How good is LaMarcus Aldridge?

[barfo]

QFT

I hated people calling him soft because I believed he was just young, and had it in him to develop his game; he just needed time.

Then I lost faith with LA. Before Roy went down I had given up on LA, and accepted that he's an outside player.

However LA seems to have completely changed his game since Roy has been out.

Roy's injury has been the making of LA; he has stepped up when the team needed him, both off, and on the court.

I just hope that he doesn't take a back seat when Roy comes back.

My plan:
1) Keep Roy from playing, and bench LMA. Then Batum will learn to be the man. Let's say that takes the rest of the season.
2) Next year, we put Batum on the bench and Oden gets to be the man.
3) around this time next year, we bring back Roy, LMA, Batum to play w/ Oden - 4 go-to guys.
4) ???
5) Profit.

barfo

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

I think we are missing something so (possibly) obvious:

Buck Williams


Perhaps LMA is finally being "coached" - - I note his move toward the baseline as an example. This was non-existent prior to this season....

And his recent display of tenancity - has Buck Williams written all over this.

Takers?

 

[barfo]

I think we are missing something so (possibly) obvious:

Buck Williams


Perhaps LMA is finally being "coached" - - I note his move toward the baseline as an example. This was non-existent prior to this season....

And his recent display of tenancity - has Buck Williams written all over this.

Takers?

Is Buck Williams coaching for the blazers this year? That actually sounds slightly familiar, but I think I forgot all about it. Have I missed every time they show him on the bench? Or is he invisible?

barfo

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Is Buck Williams coaching for the blazers this year? That actually sounds slightly familiar, but I think I forgot all about it. Have I missed every time they show him on the bench? Or is he invisible?

barfo

wears a bow-tie every game....no longer with the beard he sported back when he played.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Is Buck Williams coaching for the blazers this year? That actually sounds slightly familiar, but I think I forgot all about it. Have I missed every time they show him on the bench? Or is he invisible?

barfo

wears a bow-tie every game....no longer with the beard he sported back when he played.

Basketball Operations Head Coach Nate McMillan
Assistant Coaches Bernie Bickerstaff, Bob Ociepka, Bill Bayno, Buck Williams, Kaleb Canales

 

[illmatic99]

Just so versatile.

[video=youtube;OfgJLmlaQ58]

And I love that he's getting to the line.

[video=youtube;FCUM7-RaaWQ]

 

[andalusian]

Tanks for these. Fantastic.

 

[maxiep]

I think the temptation for him will be to add two more feet of range to his jumper, so he can hit threes. I hope we help him fight that urge. I'd like him to further focus on his low post game. Like Howard did last summer, I'd love to send him down to work with Olajuwon. Aldridge could learn the shake and the spin moves that make Dream so dominant.

 

[illmatic99]

Technically, that 3pt shot is more efficient than a 20 footer. I do want him to extend his range and bring that shot into his repertoire so that it can add a new facet to his game. Except unlike other Blazer PFs before him that fell in love with that shot, I want him to primarily stay inside, and only take the shot when the opportunity presents itself.

 

[maxiep]

Technically, that 3pt shot is more efficient than a 20 footer. I do want him to extend his range and bring that shot into his repertoire so that it can add a new facet to his game. Except unlike other Blazer PFs before him that fell in love with that shot, I want him to primarily stay inside, and only take the shot when the opportunity presents itself.

I don't disagree. As has been said many times, the shot just inside the three point line is the worst shot in basketball. My point is that rather than work to extend his range, I want him to focus on his low post game. Hell, I want him to work on his defense before he works on extending his range.

 

[mook]

Just so versatile.

[video=youtube;OfgJLmlaQ58]

And I love that he's getting to the line.

[video=youtube;FCUM7-RaaWQ]

The recurring theme in that video for me is the number of wide open 18 footers defenses gave him. Teams have to put a center on him and focus so much on containing him inside that when he receives the ball for those shots it's like the defense goes, "Oh crap, we forgot he can do that too!"

He's always had that shot, but in past years he's had to take it with a hand in his face. Now it feels like he's getting those shots in shootaround.

I love the way he scores around the rim, but I count any possession where he gets a completely wide open 18 footer to be a success too.

 

[THE HCP]

I haven't seen Buck in a long time. Hasn't been on any road trips with us.

 

[maxiep]

I haven't seen Buck in a long time. Hasn't been on any road trips with us.

Seriously? I thought he was an assistant coach.

 

[THE HCP]

He is, but I rarely see him. He was on some road trips at the beginning of the year, but not in the last 2 months. He did go to PHX with us for that overnight trip in January. Hope everything is OK.

 

[maxiep]

He is, but I rarely see him. He was on some road trips at the beginning of the year, but not in the last 2 months. He did go to PHX with us for that overnight trip in January. Hope everything is OK.

Can you find out if there's anything wrong with either him or his family? I pray he doesn't follow Luke's footsteps.

I don't want to be nosy, but he's a member of the Blazer family. I'm not interested in specifics, I just want to know that everything's okay.

 

[THE HCP]

I'll find out on this trip. I'll let you guys know if I'm allowed.

