Is Crash the best player on the team now?

[chris_in_pdx]

Aldridge has yet to solve the new double-team schemes the other teams are throwing at him and it reverting to his patented dribble-dribble-fadaway jumper routine. Roy is.... well, Brandon Roy at this point in his career. Some nights he'll be an All-Star, some nights he'll be invisable.

In the eyes of ABC/ESPN/TNT, is this "Gerald Wallace and the Portland Trail Blazers" now?

 

[mook]

I don't think so. We still run our offense through Aldridge. He's the guy who forces the other team to adapt. I feel like every possession where he touches the ball in the post is a quality possession.

It's kind of like the historical difference between Duncan and Parker/Ginobili. Sure, those other guys may score more, but everything runs through Duncan. He's the most critical cog.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't know.... but I sure am glad to have him on the team.

 

[blazerboy30]

No. LMA is still our best player. You basically say so yourself when you say "the new double-team schemes the other teams are throwing at him". Teams don't bother double teaming Crash. Teams almost always have to double LMA.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Aldridge has yet to solve the new double-team schemes the other teams are throwing at him and it reverting to his patented dribble-dribble-fadaway jumper routine. Roy is.... well, Brandon Roy at this point in his career. Some nights he'll be an All-Star, some nights he'll be invisable.

In the eyes of ABC/ESPN/TNT, is this "Gerald Wallace and the Portland Trail Blazers" now?

So you are saying that if every team doubled Wallace, Gerald would be the best player on the team? Or maybe because they double LMA, Wallace is getting open shots. I am thinking Gerald would not handle the double teams quite as well as LMA does.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

ESPN has Aldridge #8 on the MVP watch, I think it's pretty clear who they think is the best player on the team.

 

[BrianFromWA]

No, but that's ok.

 

[KingSpeed]

Yes. Easily. He's playing better than his 2010 All Star level. He's leading us in scoring and rebounding the last 9 games. And he's a top 5 defender. First team all defensive last season.

 

[geraldwallace]

i love him

 

[DUB]

LA is better skill wise, Wallace has more experience, and confidence.

 

[MrJayremmie]

I don't think so. But he is definitely one of, if not the most important player.

He was the perfect pickup for us. Exactly what we needed... especially for the playoffs. He won't take shit from anyone, and I love that.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

So you are saying that if every team doubled Wallace, Gerald would be the best player on the team?

I think it would be more accurate to say: "If Wallace were the best player on the team, evey team would double him." Double-teaming is the effect, not the cause.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

An interesting question - I think he's the most consistent.

A more depressing question: Where's BRoy - 7th, 8th best?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I think Aldridge has more talent but this is now Wallace's team.

He has quickly become the leader, heart and muscle of the Blazers.

 

[julius]

I think Aldridge has more talent but this is now Wallace's team.

He has quickly become the leader, heart and muscle of the Blazers.

He's quickly become the player that I feel most comfortable when he's playing. It used to be Roy, and then when his knees betrayed him, it was Andre. Now, it's turning into Gerald, as I have yet to see Gerald do something where I think "WHAT THE HELL!?" like I have with pretty much every other player on the team not named Andre or LaMarcus.

 

[PapaG]

Wallace is in an ideal position. He's getting to play a lot of PF, but with a post who is demanding double teams from guards. That's leaving Gerald against a larger player, in a lot of instances, on the offensive end of the court. I thought Wallace would be a good fit; he's been a PERFECT fit with LMA, though.

I don't think it really matters who is the "best" player. Since LMA is almost always doubled in the post, and since I don't recall Wallace ever being consistenty doubled, I would have to say, if forced, LMA is the "best" player. Really, though, I'm just happy that the Blazers received Wallace without giving up Batum.

Thank you Paul Allen, for taking on a big contract in an age where decent teams are dumping contracts.

 

[BlazerBeav]

LMA is still our star, but Wallace has proven to be an INCREDIBLE pickup!

