Aldridge isn't an all star

[mook]

Aldridge has been really disappointing this year so far to me. His passing this year has been great. He's had some good offensive games, and his post defense is as good as ever.

But my god is he a horrible offensive rebounder. Just watch him after every shot--he starts trotting back while the ball is still in the air, no matter how many other guys are behind him. The only offensive rebounds he's getting are on his own putbacks. His overall rebounding is pathetic--a power forward averaging 38mpg and getting only 7 boards? Yeesh.

And his help defense is absolutely appalling. I don't know how a guy that tall and that athletic can do such a piss-poor job of protecting the rim. You would think after playing all those years with Przybilla, Camby and Oden that at some point he would have learned to block a shot from the weakside every once in a while, but maybe he's come to think of it as "the other big man's job" or something.

Basically, Aldridge's mindset is that if he's not going man-on-man either offensively or defensively, he's checking out of the play.

Given our likely record, it was doubtful he was going to make the All Star game anyway. But 20ppg (on 42% shooting!) and little else isn't even close to getting it done.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I think he just needs a veteran to come in and get in his ear. Sort of like the way Oakley pushed Vince Carter out of his softness.

Or he needs to be traded. One or the other.

I don't think he and Hickson are a good combo, though. Part of Aldridge's passivity on offensive rebounding might be that that's Hickson's wheelhouse. (What is a wheelhouse anyway? Why did I just use that stupid term?)

 

[illmatic99]

I think he's taking the year off.

Might be better for us in the longrun, but a horrible way to set the example for our young guys.

 

[BrianFromWA]

it was too late last night for me to go through it, but I saw at least 3 examples of LMA checking out of a defensive possession when it was his responsibility to either rotate across or step up. He just stood there.

Look, everyone has a bad game. What I'm slightly worried about is that, for the most part, he's back to taking 18' jumpers and playing SportsCenter D.

 

[santeesioux]

I only listened on the radio, but he was horrible at the end of the game.

 

[HailBlazers]

Not at this rate

Having the summer off, not able to work on post moves has killed him IMO

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Blazers have problems at almost every position. Rebuilding sucks

 

[Natebishop3]

I said it before, and I'll say it again. We should have traded him for Harden.

 

[RR7]

Sorry Aldridge, you had a good one year run of people liking you in here, apparently.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Sorry Aldridge, you had a good one year run of people liking you in here, apparently.

He is the face of the franchise, when things are bad, he will be the one people blame. Goes with the teritiory, IMO. (especially with Nate gone)

 

[HailBlazers]

I said it before, and I'll say it again. We should have traded him for Harden.

And I've said it before and I'll say it again we should have kept Andre Miller and drafted Faried, but here we are..

Aldridge just needs to get in the post and get to the line more. There's no reason why he shouldn't average 22 points a game.

Kaiser: Blazers F LaMarcus Aldridge Is "Transforming" Into "Glorified Wing Shooter"

 

[blazedanugz]

How quick we a forget he is a notorious slow starter. Let's bring this up in another 10 games

 

[donkiez]

LA has never been a strong rebounder, that's why management has tried so hard to pair with with brute types like Oden and Hibbert. I also think that the Stotts offense uses LA more like Dallas uses Dirk which keeps LA more outside-in which plays to his strength but emphasizes his weakness more. It would be nice if he was a better rebounder but given his overall contribution, and that no player has it all, I'm pretty satisfied with his season so far.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Stott's offense uses Aldridge like Dirk. Jumpers with little to no post play. Naturally, Aldridge, a subpar rebounder, will average less rebounds per game.

Actually, it makes me think that in this kind of offense, if we can put Mathews on the bench and play Aldridge at SF. Lillard-Batum-Aldridge-Hickson-Leonard. That way, it'd help with rebounding while making the bench somewhat more capable.

 

[BrianFromWA]

there's something to that. I was thinking it last night when we rolled out some Price/Lillard/Sasha or Price/Lillard/Barton lineups that we have more serviceable bigs than we do guards and that Leonard isn't embarrassing himself and that, for all that we crush his ball-handling skills, Wes isn't much worse at it than Price and Smith are. So, if you do like Dean says and start Lillard/Batum/LMA/Hickson/Leonard, you can bring Wes off the bench for Hickson or Leonard at the first sub. The problem comes when you end up with our current starting lineup (still really good) and then sub Lillard for one of the bigs--ending up with Batum/Wes/LMA/Hickson/Freeland OR someone like Price or Smith or Barton for ballhandling.

this is where having one decent combo guard would really help.

 

[Natebishop3]

Fuck it, let LMA play small forward. I like that big lineup. It would certainly present some matchup problems for the other team.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Name one instance of an all-star at one position moving to a SMALLER position at the prime of his career. It's quite common to move to the larger position (i.e., SF to PF, like Robert Horry and now LeBron James) as you get bulkier and slower with age, but I can't think of one case moving in the other direction.

(And PJ Carlesimo playing Harvey Grant at SG doesn't count. That was sheer desperation.)

