Blazers vs Wolves - Game thread

[Mediocre Man]

Man I was tough on LA in previous years, and probably well deserved, but this guy is a monster right now.

 

[B-Roy]

37/12/1/2/3

62.5% shooting.

 

[Darkwebs]

thanks. @Darkwebs

Sorry, I meant Camby has sore knees, not ankles.

 

[Darkwebs]

So who got the better of the battle: LaMarcus or Love? Do I even need to ask?

 

[oldmangrouch]

LOL. It looked like he was missing the tip-ins on purpose to increase his rebounding numbers

Sounds like a Bruin!

All kidding aside, if that putz ever learns to play defense, he really could be an all-star. Funny that he is willing to do the dirty work on the boards, but not when it comes to guarding his man.

 

[RoyToy]

LOL. It looked like he was missing the tip-ins on purpose to increase his rebounding numbers

I think it's ridiculous that tipping the ball in the air over and over and having no real control of it counts as a rebound, let alone getting 3 out of it and no real shot attempt. It's practically a loose ball.

 

[illmatic99]

Minny threw single coverage against Aldridge. Big no-no.

BTW, Darko sure looked worth his ~$5mil salary tonight. He's got some great skills for a big man. And he's rough with his D, and fouls without a care. Like Sheed used to say, he's the "Serbian Gangsta." I think he'd look great in a Blazer uniform next to LA.

 

[Darkwebs]

15 straight wins! Against the Wolves, I mean. That's hard to fathom.

 

[mook]

Is Aldridge the best pure post up player in the NBA right now?

I'm trying to think of a guy who you can throw the ball into in the post, no matter who is guarding him, and you stand a decent chance of drawing a foul, getting a bucket, or creating an open shot for a teammate by drawing the double. Basically what Shaq and Duncan did for about a decade.

If he isn't, who is? I don't watch a ton of non-Blazer hoops, so I may be forgetting somebody.

 

[illmatic99]

I'd put him up there with ZBo. And Griffin isn't too bad either, but LA is more skilled, while Blake overpowers people. It's such a stark contrast from where he was before to the back to the basket beast he is now.

 

[mook]

Yeah, Zbo came to my mind too. He's pretty damned good. He's got the ability to draw fouls, the ability to score....but he's not really that much of a threat to kill you by passing out to the open teammate. He's not tall enough to see the court and he's really got a little too much pit bull in him (too soon for that analogy?) He's better than he was in his Portland days, but he's still not what I'd describe as a willing passer like Duncan and Shaq were.

Griffin is a very bad man. I forgot about him. It seems to me like he gets a lot of his buckets facing up. Which is totally legit. But I was kind of thinking of traditional back-to-the-basket players.

 

[MIXUM]

pdxtrailblazers
After going 1 for 11 from the field, @nicolas88batum has decided to shave his beard. Fair is fair
2 minutes ago via TweetDeck

 

[MARIS61]

Is Aldridge the best pure post up player in the NBA right now?

He's good, easily one of the 10 best, but nobody even comes close to Zach Randolph.

He's the best pure post up player there has been in decades. Absolutely unstoppable.

 

[MIXUM]

zach is great around the rim BUT and this is a huge but.....

he gives back about 20 on defense. thats why he is not a great player.

 

[MIXUM]

another dead night in the forum with barley 6 pages of a game thread. times have changed.

 

[PapaG]

Kevin Love will start his garbage time stat routine very soon.

BUMP!

 

[e_blazer]

He's good, easily one of the 10 best, but nobody even comes close to Zach Randolph.

He's the best pure post up player there has been in decades. Absolutely unstoppable.

Which explains why he's been traded so many times and his teams have been so successful.

 

[PapaG]

Man I was tough on LA in previous years, and probably well deserved, but this guy is a monster right now.

Nah, you were just hating on a guy who was being asked to play a role.

Welcome aboard the bandwagon, though. Seats are available far behind mine...

 

[Hey]

Yes, he is the best. Griffin is still very raw (LMA is still a bit too), Z-Bo has way too many other deficiencies. He's a top 2 PF in the league now IMO. Posts up well, dunks well, lays in well, tips in well, shoots well, able to shoot the 3, plays mildly good defense, creates many turnovers, and is a pretty good rebounder, even though he plays next to Camby. Only Nowitzki is contributing to his team more than LMA, and that might be arguable too.

 

[handiman]

Is Aldridge the best pure post up player in the NBA right now?

I'm inclined to agree, but Gasol certainly belongs in the conversation.

 

[RoyToy]

Nah, you were just hating on a guy who was being asked to play a role.

Welcome aboard the bandwagon, though. Seats are available far behind mine...