 

[Pinwheel1]

An interesting question - I think he's the most consistent.

A more depressing question: Where's BRoy - 7th, 8th best?

Why is that depressing? If there are 7 better players on this team than BRoy, I will feel pretty good about this team.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

He's quickly become the player that I feel most comfortable when he's playing. It used to be Roy, and then when his knees betrayed him, it was Andre. Now, it's turning into Gerald, as I have yet to see Gerald do something where I think "WHAT THE HELL!?" like I have with pretty much every other player on the team not named Andre or LaMarcus.

The back story MB was telling tonight about the team teasing Wallace about not throwing LMA an alley oop yet was funny but it also shows that the team respects him. Where hasn't be contributed in the box score except for the alley opp, lol.

 

[illmatic99]

"His name is no longer 'Gerald Wallace' it's 'MVP.'" -- LaMarcus Aldridge

http://twitter.com/blazersedge

 

[PapaG]

http://twitter.com/blazersedge

LMA is such a selfless player. I would have like the Blazers to feed him in the post when the Lakers made their run instead of jacking up outside shots (Wallace missed three shots in that stretch), but LMA just keeps on trucking.

 

[mgb]

Why is that depressing? If there are 7 better players on this team than BRoy, I will feel pretty good about this team.

If we had 7 players better than Roy before his knee problems I'd be estactic, but since he's a shell of his old self not so much.

 

[EGame]

Not so sure I am willing to say that yet, but what I will say is it feels good having a consistent player as far as scoring goes along with Aldridge. Matthews, Miller, and Batum are hit and miss at times and our bench players are always miss. I remember reading the Bobcats board on RealGM around the time the trade went down and how they were saying Wallace doesn't have much left in the tank, he is going to get hurt quicker if he plays extended minutes at PF, etc. I was happy when we got him back then and I am certainly happy with how he has played. Scores, rebounds, plays defense, gets steal. Just a total package type of dude.

 

[Drttimmy]

I think it's a good thing he's not the best player. Really, there is no best player. A good team relies on balance in it's parts, and he's becoming every bit essential as Aldridge to draw defenses, Miller to exploit defenses, and Batum to capitalize off what these other guys create. He's fitting in really well and adjusting on the fly. I have a newfound respect for his BB IQ and instincts. Very nice player.

 

[KingSpeed]

LMA is such a selfless player. I would have like the Blazers to feed him in the post when the Lakers made their run instead of jacking up outside shots (Wallace missed three shots in that stretch), but LMA just keeps on trucking.

In the LOSS to the Lakers at the RG in February (when there was no Wallace), we went to Aldridge in the post on every play down the stretch. Each time, he shot a brick while Kobe hit everything and led them back. We went to Aldridge AGAIN to win it and he missed once again. He was scoreless in the 4th and scoreless in OT where I think we started to give up on him.

 

[LittleAlex]

Best player, nope.

Most Important Player, yeah I think so.

His example of playing balls out every single play has started to rub off on guys whose motors were a bit less then they needed to be.
That's going to be huge in the playoffs.

 

[MrJayremmie]

Gotta love that LMA tweet.

 

[maxiep]

In the LOSS to the Lakers at the RG in February (when there was no Wallace), we went to Aldridge in the post on every play down the stretch. Each time, he shot a brick while Kobe hit everything and led them back. We went to Aldridge AGAIN to win it and he missed once again. He was scoreless in the 4th and scoreless in OT where I think we started to give up on him.

I give more credit to the L*kers who focused on stopping him than I blame Aldridge. No one else was making a shot either, so they couldn't be penalized for focusing on LA.

 

[maxiep]

Best player, nope.

Most Important Player, yeah I think so.

His example of playing balls out every single play has started to rub off on guys whose motors were a bit less then they needed to be.
That's going to be huge in the playoffs.

This. Repped.

 

[maxiep]

Gotta love that LMA tweet.

He only wrote that because Crash finally delivered him a lob.