Amare to PDX in a S&T?

[KingSpeed]

I don't understand why people think LaMarcus isn't a legit second option. He averages 18ppg. Please list all the second options in the league who average more.

 

[noknobs]

I don't understand why people think LaMarcus isn't a legit second option. He averages 18ppg. Please list all the second options in the league who average more.

Carl Landry
Pau Gasol
Corey Magette
Chauncey Billups
David West
Carlos Boozer
Rudy Gay
Aaron Brooks
Stephen Jackson
Jamal Crawford

So that's 10 out of 30, not bad. Especially when you consider the pace the Blazers play at.

 

[Masbee]

That's probably what tips the scales for me against adding Amare in exchange for Aldridge.

At 27, Amare is who he is. Had he been groomed in a system where he learned to play defense, he'd be a much more desirable player. But he's just spent 8 years with the Suns. He's not going to learn to defend now. It'll always be an Achilles heel on any team he plays on.

At 24, Aldridge is 4 years into being a Blazer under Nate. He's made small, steady gains on the defensive end, and there's still some upside there.

I want Oden on the floor every minute possible. That's my overwhelming concern, because we don't win a title with Amare or Aldridge if Oden isn't manning the middle and out of foul trouble.

I agree with this.

Amare is an explosive scorer. LaMarcus is not.

Neither are great rebounders.

LaMarcus is longer and taller and tries harder on defense. He is also younger and thus may yet improve his defense further. As you point out, Amare being in his prime, likely is what he is.

If we were to sign Amare in order to upgrade our team's second offensive option (a worthy goal imo) it would be at significant costs:

downgrade in defense
significantly higher yearly salary cost
a player that has little value at the end of this contract vs. LaMarcus still in his prime
a player that cannot be moved because of a too big contract for a 2nd option vs. a movable contract for LaMarcus.
downgrade in character, Amare has a bit of a reputation compared to LaMarcus.

If not Amare, then what?

Short of some shoot for the Chris Paul moon, I think the team needs to stick to the core of Roy/LaMarcus/Oden, add Batum to that core for one season and see if he can bust out, and try to shore up the bench with a proven, quality scorer.

A guy that can drop 20 on any given night and be a 6th man-of-the year contender. Like Odom for the Lakers; Jamison when he was with Dallas; Jamal Crawford on the Hawks last season. I think finding and making a deal for that kind of player will give us 80% of the impact of upgrading our 2nd option scoring but be much easier and cheaper to pull off.

 

[B-Roy]

Carl Landry
Pau Gasol
Corey Magette
Chauncey Billups
David West
Carlos Boozer
Rudy Gay
Aaron Brooks
Stephen Jackson
Jamal Crawford

So that's 10 out of 30, not bad. Especially when you consider the pace the Blazers play at.

Especially since half of the teams those players play for didn't even make the playoffs.

 

[mook]

Carl Landry
Pau Gasol
Corey Magette
Chauncey Billups
David West
Carlos Boozer
Rudy Gay
Aaron Brooks
Stephen Jackson
Jamal Crawford

So that's 10 out of 30, not bad. Especially when you consider the pace the Blazers play at.

Kind of an interesting list. Would Amare vault to the top of it if he were our #2 option here? I kind of doubt it. Roy wants his shots, Miller scores a little, Oden is devastating around the rim, and Batum is supposed to be working on his post up game against point guards. And we play at a glacial pace.

Amare gets up 15 shots a night to create 23 ppg on the high-octane Suns. He might not have the chance to put up much more than Aldridge's 18 in Portland. They'd probably be a lot higher percentage (Aldridge shoots around .500 to Amare's .550), but that's basically less than one fewer missed shots a night.

 

[Idog1976]

ahh so much better with PapaG on ignore

I hear that. I had to add someone else until they start taking their high dose of Prozac again. At a minimum they need to see a counselor good lord.

About half of the messages I see on the forum are hidden thanks to ignore on those two. Makes the reading infinitely better though and whenever I see quoted text I'm reminded of the wisdom of those decisions.

 

[Idog1976]

We need a PG who can shoot and hopefully defend. The former is Nash, the latter is Collison. Really, the more time has gone on those two guys and maybe another perimeter defender ala Tony Allen or another "Kobe Stopper" are what we ought to concentrate on. I don't see another PF that we can reasonably obtain thats better then LMA. Also while I WOULD trade LMA for the right player (CP3) I wouldn't trade him unless we were getting a monster PF (Nowitski might be worth a go) or an ELITE PG.

