NEW ORLEANS — There was talk, at this time last year, that Portland star LaMarcus Aldridge would rather be elsewhere.
Aldridge, 27 at the time, was an All-Star, in the heart of his prime years. The Blazers, though, were a young team still trying to figure out how to remain competitive in the Western Conference.
That was the basis for rumors of his unhappiness—the team was starting over, but Aldridge was already fairly advanced in his career. Aldridge was, indeed, disappointed with a 13-game losing streak to close the season, one that knocked Portland out of any hope of a playoff spot, but truth is, he was never angling to leave the team.
“He wasn’t happy with the fact that we didn’t make the playoffs and we lost 13 in a row, and nobody was,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “He is a competitor and wanted to be part of a winning environment. That was his only thing.
"If you go back, anytime he was quoted, that is what he said. A lot of it is speculation and there were never any comments from him about being traded. He just—the season ended with a 13-game losing streak, and no one is going to feel good about that.”
Aldridge is feeling much better these days, with Portland coming out of the All-Star break at 36-17, tied for the West’s third-best record and on pace for the Blazers’ best finish in 15 years. He acknowledges frustration with the way things have gone for Portland in recent years—Aldridge was drafted alongside star guard Brandon Roy, saw Greg Oden picked No. 1 two years later, and was still a Blazer as each player’s career was ruined by injury.
The Blazers have been the league’s biggest surprise this season, and for Aldridge, the frustration of the last few years is gone.
“It has been great for me,” he said. “We definitely worked hard and put ourselves in a good position. I thought everybody came back better this year and I am happy with the way things are looking now. If we finish up strong, anything is possible.”
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