than Terry Porter... in 110 fewer games and over 1000 fewer minutes. That kind of dominance has only been equaled by one player in franchise history. Aldridge would need to play three and a half more seasons at his current output to pass Clyde Drexler. He's caught everyone else already.
But even Drexler isn't completely safe. On March 20th, 2015, Aldridge passed Clyde for most rebounds in Trail Blazers history, snagging number 5,340 at the end of the third quarter in a game versus the Orlando Magic. This achievement is about longevity as much as anything. Despite ranking first in total rebounds, Aldridge is not in the top ten of any advanced rebounding metric. Among players who have played in the Rose City for at least two seasons, he ranks well behind Robin Lopez, Marcus Camby, and Kermit Washington in rebounding percentage.
That said, when rebounds are paired with scoring (and a shockingly high shooting percentage for a mid-range artist) the whole picture comes into focus. Other players have exceeded Aldridge in certain categories, but when you ask who's put it all together to build a dominant career, LaMarcus' name floats to the top.
Assuming Aldridge re-signs with the Blazers, it's hard to imagine him not passing Drexler and becoming the leading scorer in team history during. He has Clyde in his sights in scoring, field goals, field goals attempted, games, and minutes played.
Even if number 12 decides to leave Portland behind, there is little doubt that he ranks among top five Trail Blazers of all-time. Fans should enjoy his dominance and the joy he brought to the city. If he does leave, his first game back should be a five minute standing ovation. He deserves it, he's earned it, and Portland fans will wait a decade or more to find anyone equaling what he's done.