Aldridge: Power Forward or Center

[PtldPlatypus]

Jason Quick was just on 95.5 theorizing that the Blazers may be looking at building around Aldridge as a center rather than as a power forward, if for no other reason than the fact that forwards are much more plentiful in today's NBA.

We've seen him play a lot in both spots this year, and 82games.com stats suggest that he might be a better player at the 5.

So, where do you think you'd prefer to see Aldridge long-term?

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Kevin Love at PF?

 

[andalusian]

So, where do you think you'd prefer to see Aldridge long-term?

Does it matter? If he continues to operate from the post - call him a PG and solve the PGotF conundrum once and for all for all I care...

 

[blazerboy30]

Does it matter? If he continues to operate from the post - call him a PG and solve the PGotF conundrum once and for all for all I care...

+1. I don't get the obsession with placing specific titles / positions on a player.

 

[RR7]

God damnit, stop it! We need to label him. NOW! I second him as PGotF.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

The only thing this affects is how he's announced in the starting lineups; that said, it'd be cool to have our big star be a center.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Does it matter? If he continues to operate from the post - call him a PG and solve the PGotF conundrum once and for all for all I care...

It matters in terms of what type of player the front office seeks to pair with him in the starting lineup, and in terms of what types of players he'll primarily be defending.

 

[andalusian]

It matters in terms of what type of player the front office seeks to pair with him in the starting lineup, and in terms of what types of players he'll primarily be defending.

I say that if Greg Oden can return to form - or even 80-90% of form - you take him - because he is such a huge force on defense - that you play Aldridge next to him - and just move Greg a bit out to give Aldridge the space in the post on offense. It's not as if Camby or Joel playing next to LMA are great offensive threats - so playing Oden on D and Aldridge on offense, with Oden being there to rebound on offense is good enough.

As for what to do if Oden is not available - imho, you keep it KP simple. Best player you can get. If this happens to be a more finesse PF (say, Anthony Randolph) - you plat LMA mostly at C, if it is a more bruising kind - you place him at PF.
Does not really matter, imho.

 

[Minstrel]

It matters in terms of what type of player the front office seeks to pair with him in the starting lineup, and in terms of what types of players he'll primarily be defending.

How so? I also don't think the label matters. We want a complimentary big on offense...that's true whether he's a center or power forward. Defensive match-ups can be determined game by game.

I've never considered positions to be all that meaningful. You want the right balance of scoring, passing, rebounding, etc, but it doesn't really matter where it comes from or how you name the players. The only thing that matters is that you can match up defensively. Since Aldridge can match up defensively with a center or power forward, defensive issues really shouldn't bear on what big man the team pairs with Aldridge.

 

[RR7]

I agree with the above post that we just look best player available. If you find yourself in position to sign, say, Kendrick Perkins or Marc Gasol somehow, he's a PF. But, ideally, a PF that plays the game he is playing lately, not the stand 20 feet outside. If you get a chance to draft a Jared Sulinger, or trade for, I dunno, Josh Smith, then he's a C. I want him playing priamrily on the block, as he has, with the ability if needed to hit an open jumper when called upon. He can defend opposing PFs or Cs, depending on who he is playing alongside. If he is in there with a weaker defender, he covers the better post player. I don't think position necessarily determines who covers who. It's generally your best post defender covers their best post scorer. You mix and match on matchups. I don't think, with Oden's health, we are in a position to pigeon hole him into a spot, and focus primarily on one position or the other.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Yes who plays next to him is most important. A bruising PF needs to be under the basket (not good for LMA to be able to operate) A finesse PF better be able to hit the outside shot. (Not a strong suit for A.Randolph) Yes Love would be perfect. But that is not going to happen.

 

[Masbee]

Jason Quick was just on 95.5 theorizing that the Blazers may be looking at building around Aldridge as a center rather than as a power forward, if for no other reason than the fact that forwards are much more plentiful in today's NBA.

