PF production

[Buffalo Blazer]

Aldridge defines the PF position purely by shooting skill. But that's last priority in the conventional description of a star PF. I don't care how good of a shooter our next PF is. He'll never be more than 5 feet from the basket, collecting rebounds, blocks, steals, altered shots, loose balls wrestled down to the floor, and lost fingernails.

That's 1980's and 90's NBA thinking. In today's world, your PF needs to be able to stretch the floor or else your guards are going to be bottled up all game driving into congestion.

It's been a common theme on this board since I joined that several of you guys underestimate or undervalue LMA's ability to stretch the D and draw shot blockers out of the paint and what it does for other guys on the court.

 

[Mediocre Man]

That's 1980's and 90's NBA thinking. In today's world, your PF needs to be able to stretch the floor or else your guards are going to be bottled up all game driving into congestion.

It's been a common theme on this board since I joined that several of you guys underestimate or undervalue LMA's ability to stretch the D and draw shot blockers out of the paint and what it does for other guys on the court.

I don't think anyone here isn't appreciative of his ability to stretch the defense. What I was saying is someone like him, who will command a maxish deal more valuable than a player at the wing position who would command the same defensive attention (or close to it) and a player like Ibaka who is defensive oriented as well as a guy who can step out and hit a consistent 15-18 footer.

 

[cmeese47]

For the sake of hypotheticals...

You'd need to land a second option. Damian can't do it by himself as Nic and Wes are not go-to guys - they're (very good) role players.

Maybe a tad off-base here but why would Neil interview Noah Vonleh? He is a lock to go no lower than #6.

If I was him I would interview all the top guys just to see the potential return on a deal

 

[cmeese47]

That's 1980's and 90's NBA thinking. In today's world, your PF needs to be able to stretch the floor or else your guards are going to be bottled up all game driving into congestion.

It's been a common theme on this board since I joined that several of you guys underestimate or undervalue LMA's ability to stretch the D and draw shot blockers out of the paint and what it does for other guys on the court.

Look I maybe in the minority here but I would trade LA for Rodman in his prime everyday. The dude was a wrecking ball on defense he is hands down the greatest defense PF in nba history (Although I would at least listen to an argument for Tim Duncan). He was also the greatest rebounder in NBA history on a percentage scale his rebound rates for offensive, defensive and overall are amazing.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Look I maybe in the minority here but I would trade LA for Rodman in his prime everyday. The dude was a wrecking ball on defense he is hands down the greatest defense PF in nba history (Although I would at least listen to an argument for Tim Duncan). He was also the greatest rebounder in NBA history on a percentage scale his rebound rates for offensive, defensive and overall are amazing.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I don't think anyone here isn't appreciative of his ability to stretch the defense. What I was saying is someone like him, who will command a maxish deal more valuable than a player at the wing position who would command the same defensive attention (or close to it) and a player like Ibaka who is defensive oriented as well as a guy who can step out and hit a consistent 15-18 footer.

I understand what you are getting at. It is a valid question. And if I was building a team from scratch I would lean towards that philosophy. Ideally i think it is best if your max players are your PG, and either a SG or SF. Then fill the rest in with the best players possible.

However it is not the only way to do it. We can get away with Lillard and LMA as our max guys, and build the rest with the best players possible. I admit I would pause if Wiggins was offered, although to be honest I am going more off of reputation than resume. Thankfully that type of trade won't occur because it is really risky. Moving LMA for a a potential or current max wing has a very small chance of successfully happening.

I think these types of threads are interesting as we wait until after the draft, but hopefully by then we can focus on what we have now and how we can get better with LMA and not how we can better without him. Because those same type of scenarios we discussed all of last summer, would have been bad moves for the Blazers.

 

[e_blazer]

I understand what you are getting at. It is a valid question. And if I was building a team from scratch I would lean towards that philosophy. Ideally i think it is best if your max players are your PG, and either a SG or SF. Then fill the rest in with the best players possible.

However it is not the only way to do it. We can get away with Lillard and LMA as our max guys, and build the rest with the best players possible. I admit I would pause if Wiggins was offered, although to be honest I am going more off of reputation than resume. Thankfully that type of trade won't occur because it is really risky. Moving LMA for a a potential or current max wing has a very small chance of successfully happening.