 

[THE HCP]

Just asked and found out he is kind of a part time asst. Goes on just certain road trips. He will join us when we leave tomorrow morning. Everything is fine, he just travels occasionally.

 

[maxiep]

Just asked and found out he is kind of a part time asst. Goes on just certain road trips. He will join us when we leave tomorrow morning. Everything is fine, he just travels occasionally.

Whew! Thanks for getting that question answered. Repped.

 

[jlprk]

I think we are missing something so (possibly) obvious: Buck Williams

Perhaps LMA is finally being "coached" - - I note his move toward the baseline as an example. This was non-existent prior to this season....And his recent display of tenancity - has Buck Williams written all over this. Takers?

Me. I've said about 10 times on this board over the months that the assistants have a lot to do with the changes, and you're the first to agree. Congratulations, and you are now the second-smartest person here.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

Me. I've said about 10 times on this board over the months that the assistants have a lot to do with the changes, and you're the first to agree. Congratulations, and you are now the second-smartest person here.

...well, I think you should have considered a "rep" for my genious-ness!

 

[DeanMoriarty]

While I know he said he wanted to during his 2nd and 3rd years, I actually don't want Aldridge to expand his range.

I feel the low post and the mid-range game is where he'll find the success he has had these past two months. The mid-range game, I feel, is also very important as a secondary option because most championships have been won on mid-range games. History has proven that it has been more vital for PF's to have a Duncan, Garnet, McHale approach than the Nowitzki, Cliff Robinson approach (I'd make an exception to Rasheed, but he didn't shoot well during his 2003-04 championship playoff run).

 

[bodyman5001]

The recurring theme in that video for me is the number of wide open 18 footers defenses gave him. Teams have to put a center on him and focus so much on containing him inside that when he receives the ball for those shots it's like the defense goes, "Oh crap, we forgot he can do that too!"

He's always had that shot, but in past years he's had to take it with a hand in his face. Now it feels like he's getting those shots in shootaround.

I love the way he scores around the rim, but I count any possession where he gets a completely wide open 18 footer to be a success too.

In each of those videos there was a play where he put the ball on the floor and went to the whole and dunked the ball. On the one against Duncan he used a tiny pump fake but it was enough for Duncan to bite and he was at the rim. If he gets better at that, the sky is the limit for him. He doesn't even have to be better, just keep it in the arsenal.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

In each of those videos there was a play where he put the ball on the floor and went to the whole and dunked the ball. On the one against Duncan he used a tiny pump fake but it was enough for Duncan to bite and he was at the rim. If he gets better at that, the sky is the limit for him. He doesn't even have to be better, just keep it in the arsenal.

I had literally never seen him to that before this year.

 

[bodyman5001]

I had literally never seen him to that before this year.

I haven't seen every game he played prior to this year but I can't recall him doing it. I know he must have, but it couldn't have been very common. I can't think of something that would be more fun to do in basketball. I remember one game I played in our little crap gym league at Lake Shore Athletic Club 12 years ago. I hit eleven 3s and iced the game with six straight free throws (swear to GOD) but my favorite part of that game was a little pump fake I gave a guy from the corner three point line and went in for a layup.

If I could have dunked the ball I would have cried with joy.

 

[jlprk]

The new assistant coaches taught him the new moves.

 

[maxiep]

I had literally never seen him to that before this year.

Neither had the Spurs, which is why they were completely unprepared for it.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

From Mark Stein.

The breakdown for the one Blazer seemingly impervious to the league's worst injury plague: Portland is 12-5 when Aldridge scores at least 25, 8-4 when he scores between 20 and 24 ... and 7-15 when he's held below 20.

Clippers and Twolves still suck when Griffin and Love put up big #'s.

 

[maxiep]

I one day hoped LaMarcus Aldridge could fulfill his potential and become another Chris Bosh. His current agressiveness shows me I underestimated his ceiling. He can be better than Bosh.

 

[andalusian]

The breakdown for the one Blazer seemingly impervious to the league's worst injury plague: Portland is 12-5 when Aldridge scores at least 25, 8-4 when he scores between 20 and 24 ... and 7-15 when he's held below 20.

Since Roy went down - the Blazers lost only 3 times when LMA went over 20 (against Miami, Dallas, PHX)

The team's record when he goes for 20+ since then is 15-3

It is pretty clear that if you want to win against the Blazers - you really have to limit LMA - as the team is 1-6 when he is limited under 20

 

[Masbee]

I one day hoped LaMarcus Aldridge could fulfill his potential and become another Chris Bosh. His current agressiveness shows me I underestimated his ceiling. He can be better than Bosh.

There were several threads last summer and last season along the lines of: Aldridge vs. Bosh.

Of course there were posters who said you do nearly anything in an attempt to "upgrade" from Aldridge to Bosh, but a surprising number of posters here wouldn't have traded to two straight up, let alone paid more in talent to get Bosh.

Even at that time of the "old" Aldridge, to many he seemed a better fit for the other talent on the team (pick-and-pop vs. face up guy - longer, more versitile defender), and was settled in on the team, and was on a much more reasonable contract.

Now that Aldridge is in the middle of blowing up, while Bosh has often struggled to be a complimentary type player, it would be interesting to do an updated poll.