I'm in the middle of a long post about LMA's season so far, and am interested in the prevailing fan views of why there's a whole bunch of people shouting "M-V-P" this year vice the last few years. A) He's in the paint more ("LaMonster" effect) B) He's shooting better, especially his "post-game" jumpers C) He's doing other things (defense, rebounding, assists, leadership) much better D) He's the same---team's just 18-4 right now E) Other (Please explain)
I choose D. I think he is gradually improving and we may be seeing him at his peak, but it hasn't been a huge leap. I think the MVP is that he is playing like LaMonster (like he did at times last year) and the Blazer record has put the Blazers fans on a high. If LA can maintain this all year, that will be a big leap from last year. But he has been player of the week in the past so seeing this kind of production from him during a span of a few weeks isn't new.
I'll go with the basics, since I don't remember where to go for shot charts. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aldrila01.html Look at the raw numbers (or the PER 36's): He's upped his game over 2 points per game over last year which is tough to do when you're already a 20+ ppg guy. His rebounding is up, too. Both of those improvements push him into career-high territory. Advanced stats: His PER is higher than Clyde's was during our finals years. His DRtg is the lowest of his career, probably because his Steals Rate the highest of his career. His Assist Rate is at a career high too, facilitating his open teammates. He's just playing as well as we all dreamed he could. He can take over games, play clutch in the fourth or dominate the first. He has always been a highly intelligent player, but now he has the 10,000 hours of experience under his belt, and that has given him mastery over his domain. Things are coming more naturally, and he reacts more fluidly to the situation. Look at his newer moves: He's learned to turn away from the baseline to the middle for a drive to the hoop. He gets to the line more now than at any other time in his career. In short, we're just seeing a long-time Blazer at his very best, and rewarding him with the chant he really deserves. He's *our* MVP.
Other: He's got a team that compliments his game, specifically: wings that can shoot, and a legit center. And, he's stronger, and healthy this season.