 

[Natebishop3]

Name one instance of an all-star at one position moving to a SMALLER position at the prime of his career. It's quite common to move to the larger position (i.e., SF to PF, like Robert Horry and now LeBron James) as you get bulkier and slower with age, but I can't think of one case moving in the other direction.

(And PJ Carlesimo playing Harvey Grant at SG doesn't count. That was sheer desperation.)

Pippen at point guard?

Rasheed played small forward with Zach at PF and Sabonis at PF.

Don't you remember our big lineup?

Pippen/Bonzi/Sheed/Zach/Sabonis

 

[BrianFromWA]

The L*kers switched Finals MVP Center Magic Johnson to PG to get Kareem more court time.

/kingspeed

 

[Rhal]

When LA settles for that outside jumper he stops rebounding and playing defense on both sides. Its something he has done for years, its something that needs to change. He is the face of the franchise, he is our best player but making him take that outside shot over and over sets him into that mindset of not pounding the paint, of not working hard. Pretty much it makes him lazy and it always has when he takes a ton of them a game.
I'm fine with him taking a few, but limit the shots he is getting from there unless he is on fire. He needs to be in the post, he has one of the most complete post games in the NBA and its just going to waste at the moment.

 

[PapaG]

LMA's progress has been stunted by Stotts' perimeter-based offense.

It's ugly to watch.

 

[ABM]

Me thinks LA, aka "Mr. Passive", is content stepping aside and watching Lillard get all the press....touches.....etc., etc. As noted above, it's affecting his D (or lack thereof), as well.

 

[mook]

Stott's offense uses Aldridge like Dirk. Jumpers with little to no post play. Naturally, Aldridge, a subpar rebounder, will average less rebounds per game.

Actually, it makes me think that in this kind of offense, if we can put Mathews on the bench and play Aldridge at SF. Lillard-Batum-Aldridge-Hickson-Leonard. That way, it'd help with rebounding while making the bench somewhat more capable.

I like that idea.

- Hickson is playing like the best true Power Forward on the team, so you might as well use him there.

- It probably opens up more perimeter scoring opportunities for Batum.

- You would think with all that length it'd clear up a lot of our interior defensive problems.

- Gives us scoring off the bench. Matthews is the kind of guy you can sell on a Microwave/Ginobili kind of role.

- These hybrid 3/4's like Dirk, Mello, LeBron and Durant seem to be all the rage. It's all about creating mismatches. Put a SF on them and they overpower you. Put a PF on them and they out-quick/shoot you. Aldridge fits that prototype pretty well, even if he is going the other direction of PF->SF instead of SF->PF.

 

[illmatic99]

The guys is probably the best post scorer in the game. He can drive and finish with either hand, has the strength to overpower other teams' centers, and has the quickness to score on anybody. He can get guys in foul trouble every night. Such a waste with him playing the Dirk role.

 

[BlazerBeav]

It didn't help that twice he drove and the referees bailed out the defense with phantom charging calls. That's not exactly encouraging his power moves.

 

[noknobs]

I thought yesterday's game was easily the most Aldridge tried to go inside, thanks to be guarded at times by Toliver. His perimeter shot selection isn't what bothers me the most though, it's his effort on defense. Between him and JJ we have no interior defense, at all. Atlanta would drive and no one helped out, they probably had more resistance during warmups.

I remember one play when Teague drove to the basket and went right over Aldridge who didn't even attempt to raise his arms. No, he just stood there, practically under the basket, arms at his chest, staring at Teague's bellybutton. I've honestly seen better defense at the high-school level. I know he was in foul trouble but you can still raise your arms straight up. If you're just going to stand there and watch you might as well just get off the court.

In the 4th quarter some on our team actually showed some effort on defense, but doing so 10 minutes a game isn't going to get it done. Even with expectations at zero, this kind of effort is tough to watch.

 

[BlazerWookee]

He'd play in the low post more if we had someone even remotely capable of passing from the high post (coughMarcusCambyBeforeHeQuitcough)...

 

[Shooter]

I only listened on the radio, but he was horrible at the end of the game.

Yes, he was. An offensive foul, a terrible choice of a shot, two missed free throws . . . am I forgetting anything?

 

[Shooter]

When LA settles for that outside jumper he stops rebounding and playing defense on both sides. Its something he has done for years, its something that needs to change. He is the face of the franchise, he is our best player but making him take that outside shot over and over sets him into that mindset of not pounding the paint, of not working hard. Pretty much it makes him lazy and it always has when he takes a ton of them a game.
I'm fine with him taking a few, but limit the shots he is getting from there unless he is on fire. He needs to be in the post, he has one of the most complete post games in the NBA and its just going to waste at the moment.

I couldn't have said it any better. Points to you, my friend.

 

[jlprk]

The value of a scrappy effort player like Hickson is that he sets an example for lazy players. He shames them into trying harder, which Aldridge is finally doing in the Stotts system. But Aldridge still doesn't get it about rebounding.