We've seen him play a lot in both spots this year, and 82games.com stats suggest that he might be a better player at the 5.

So, where do you think you'd prefer to see Aldridge long-term?

Looking long-term (no Camby or Pryz) and on the possibility that Oden will never be a full-time starter for the Blazers (even if still here);

I can't say what position.

LaMarcus can play well, on both sides of the court, from either position.

Rather than look for a Center or PF, I say the team should get the best big they can possibly find that is strong where LaMarcus is weak: Rebounding, blocking shots, setting screens.

Might be a "center". Might be a "PF". But, good bigs are so hard to get, don't be choosy about position.

As an alternative, a scoring power forward (like David Lee who we almost had on the tea) would be a good match with LaMacus on a running team.

 

[Run BJM]

If you want to win a championship he can't be your C. You need a big physical bruiser next to him if you're going to compete with the front lines of LAL, Boston, Dwight, Chicago, etc. If Aldridge is your C and theoretically that means you have someone smaller and/or even softer than him at PF then you've got no shot at a ring.

 

[Pinwheel1]

If you want to win a championship he can't be your C. You need a big physical bruiser next to him if you're going to compete with the front lines of LAL, Boston, Dwight, Chicago, etc. If Aldridge is your C and theoretically that means you have someone smaller and/or even softer than him at PF then you've got no shot at a ring.

No it doesn't. It could mean you have someone shorter and stronger. Like a Kevin Love, Karl Malone, or a Blake Griffin. How many Howard's are out there? Not many.

 

[mook]

He's basically playing the Tim Duncan position. Back to basket post up player we run the offense through. Quality defender you aren't afraid to put on the other team's best 4/5, although you tend not to do that all the time to protect him from foul trouble.

If Oden is done, I'd like to have him listed at C to make him more likely to get in All Star games. Although that point is moot next year if he continues to play like he has.

 

[RR7]

He's basically playing the Tim Duncan position. Back to basket post up player we run the offense through. Quality defender you aren't afraid to put on the other team's best 4/5, although you tend not to do that all the time to protect him from foul trouble.

If Oden is done, I'd like to have him listed at C to make him more likely to get in All Star games. Although that point is moot next year if he continues to play like he has.

Good comparison. You move him on a guy when needed(not that Aldridge is an elite defender or anything, but he's a better man defender than Camby is), but not always, to save energy and foul trouble. kind of what you do with elite wings. Kobe never covered Roy, except for late game,or late half situations. Otherwise, you throw someone else on him most of the game, and switch at the end. Obviously, pre-Artest.

 

[hasoos]

Kevin Love at PF?

That depends. Do you want a power forward who actually plays defense?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

That depends. Do you want a power forward who actually plays defense?

I wish Buck Williams were 20 years younger right now... or Dante had 20lbs more muscle.

 

[LittleAlex]

Center since he now pretty much lives in the post.

But like many here, I don't really care as long as they don't try to play him at point or wing.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

We seem to play well when LMA, err Dante starts at C. LMA creates speed/quickness problems versus traditional centers, and size/power problems versus slight centers, while Dante and Batum together seem to be a really good perimeter D tandem, making up for any difficulties LMA would have on defense.

82games refutes the above when we start Miller and Matthews (who I think is overrated on D, personally); the lineup I like best is the speed demon lineup: Mills-Fernandez-Batum-Cunningham-Aldridge. Our front line can play D and switch up on picks without losing the ability to defend, while Mills, Fernandez, and Batum are all pesky and generate steals. Lots of fast breaking opportunities without the typical bang-em defensive scheme. I wouldn't start this lineup (lol), but it plays well together, and if Mills/Fernandez are the first subs, it plays early against the other team's first sub round.

 

[hasoos]

I wish Buck Williams were 20 years younger right now... or Dante had 20lbs more muscle.

Buck played at the end of an era. I am not so sure how Buck would do in an era where most PF are 6'11 and some are even 7 feet tall. During his day, most were 6'8"'ish.

