Felt it deserved its own thread: LMA, now THAT's how you play basketball

[PapaG]

Anyone got a link for the leaders in dunk totals this year? I remember seeing that Howard was way down and it was either Griffin or Stoudemire leading. I'd be curious to see where Aldridge is.

LMA 3rd at 49. I'm not sure if that included last night, though.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/dunk-o-meter/yearly

 

[hasoos]

Lamarcus would do much better every night if they would just hit him on the break more often. I am starting to wonder if Roy going out of the lineup if it will allow the team the freedom to get up the court and make some open court plays.

 

[Nikolokolus]

LMA 3rd at 49. I'm not sure if that included last night, though.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/dunk-o-meter/yearly

That is updated.

 

[BBert]

That may be a part of it but I think Roy has done more to destroy his own position as "The Guy" than anyone else has done to take it away.

To be the leader you must have the respect of those you lead. Roy can't produce as he has in the past and yet he is blaming those who CAN produce for his own shortcomings. Not very good in the "Win friends and influence teammates" area.

I think when Roy was initially hobbling and hurt by the knee, people give him slack, including teammates. However, when he still claims to be able to lead and produce when he obviously can't and then deflects blame on those he is supposed to lead can very quickly alienate those whom you are supposed to lead.

Players aren't dumb. Who is producing on the team? Matthews. Miller. LMA (with quite the WOW the past couple games).

What has Roy become? Bear with me here - he has become Sergio. Many here, myself included, wanted Sergio to play more because we'd see the occasional flash of brilliance and think "he's the next Nash!". Roy has been on the cusp of greatness but now he is reduced to Sergio level. We occasionally see flashes of greatness but more often than not, we are starting to cringe when he is playing. I was honestly glad to see the report that he was out three games. With what I've seen of him lately and his attitude, I just don't care anymore.

So....Is it LMA's team. Oh yeah.......but only if he is willing to take it. If he can consistently perform at leadership level, this team is his.

Gramps...

Ah, Grampa wisdom. Bring it!

I could not possibly agree more.

I tried to rep you, but the rep box is covered up by the next post.

 

[BBert]

Did anyone else gasp on that alley oop from Rudy? Aldridge's elbow was above the rim. I knew he could jump, but fuckin' a.

I didn't get to see the freakin game because I had to go to my wife's freakin company party and thanks to the freakin Comcast monopoly I couldn't freakin record it.

Freakin, Freakin, Freak!

I would have been freakin juiced watching LA and Rudy go off like that. Damn.

 

[hasoos]

I didn't get to see the freakin game because I had to go to my wife's freakin company party and thanks to the freakin Comcast monopoly I couldn't freakin record it.

Freakin, Freakin, Freak!

I would have been freakin juiced watching LA and Rudy go off like that. Damn.

It's the main highlight at nba.com for the game, so go there and watch it over and over again. It should be right up there for dunk of the year, probably right there with the one Eric Gordon did a few weeks back.

 

[BBert]

I'm pretty sure there are exercises that can strengthen Roy's leg muscles so that they put less pressure on his knees. That might also help get a little bit of his explosion back.

Go Blazers!

I wonder if the Blazers trainers know about that?

Naahh....

 

[BBert]

It's the main highlight at nba.com for the game, so go there and watch it over and over again. It should be right up there for dunk of the year, probably right there with the one Eric Gordon did a few weeks back.

Thanks, I did. Over and over.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Moreover, I'm pretty sure there are exercises that can strengthen Roy's leg muscles so that they put less pressure on his knees. That might also help get a little bit of his explosion back.

What you're thinking of is strengthening muscles to compensate for the lack of an anterior cruciate ligament. There's no leg strengthening exercise in the world that will cause articular cartilage to stop 'articulating' -- there's no overcoming gravity (as far as we know).

 

[Shooter]

Few bash him more than I, and I still feel it's been justified by his play. But I wanted to come out tonight and say that THIS is how we should be using LMA. He only took 2 shots tonight outside of 10 feet (missed both, but ok). He got about 6 dunks/easy layups on uptempo or motion plays, and took the ball aggressively against Kuofos.

YESSSS!! I have always suspected that Aldridge could play this way if he put his mind to it--and he's put his mind to it the last couple of games. This guy has enormous talent, and if he learns to play this way on a consistent basis he'll be an All-Star for the rest of his career.

 

[BBert]

YESSSS!! I have always suspected that Aldridge could play this way if he put his mind to it--and he's put his mind to it the last couple of games. This guy has enormous talent, and if he learns to play this way on a consistent basis he'll be an All-Star for the rest of his career.

LaMarcus has to put his mind to it, yes. And the coach has to put his mind to it too, and implement an offense that works to LaMarcus' strengths and call plays that work him close to the basket. And his teammates have to be willing and able to set him up and get him the ball. And the prima donna has to sit out three games so Aldridge can make the team his own.

 

[Minstrel]

Put this in your pipe and smoke it. A PER of 17 is Wesley Matthews, LMA type play ... you think he's going to come back to that? Oy vay.

It's definitely possible, if he finds a new way to play. He can't pull a PER like that trying to play the way he used to.

While a Grant Hill-like reinvention of his game is not the most likely case, I think a 15 PER is eminently possible long-term.

 

[mook]

YESSSS!! I have always suspected that Aldridge could play this way if he put his mind to it--and he's put his mind to it the last couple of games. This guy has enormous talent, and if he learns to play this way on a consistent basis he'll be an All-Star for the rest of his career.

....and if he doesn't he's a loser slacker.

