Im starting to think Aldridge could care less

[MIXUM]

He was awful. No way around it. Had he even played decent the Blazers win by 15. And at times he looked like he was going through the motions with no interest whatsoever. None. It was pretty obvious to me that he did not come to play.

 

[craigehlo]

Here's hoping a new coach will demand he play around the hoop. He had exactly one good move in the entire game yesterday.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Every player has bad games, but really I think the real problem isn't that he doesn't care it's that he's just not that good.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I didn't see the original post and don't really give a crap what it says, but I am very relieved to know that apparently LaMarcus Aldridge could care less. That's nice to know, as I'd be really concerned to learn he couldn't care less.

BNM

 

[Blazinaway]

the "starting to think" part was the problem (j/k)

 

[hasoos]

Here is the deal. If you expect anything more than just an above average PF from Lamarcus, you are just setting yourself up for failure. There are 30 teams in the league. He is probably somewhere from 10th to 13th in value.

I don't suppose there is any chance we could pry Larry Sanders from Milwaukee. That dude is going to be a blue collar in the paint type of PF.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

This season, he's played heavy, heavy minutes: over 40 minutes in 8 of the 20 games he's played, and 38+ minutes in 13 of the 20. He's been not just the starting PF but a backup C as well. He was bound to have a letdown game.

 

[HailBlazers]

the "starting to think" part was the problem (j/k)

No Seriously.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Here is the deal. If you expect anything more than just an above average PF from Lamarcus, you are just setting yourself up for failure. There are 30 teams in the league. He is probably somewhere from 10th to 13th in value.

I don't suppose there is any chance we could pry Larry Sanders from Milwaukee. That dude is going to be a blue collar in the paint type of PF.

Yep. The kid has talent, but he is a "softy", both mentally and physically. He is a bad fit on a team that needs toughness up front.

This is an example of where keeping Oden around is screwing the team up. They are keeping LMA because he would be such a great fit next to the mythical "once in a generation center" Oden. Otherwise, they would have traded LMA already. (I won't even bother bringing up his contract)

 

[blazerboy30]

Here is the deal. If you expect anything more than just an above average PF from Lamarcus, you are just setting yourself up for failure. There are 30 teams in the league. He is probably somewhere from 10th to 13th in value.

I don't suppose there is any chance we could pry Larry Sanders from Milwaukee. That dude is going to be a blue collar in the paint type of PF.

How is 10th to 13th highest value at PF "just above average"? Are there really only 20 PFs in the league? Not only does Lamarcus put up WAY better than "average" production, he is well above average for starters in the league.

 

[HailBlazers]

He is a bad fit on a team that needs toughness up front.

I disagree. He commands a double team which fits our offense perfectly. I will say though we need to add some additional pieces to this squad, having Joel back is a good start.

 

[hasoos]

How is 10th to 13th highest value at PF "just above average"? Are there really only 20 PFs in the league? Not only does Lamarcus put up WAY better than "average" production, he is well above average for starters in the league.

There are 30 teams in the league, unless you are very bad at math. Then there can be 20 if you wish. 15th would be middle of the road average . As I said he is somewhere in the 10th to 13th range in my book, and frankly, it is hard to argue against it. What is your reasoning as to why he should be higher?

1. Is he better than Pau Gasol? Nope.
2. Is he better than Tim Duncan? Nope.
3. Is he better than Amare Stoudemire? Nope.
4. Is he better than Chris Bosch? Nope.
5. Is he better than Dirk Nowitzki? Nope.
6. Is he better than Blake Griffin? Nope.
7. Is he better than Carlos Boozer? Nope.
8. Is he better than KG? Nope.
9. Is he better than Kevin Love? Nope.
10. Is he better than Paul Milsap? Nope.

Now you have a step down. All these guys are just about the same in value in my book:

Lamarcus Aldridge, Luis Scola, Jason Thompsen. Carl Landry. Many of these guys while not as offensively gifted as Aldridge, are better rebounders, better hustle players, and better defenders.

So as I said. Above average.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I disagree. He commands a double team which fits our offense perfectly. I will say though we need to add some additional pieces to this squad, having Joel back is a good start.

I don't think you understand what "commands a double team" actually means. He gets a double a team quite a bit, but in order to "command" one he would actually have to be capable of beating it.

 

[Minstrel]

There are 30 teams in the league, unless you are very bad at math. Then there can be 20 if you wish. 15th would be middle of the road average .

Wrong, unless you think that each team only has five players on their roster. When you include all the players in the league, Aldridge is way above average.