That being said, I wish Dante's only problem was weight, but it's not.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Buck played at the end of an era. I am not so sure how Buck would do in an era where most PF are 6'11 and some are even 7 feet tall. During his day, most were 6'8"'ish.

That being said, I wish Dante's only problem was weight, but it's not.

It's true... 20 years ago, Dante would be a poor man's Detlef Schremph or Buck Williams lite; today he's a second rounder scraping by. And Buck might not be half the player today that he was in 1986.

I don't know who I would put at PF next to Aldridge, at least that we could get. Really, on offense, LMA is always the center, no matter who is actually playing C. Joel is a banging PF with LMA in the game; Camby is a stretch 4 with passing ability. If the only definition is height, then they are centers, but LMA has been our true Center since 12/17.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I said center but I don't really care much what label you put on him. He's capable of defending either position, he's showing a go-to scorer's mentality in the paint and whomever you pair him up with needs a similar build and/or ability to operate in either position -- Camby Junior (Randolph) could work because of his length and raw shot blocking ability, or maybe there's some PF-C in the draft (Enes Kanter would be my pipe dream) to match up with him.

Beyond finding a more reliable and younger replacement for Camby, I'd still try to maybe keep Oden around and hope that the 25 games a year that he's healthy coincide with the playoffs, so you have a really big body to throw in the middle for those times that you really need some beef and to eat up space, but I think the NBA is definitely trending towards more mobile, agile and versatile centers and having a guy like him isn't maybe as necessary as it was in the bygone era when Shaq was terrorizing the league.

 

[hasoos]

If you want to win a championship he can't be your C. You need a big physical bruiser next to him if you're going to compete with the front lines of LAL, Boston, Dwight, Chicago, etc. If Aldridge is your C and theoretically that means you have someone smaller and/or even softer than him at PF then you've got no shot at a ring.

Why would you have to put a smaller player next to him? Also it seems to me you have not watched Aldrige in the past few months. It seems pretty hard to call a dude soft when he has been averaging 25 and 10 for a really long time now. Have you even been paying attention to recent events? Yea he isn't the toughest guy in the world. But he isn't the guy that I had to worry about his rebounding anymore, either. In fact, it has become quite the opposite. If Aldridge doesn't get 10 rebounds now I am suprised. Outside shots are pretty rare too. It's all about the paint, and shots about 2 feet from the rim.

 

[Run BJM]

Why would you have to put a smaller player next to him? Also it seems to me you have not watched Aldrige in the past few months. It seems pretty hard to call a dude soft when he has been averaging 25 and 10 for a really long time now. Have you even been paying attention to recent events? Yea he isn't the toughest guy in the world. But he isn't the guy that I had to worry about his rebounding anymore, either. In fact, it has become quite the opposite. If Aldridge doesn't get 10 rebounds now I am suprised. Outside shots are pretty rare too. It's all about the paint, and shots about 2 feet from the rim.

Only what I read on these boards and the couple of times he played GS in December (where he produced on par with his last few years and was by no means a dominant force even against our mediocre big men).

It doesn't really matter to me though. I see the recent splits and his game log and they're great numbers but I still can't see any team winning a ring with him as your starting C. The great teams in the league are just too big and too physical. You could have a great front court with him as your PF and a guy like Perkins, Nene, rehabilitated Oden (all FAs this offseason is why I mention them). A front court like that could match up with the Lakers. LMA won't drop 25/10 on the Lakers or Celtics every game for a 7 game series. To win a ring you need a massive front court and you do need that great all around front court player but rarely are they doing it all themselves and dropping crazy numbers. Look at KG on the T'Wolves, look at Dwight right now, Look at Gasol on the Grizz (probably the closest thing to LMA's current circumstances). Also consider the dip in statistical production seen in KG, Gasol, Rasheed when they went to contending teams. Even Duncan- he put up some great numbers in his prime but a lot of his career were very good but not other worldly numbers. To me there's no doubt he could have averaged 30 ppg every year for 10 years if he wanted to but the Spurs wouldn't have been as good.