 

[Ghost Pepper]

I think when the media, coaching staff and city thinks of you as the #2 option you tend to take on that role! Now LA is the man, he has to be, and thankfully he's stepping up HUGE!!!!!!!!

Sad to say Roy's injuries might have been the best thing to ever happen to LA!


I've always thought LA was very similar to Sheed and that's what disturbed me the most. Sheed in my eyes could have been the best PF to ever play the game if he wanted it. I was worried LA might turn out the same way, the last two games have atleast made me take another look, I'm liking what I see!!

 

[Minstrel]

Sheed in my eyes could have been the best PF to ever play the game if he wanted it.

No question. In fact, Rasheed could have been the greatest American athlete ever, had he simply wanted it. Shame he didn't want that.

Darius Miles also could have been the greatest American athlete ever, if he had wanted it. Remember his freakish athleticism before he got hurt? Now that's talent.

Don't get me started on Kenyon Martin. I hate all these lazy players who clearly have the talent (athleticism) to be the best ever and then just stop wanting it, after years of extremely hard work just to reach the NBA.

 

[Ed O]

No question. In fact, Rasheed could have been the greatest American ever, had he simply wanted it.

Fixed.

Ed O.

 

[bodyman5001]

No question. In fact, Rasheed could have been the greatest American athlete ever, had he simply wanted it. Shame he didn't want that.

Darius Miles also could have been the greatest American athlete ever, if he had wanted it. Remember his freakish athleticism before he got hurt? Now that's talent.

Don't get me started on Kenyon Martin. I hate all these lazy players who clearly have the talent (athleticism) to be the best ever and then just stop wanting it, after years of extremely hard work just to reach the NBA.

This is the single worst attempt at sarcasm that I have read here in quite some time.

Rasheed Wallace was a player that could do everything you could imagine on a basketball court and he was nearly seven feet tall and could jump like Darius Miles on his best day.

If you think Rasheed Wallace had to scratch and claw his way into the NBA you are just on a different planet than the rest of us. 99.999999999 percent of the population could work on basketball skills during every waking hour of their existence and never come close to 9th grade Rasheed Wallace, let alone 25 year old Rasheed Wallace.

Using two people with major knee injuries as comparison isn't exactly driving the sarcasm home either.

 

[Minstrel]

Using two people with major knee injuries as comparison isn't exactly driving the sarcasm home either.

Because they had no career prior to those injuries. I hate to tell you this, but they had established themselves as nothing special before they suffered catastrophic knee injuries.

And you're confused about my point if you thought that what I was saying is that Darius Miles was equally talented as Rasheed Wallace. My point was that athleticism does not equal talent as some, like YardApe and Shooter, are suggesting. Just because a player has great tools does not mean that they "should have been" the best in the league.

As to your claim that we could work night and day at basketball and not approach Rasheed Wallace...that has zero to do with what I said. Wallace obviously had fantastic natural gifts, but there are plenty of athletically gifted wash-outs who never made the NBA. It takes natural gifts and a great deal of work to reach the NBA, which is the elite of the elite.

So, I think my sarcasm was quite on point, but we can agree to disagree.

 

[BrianFromWA]

HCP, was that your work in bringing up LMA's "Stepping Up" graphic, which showed that we was shooting horribly from outside of 10 feet, but in the last 2 games he was 20-23 from 5' and in? If so, well done. If not...whatever.

Point being, LMA is more effective the closer he is to the hoop. Shooting 20% on 20+ foot shots helps NO one.

 

[illmatic99]

I thought Aldridge played great tonight. He picked his spots and wasn't forcing through double teams. I thought he made some excellent reads and passed well too. He's really picking up his game recently.

 

[Darkwebs]

LaMarcus is getting it done on the court! 12 rebounds for him tonight. That's 3 straight games with a double-digit rebound total for him. And he got a hand in Ellis' face to force the miss on the buzzer beater that could've been a win for Warriors.

 

[THE HCP]

HCP, was that your work in bringing up LMA's "Stepping Up" graphic, which showed that we was shooting horribly from outside of 10 feet, but in the last 2 games he was 20-23 from 5' and in? If so, well done. If not...whatever.

Point being, LMA is more effective the closer he is to the hoop. Shooting 20% on 20+ foot shots helps NO one.

It was our producers idea. I'll pass along the love.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Kicked ass again tonight.
That dunk on Bogut was NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASTY!

 

[B-Roy]

29/19/2/2 on 12/18.

Beast?

 

[ehizzy3]

i hope he keeps this rebounding up.

 

[bodyman5001]

I swear that Marcus Camby has taught him how to tip out rebounds that he can't grab himself. I love that because a guy his size can often get a piece of a ball without fouling, even if he can't grab it.

 

[Darkwebs]

I swear that Marcus Camby has taught him how to tip out rebounds that he can't grab himself. I love that because a guy his size can often get a piece of a ball without fouling, even if he can't grab it.

I love it. I think this little technique has significantly increased LaMarcus' rebounding numbers and the Blazers' offensive rebounds.

 

[BlayZa]

dude is straight beasting. seems to love playing with andre and rudy too, some real chemistry coming in there.

lets hope royverson sees the beauty of what's happening to the team and decides to compliment it vs. having a bitch tanty and forcing the offence through him at a snails pace again.....

cmon blazers - stick to what's working!

 

[Mediocre Man]

Mr Aldridge seems to like the uptempo game. Who woulda thunk it?

 

[Nikolokolus]

Mr Aldridge seems to like the uptempo game. Who woulda thunk it?

Good thing Roy is coming back soon to put him in his place.