Perhaps you meant "an above average starter." That's a very different (and better) thing than you said.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

There are 30 teams in the league, unless you are very bad at math. Then there can be 20 if you wish. 15th would be middle of the road average . As I said he is somewhere in the 10th to 13th range in my book, and frankly, it is hard to argue against it. What is your reasoning as to why he should be higher?

1. Is he better than Pau Gasol? Nope.
2. Is he better than Tim Duncan? Nope.
3. Is he better than Amare Stoudemire? Nope.
4. Is he better than Chris Bosch? Nope.
5. Is he better than Dirk Nowitzki? Nope.
6. Is he better than Blake Griffin? Nope.
7. Is he better than Carlos Boozer? Nope.
8. Is he better than KG? Nope.
9. Is he better than Kevin Love? Nope.
10. Is he better than Paul Milsap? Nope.

Now you have a step down. All these guys are just about the same in value in my book:

Lamarcus Aldridge, Luis Scola, Jason Thompsen. Carl Landry. Many of these guys while not as offensively gifted as Aldridge, are better rebounders, better hustle players, and better defenders.

So as I said. Above average.

Josh Smith, Zach Randolph, Lamar Odom, Antawn Jamison, David West, and a healthy Troy Murphy also deserve mention. We were told to watch for LA to take the next step this year and play like an all-star. So far, his numbers have been the same as the past four years except a large decrease in shooting percentage.

I still hold out hope that he takes that next step, but the odds are hugely against it.

 

[blazerboy30]

There are 30 teams in the league, unless you are very bad at math. Then there can be 20 if you wish. 15th would be middle of the road average . As I said he is somewhere in the 10th to 13th range in my book, and frankly, it is hard to argue against it. What is your reasoning as to why he should be higher?

1. Is he better than Pau Gasol? Nope.
2. Is he better than Tim Duncan? Nope.
3. Is he better than Amare Stoudemire? Nope.
4. Is he better than Chris Bosch? Nope.
5. Is he better than Dirk Nowitzki? Nope.
6. Is he better than Blake Griffin? Nope.
7. Is he better than Carlos Boozer? Nope.
8. Is he better than KG? Nope.
9. Is he better than Kevin Love? Nope.
10. Is he better than Paul Milsap? Nope.

Now you have a step down. All these guys are just about the same in value in my book:

Lamarcus Aldridge, Luis Scola, Jason Thompsen. Carl Landry. Many of these guys while not as offensively gifted as Aldridge, are better rebounders, better hustle players, and better defenders.

So as I said. Above average.

Read Minstrel's post above. Your post is very silly and illogical, but you should continue to question my math skills.

 

[blazerboy30]

I don't think you understand what "commands a double team" actually means. He gets a double a team quite a bit, but in order to "command" one he would actually have to be capable of beating it.

This is ridiculous. Unless you think other teams are double teaming LMA just for something to do, or just for fun.

 

[Minstrel]

I don't think you understand what "commands a double team" actually means. He gets a double a team quite a bit, but in order to "command" one he would actually have to be capable of beating it.

I think you're the one getting it wrong. "Commanding" something means forcing the other team to do something. Scoring routinely out of double teams would be defeating them. It's not a trivial distinction...a player who forces double teams is still compromising the defense, even if he's not capable of consistently scoring against them. Aldridge's ability to command double teams has a lot of value, even if he's not a Duncan who can consistently score over the double team.

 

[LittleAlex]

I think you're the one getting it wrong. "Commanding" something means forcing the other team to do something. Scoring routinely out of double teams would be defeating them. It's not a trivial distinction...a player who forces double teams is still compromising the defense, even if he's not capable of consistently scoring against them. Aldridge's ability to command double teams has a lot of value, even if he's not a Duncan who can consistently score over the double team.

He hasn't shown a tremendous ability to pass out of them either.

Pretty much a team will double LaMarcus because that strategy has a better then average chance of resulting in a Portland turnover.

With Duncan, not so much.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I think you're the one getting it wrong. "Commanding" something means forcing the other team to do something. Scoring routinely out of double teams would be defeating them. It's not a trivial distinction...a player who forces double teams is still compromising the defense, even if he's not capable of consistently scoring against them. Aldridge's ability to command double teams has a lot of value, even if he's not a Duncan who can consistently score over the double team.

But he doesn't pass well out of it, he doesn't read them particularly well ... a double team is usually a pretty high percentage play for an opponent's defense because he has so much trouble making them pay for doing it.

 

[Nikolokolus]

This is ridiculous. Unless you think other teams are double teaming LMA just for something to do, or just for fun.

They do it because it's a high percentage defensive strategy because he's so poor at making a team pay for doing it.