 

[Idog1976]

[video=youtube;DkxePs7cjkw]

I never watched those live thankfully. You know what I love about this forum? I can say FUCK STEVEN A. SMITH and not even get a warning. Thank god for Sportstwo the last bastion of free speech...maybe in the world!

 

[LittleAlex]

I don't understand why people think LaMarcus isn't a legit second option. He averages 18ppg. Please list all the second options in the league who average more.

Because your legit second option should be able to sub in as the first option every now and again.

Last year LaMarcus proved he can't do that.
Double team him and he wilts.


Not like it matters, really. LaMarcus will be the second option on offense for as long as Nate is coach of the team regardless.

 

[Idog1976]

I agree with this.

Amare is an explosive scorer. LaMarcus is not.

Neither are great rebounders.

LaMarcus is longer and taller and tries harder on defense. He is also younger and thus may yet improve his defense further. As you point out, Amare being in his prime, likely is what he is.

If we were to sign Amare in order to upgrade our team's second offensive option (a worthy goal imo) it would be at significant costs:

downgrade in defense
significantly higher yearly salary cost
a player that has little value at the end of this contract vs. LaMarcus still in his prime
a player that cannot be moved because of a too big contract for a 2nd option vs. a movable contract for LaMarcus.
downgrade in character, Amare has a bit of a reputation compared to LaMarcus.

If not Amare, then what?

Short of some shoot for the Chris Paul moon, I think the team needs to stick to the core of Roy/LaMarcus/Oden, add Batum to that core for one season and see if he can bust out, and try to shore up the bench with a proven, quality scorer.

A guy that can drop 20 on any given night and be a 6th man-of-the year contender. Like Odom for the Lakers; Jamison when he was with Dallas; Jamal Crawford on the Hawks last season. I think finding and making a deal for that kind of player will give us 80% of the impact of upgrading our 2nd option scoring but be much easier and cheaper to pull off.

Great post. I also think adding a PG who can shoot and defend (read Collison) would make a rather significant impact, especially on keeping Oden on the floor. Batum and Collison on the permiter = Roy gets to gamble more in the passing lanes AND less fouls on Oden. Really, this seems like it should be obvious that Collison should be the primary target. A Jason Terry type would be awesome as well and is a great plan B.

 

[BGrantFan]

Because your legit second option should be able to sub in as the first option every now and again.

Last year LaMarcus proved he can't do that.
Double team him and he wilts.

He averaged 20/10 for the stretch that Roy was out last year. Not sure how that is "wilting".

 

[Shooter]

Color me unimpressed. Amare' (is that where that goofy, useless accent goes?) would be a nice offensive piece and an upgrade over LMA at that end of the court, but he doesn't play D, doesn't rebound all that well and while that's not great when you're paying a guy like LMA 10 million a year it's simply crippling when you're talking about a player who thinks he's worth a max contract.

Uh, did you notice the way he played against Portland in the playoffs? The guy was a beast. I'd love to have him.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Uh, did you notice the way he played against Portland in the playoffs? The guy was a beast. I'd love to have him.

I'm still not sure if that says more about Amare' or the competition he faced?

 

[maxiep]

PA has always liked him.

 

[LittleAlex]

He averaged 20/10 for the stretch that Roy was out last year. Not sure how that is "wilting".

You are correct.

Numbers are the ONLY thing that ever matter in the game of basketball.

Thanks for clearing that up.

The team got curb stomped by the Suns with LaMarcus being the man. Is that good enough for you?

It isn't for me.

 

[Minstrel]

The team got curb stomped by the Suns with LaMarcus being the man. Is that good enough for you?

It isn't for me.

You're saying that to be a reasonable #2 option, he should make losing the team's best player completely irrelevant in the playoffs? Good luck with finding a second option then.

Aldridge is an okay #2 and a great #3. When Roy was out, Aldridge as the #1 kept the team competitive...but obviously the team was much worse without their best player. Pau Gasol is a great #2, but the Lakers would not have done much in the playoffs without Kobe. Losing your best player hurts.

 

[BGrantFan]

You're saying that to be a reasonable #2 option, he should make losing the team's best player completely irrelevant in the playoffs? Good luck with finding a second option then.

Aldridge is an okay #2 and a great #3. When Roy was out, Aldridge as the #1 kept the team competitive...but obviously the team was much worse without their best player. Pau Gasol is a great #2, but the Lakers would not have done much in the playoffs without Kobe. Losing your best player hurts.

Stoudemire averaged 20/5.5 for the Blazer series after going for 23/9 for the regular season.

Aldridge average 19/6 after going for 18/8 during the regular season. I'm not sure how Stoudemire dominated this series?