Everyone can join us I suppose.

And...... a wise man once said....http://sportstwo.com/threads/169947-Kevin-Love-On-The-BFT?p=2423307&viewfull=1#post2423307

Also, check out the post I quoted in my post and have a good laugh.

 

[STOMP]

37/12/1/2/3, 62.5% shooting.

probably deserves a * as it was vs Love and the Wolves

Aldridge may or may not make the All Star team, but no way should Love make it before him. Dude puts up only slightly more resistance on D then a nail does vs a hammer

STOMP

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

He's now officially averaging 21 PPG.

27 PPG for the month of January.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Nah, you were just hating on a guy who was being asked to play a role.

Welcome aboard the bandwagon, though. Seats are available far behind mine...

I don't think that is fair. I have always thought LA was the best talent in that draft. As for the role, Portland has needed an inside presense ever since he got here. He could have done this every single year, but instead settled for outside shots.

 

[illmatic99]

In the month of January so far, Aldridge is averaging 27/10/2/1/1 on 53% FG.

He's behind only KD, Wade, Monta, James, Griffin, and Amar'e in scoring this month. He's also 11th in rebounding. Yahoo ranks him as the 9th best player in the whole league for fantasy in 8 cat leagues.

 

[illmatic99]

Just looking at All Star chances:

Yao, Melo, KD, Kome, CP3 will be starters.

Stern can pick a player that plays any position to be the starter in place of Yao. And I think he'll pick Gasol to start. So that leaves three forward spots and a reserve position.

Guards: Westbrook, Manu, Deron
Forwards: Dirk, Griffin, Love
Reserve: Aldridge or ZBo or Monta or Gay or Duncan (his stats don't warrant it this year, but he is TIM DUNCAN)

It's gonna be tough. If Aldridge hadn't given Griffin and Love such a head start to begin the season, this would have been closer. If Melo is traded, LA's chances improve significantly.

 

[crandc]

Just looking at All Star chances:

Yao, Melo, KD, Kome, CP3 will be starters.

Stern can pick a player that plays any position to be the starter in place of Yao. And I think he'll pick Gasol to start. So that leaves three forward spots and a reserve position.

Guards: Westbrook, Manu, Deron
Forwards: Dirk, Griffin, Love
Reserve: Aldridge or ZBo or Monta or Gay or Duncan (his stats don't warrant it this year, but he is TIM DUNCAN)

It's gonna be tough. If Aldridge hadn't given Griffin and Love such a head start to begin the season, this would have been closer. If Melo is traded, LA's chances improve significantly.

Griffin is a rookie so may not be in the "parent" ASG. Duncan I think will get in; not only is he Tim Duncan, the Spurs have the best record. Parker may get in for the same reason. I can't see Gay & Zbo both on the team. Is Dirk a lock? Monta Ellis IMHO is just another guy who puts up big numbers on a bad team. Love is flavor of the month so he gets in. Aldridge has the same problem all Blazers do, they don't get headlines, they are not a big market, so they have to be stellar, not just very good, to get the nod. Remember during the 90s, for about 8 consecutive years Portland was the only team with a winning record and no all stars?

 

[oldguy]

the chances of winning this game are below 30%

we cant shoot, cant rebound and cant defend

Yet another great call, Eyore. A bottom feeder coming into the Rose Garden, where the Blazers have played well. Where are the dunces that keep saying you are right more than you are wrong?

Go Blazers

 

[illmatic99]

Griffin is a rookie so may not be in the "parent" ASG. Duncan I think will get in; not only is he Tim Duncan, the Spurs have the best record. Parker may get in for the same reason. I can't see Gay & Zbo both on the team. Is Dirk a lock? Monta Ellis IMHO is just another guy who puts up big numbers on a bad team. Love is flavor of the month so he gets in. Aldridge has the same problem all Blazers do, they don't get headlines, they are not a big market, so they have to be stellar, not just very good, to get the nod. Remember during the 90s, for about 8 consecutive years Portland was the only team with a winning record and no all stars?

I agree with your take on Duncan. Spurs will get 2 all stars. Memphis is only ~2 games behind us, and it's not unfathomable for them to climb over us, and if that's the case, one of Zach or Gay might deserve it more than LA. But that's arguable.

As for Griffin, the stats he's putting up are absolutely ridiculous. He's been far and away the best rookie to play in the league since Duncan, even if his team's record hasn't been good. Love is averaging better numbers than LA overall, and his gaudy stats really jump out. Even if LAC and MIN suck, Griffin and Love have been playing really well for longer stretches than Aldridge.

 

[MIXUM]

its shameful if zach, duncan, love get in over LA....

its an absolute joke