 

[Minstrel]

He hasn't shown a tremendous ability to pass out of them either.

Pretty much a team will double LaMarcus because that strategy has a better then average chance of resulting in a Portland turnover.

With Duncan, not so much.

Duncan has a higher turnover rate. While he also has a higher usage rate, the differences in the two seem at worst commensurate. If doubling Aldridge led to a good chance for a turnover, and that's why teams double him a lot, I think you'd see a much higher turnover rate from LMA.

Beyond stats, I disagree from an observational standpoint too. Aldridge is no Chris Webber, but he's a decent passer. The fact is, passing out of a double team isn't especially tricky unless you are trying to be the one to get an assist. A double of Aldridge leads to a compromised defense...an easy pass out to the perimeter, like to Miller, gives Miller a superior chance of beating the out of position defense.

 

[Minstrel]

But he doesn't pass well out of it, he doesn't read them particularly well ... a double team is usually a pretty high percentage play for an opponent's defense because he has so much trouble making them pay for doing it.

Well, we'll have to disagree. Since Aldridge isn't such a good passer as to create the assist himself (the way a Sabonis or Divac might), this isn't something that can necessarily be verified with stats....but observationally, he's decent passing out of double-teams. More elaboration of my point in my response to Little Alex.

 

[jlprk]

How is 10th to 13th highest value at PF "just above average"? Are there really only 20 PFs in the league?

That makes no sense, whether you mean starters or everyone. Take a remedial arithmetic class. And toss in a writing class while you're at night school.

How is 10th to 13th highest value at PF "just above average"? Are there really only 20 PFs in the league? Not only does Lamarcus put up WAY better than "average" production, he is well above average for starters in the league.

Wrong, unless you think that each team only has five players on their roster. When you include all the players in the league, Aldridge is way above average.

Perhaps you meant "an above average starter." That's a very different (and better) thing than you said.

You're saying that Blazerboy's first two sentences were about all PFs, even though his last sentence reversed that direction and was about starters. Most readers, after seeing that the last sentence is about starters, would interpret the first two sentences to also be about starters.

 

[MickZagger]

Every player has bad games, but really I think the real problem isn't that he doesn't care it's that he's just not that good.

bingo.

 

[MickZagger]

This season, he's played heavy, heavy minutes: over 40 minutes in 8 of the 20 games he's played, and 38+ minutes in 13 of the 20. He's been not just the starting PF but a backup C as well. He was bound to have a letdown game.

Bound to have a let down game? He's had a let down past couple years. He currently has a PER of 16.6

Thats good for 18th best among PF's. Lets face it folks, he's not that good.

 

[MickZagger]

How is 10th to 13th highest value at PF "just above average"? Are there really only 20 PFs in the league? Not only does Lamarcus put up WAY better than "average" production, he is well above average for starters in the league.

At 16.6 he has the 18th best PER among starting PF's. I'd say thats below average production.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

At 16.6 he has the 18th best PER among starting PF's.

He's shooting 43%, which is by far a career low.

I would imagine that everyone is suffering from Roy being NewRoy. This is so far the worst LMA has played period, but I believe he's better than this season, and will improve as the starting lineup figures its shit out.

No, he's "not that good"... and you and Nik can bang that fucking drum all you like; there's nothing to prove you wrong. But he's better than this season.

I have having to log in just to turn on my ignore list.

 

[RedHotRollin]

You're not just now learning this are you, Mix? LA if you are the coach is someone you need to watch your back on. What he is doing or not doing out there has direct effect on the job you are doing. The times here of late are looking a little bleak and I'm not sure he has the coaches back. He talks a good game, case in point, in todays oregonlive article. But other than that, the real proof in what's going on, on the court.

I don't think it matters to him either way. A win or a loss. It pays either way. It's why with personality types such as this one, the guaranteed contracts need to be revoked from the player. He is a guy that needs to prove his worth each and every day. If you give him an out, which you have, he will burn you. And he has.

 

[MickZagger]

He's shooting 43%, which is by far a career low.

I would imagine that everyone is suffering from Roy being NewRoy. This is so far the worst LMA has played period, but I believe he's better than this season, and will improve as the starting lineup figures its shit out.

No, he's "not that good"... and you and Nik can bang that fucking drum all you like; there's nothing to prove you wrong. But he's better than this season.

I have having to log in just to turn on my ignore list.

lol. So I bring facts and you resort to telling me that I'm on your ignore list?

okie dokie artichokie.

Some people have a hard time dealing with reality. I always get a kick out of it when people feel the need to update the board with who's on their ignore list.

Fact is, Aldridge has never had a good PER, he's always been overhyped by this fanbase.