Granted, there are a lot of other factors that go into being a legit contender (dominant perimeter player, defense, coaching, etc.), but to me one requirement is having a very big front court. Usually with a great all around 6'11+ PF and a bruising C who (along with the other big PF) can shut down the paint; KG-Perkins (Perk is only 6'10 but hes fugging huge and a great defender), Gasol-Bynum, Rasheed-Big Ben (again, Big Ben is 6'9ish but plays huge and one of the best defenders of our era). The only exceptions being if you have a Duncan or Shaq type of player which Aldridge certainly is not. Or if you have MJ.

Perhaps you guys can somehow land a Griffin or Malone (lol) but I'd say the more likely option would be to just slide your beloved Aldridge over to PF and insert a big ass C who can eat space and compete with Bynum, Perkins, Dwight, etc. this should, of course be accompanied by a big dip in Aldridge's current 25/10 clip but I think you'd be a much better team as far as competing for a ring goes. Unless Roy returns to form you're still out a dominant wing player and a great coach though...

 

[Mediocre Man]

In today's NBA, I think the 4-5 are pretty interchangable.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

In today's NBA, I think the 4-5 are pretty interchangable.

Yeah, it seems like, instead of the Lone Big Man, you have the Lone Ball Handler. 4/5 are interchangeable, as are 2/3 many times. It's the "True Point Guard" who is the hot commodity (where the Really Tall Guy was the hot commodity in the 60's and 70's).

 

[huevonkiller]

Only what I read on these boards and the couple of times he played GS in December (where he produced on par with his last few years and was by no means a dominant force even against our mediocre big men).

It doesn't really matter to me though. I see the recent splits and his game log and they're great numbers but I still can't see any team winning a ring with him as your starting C. The great teams in the league are just too big and too physical. You could have a great front court with him as your PF and a guy like Perkins, Nene, rehabilitated Oden (all FAs this offseason is why I mention them). A front court like that could match up with the Lakers. LMA won't drop 25/10 on the Lakers or Celtics every game for a 7 game series. To win a ring you need a massive front court and you do need that great all around front court player but rarely are they doing it all themselves and dropping crazy numbers. Look at KG on the T'Wolves, look at Dwight right now, Look at Gasol on the Grizz (probably the closest thing to LMA's current circumstances). Also consider the dip in statistical production seen in KG, Gasol, Rasheed when they went to contending teams. Even Duncan- he put up some great numbers in his prime but a lot of his career were very good but not other worldly numbers. To me there's no doubt he could have averaged 30 ppg every year for 10 years if he wanted to but the Spurs wouldn't have been as good.

Granted, there are a lot of other factors that go into being a legit contender (dominant perimeter player, defense, coaching, etc.), but to me one requirement is having a very big front court. Usually with a great all around 6'11+ PF and a bruising C who (along with the other big PF) can shut down the paint; KG-Perkins (Perk is only 6'10 but hes fugging huge and a great defender), Gasol-Bynum, Rasheed-Big Ben (again, Big Ben is 6'9ish but plays huge and one of the best defenders of our era). The only exceptions being if you have a Duncan or Shaq type of player which Aldridge certainly is not. Or if you have MJ.

Perhaps you guys can somehow land a Griffin or Malone (lol) but I'd say the more likely option would be to just slide your beloved Aldridge over to PF and insert a big ass C who can eat space and compete with Bynum, Perkins, Dwight, etc. this should, of course be accompanied by a big dip in Aldridge's current 25/10 clip but I think you'd be a much better team as far as competing for a ring goes. Unless Roy returns to form you're still out a dominant wing player and a great coach though...

Gasol is playing at nearly exactly the same level on the Lakers, probably a bit better on defense. KG got really old, and tore his knee his second season with the C's.

Oh and they need talented basketball players, they could have whatever complimentary tough big and lose to a "soft" front line like Miami's. Minstrel is right, people focus too much on labels.