I think these types of threads are interesting as we wait until after the draft, but hopefully by then we can focus on what we have now and how we can get better with LMA and not how we can better without him. Because those same type of scenarios we discussed all of last summer, would have been bad moves for the Blazers.

I agree that there's more than one way to skin the team-building cat (please don't report me to PETA, I'm using a euphemism here). OKC is built along the PG/SF model, the Heat are lucky to have a big 3 at SG/SF/PF, the Spurs are a SG/PF team with a whole bunch of really good role players thrown in. Historically, there have been champions built around a variety of All-Star combos. I think the important thing is for a GM to tailor the rest of the team around the strengths and weaknesses of the best players on the roster. Portland's best two players aren't as dominant individually as some of the other contender's best players, so Olshey is going to have to build a team with depth along the lines of the Spurs if the Blazers are going to join the elites of the NBA.

 

[BlazerWookee]

If you take out Denny you can be #1.

Can someone so full of #2 be an effective #1?

 

[Rhal]

Look I maybe in the minority here but I would trade LA for Rodman in his prime everyday. The dude was a wrecking ball on defense he is hands down the greatest defense PF in nba history (Although I would at least listen to an argument for Tim Duncan). He was also the greatest rebounder in NBA history on a percentage scale his rebound rates for offensive, defensive and overall are amazing.

Kevin Garnet says Hi.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

[Mediocre Man]

Kevin Garnet says Hi.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

Is he saying hi to the greatest defensive PF in the NBA, Dennis Rodman?

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Kevin Garnet says Hi.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

Yeah, not close. Rodman would get Garnett all riled up and kicked out because he played too much with emotions.

Rodman was a better defender all around

 

[BlazerWookee]

Yeah, not close. Rodman would get Garnett all riled up and kicked out because he played too much with emotions.

Rodman was a better defender all around

Well, having multiple strains of hepatitis probably helped some...

 

[ripcityboy]

Lamarcus has always been a tweener, a tall foward with a small man's game. He doesn't really work hard
on that defense side of his game. Kevin Garnett took Lamarcus to school back in the day like Ibaka does now.
But we still need him, and fo 120 milliion. And he will get it.

 

[RR7]

Lamarcus has always been a tweener, a tall foward with a small man's game. He doesn't really work hard
on that defense side of his game. Kevin Garnett took Lamarcus to school back in the day like Ibaka does now.
But we still need him, and fo 120 milliion. And he will get it.

Ibaka takes him to school? WTF? Aldridge averages 21 and 9 for his career against him.

 

[jlprk]

Ibaka takes him to school? WTF? Aldridge averages 21 and 9 for his career against him.

Actually, in efficiency points (I calculated the NBA.com way*, not the harder-to-calculate ESPN way) per 48 minutes, Aldridge vs. Ibaka is 25.85 vs. 25.47. Very close.

That's for their career matchups and includes games when rookie Ibaka played against the much more experienced Aldridge. My source of data:

http://bkref.com/tiny/QNH1r

*Points + rebounds + assists + blocks + steals - turnovers - missed FGs - missed FTs

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Yes, it would be a good idea to trade Aldridge if we had drafted Durant, but we didn't.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Yes, it would be a good idea to trade Aldridge if we had drafted Durant, but we didn't.

No, we drafted Oden, which made trading Zach Randolph for Channing Frye a good deal.

 

[DHawes22]

Am I the only one who felt like LA did a damn good job defending Dwight in the post? His defense is underrated around the league.

 

[H.C.]

Am I the only one who felt like LA did a damn good job defending Dwight in the post? His defense is underrated around the league.

nope. but whenever you say this the "trade Aldridge" people call you a homer. so.

Or they bring up stats or talk about how Aldridge was part of the 21st ranked defense in the NBA.

But these are the same people that say you can't know how good kevin love is on defense because he is on a roster with no talent or they say can't call a single player out for bad defense.

smh @ those people.

 

[PapaG]

Tim Duncan vs. Serge Ibaka tonight