PF update......

Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Register Log in

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
HCP said:
Was out at the practice facility this morning and saw some of the guys. Talked to Joel for a few minutes. Said he had a good summer rehabbing and can't wait to get back on the floor. physically, he looked great. Buck Williams and Bickerstaff were overseeing Caleb Canales and Bayno running drills with the young guys. Talked to Nate and congratulated him on the World Championships, he said he was glad to be home. The thing that blew me away was LaMarcus!!!!!! He is RIPPED! He looks like STAT! He was also rocking a nice beard that he said he was going to keep this whole season. I told him he needs to do the Rick Ross version( nerds, google it)! Seriously, he looked huge. Can't wait for training camp to kick off.
Click to expand...

How's LA's jumper? Still sweet shooting through all those muscles? Does he have 3pt range?
 
He's growing a beard so he can be like Kevin Love. He's a softy trying to put off a gruff exterior. Amare isn't fooled by this.
 
Draco said:
I'll be surprised if LaMarcus is able to keep his muscle as the season goes on. It's not too hard to bulk up when you can really focus on lifting and diet. But during an NBA season where he has to endure days of cardio and is traveling that'll be a different story.
Click to expand...

They lift weights to maintain during the season.
 
oldmangrouch said:
That's a good question. I have had to wonder if part of LMA's problem is that he doesn't have a strong enough base. :dunno:
Click to expand...

I'd call lack of strength a weakness, but I don't necessarily believe that LA has an overall "problem". He's a very good PF and fills whatever role he's asked to fill. I look forward to seeing him develop over the next few years. He was drafted as a project; that he played his rookie year was a surprise to many fans.
 
Plus, he's starting +20 right now, so even with weight loss he should end up +10 by the end of the season.
 
Picture of the new LaMarcus Aldridge:

drew-gooden-425mc-103108.jpg
 
BlazerWookee said:
Um... Huh?
Click to expand...

It was doubtful if LA would be able to even make an impact his rookie year by many fans and media types. Even the front office didn't expect much of him. I know it is easy to forget these things, but it did happen.
 
Minstrel said:
Picture of the new LaMarcus Aldridge:

drew-gooden-425mc-103108.jpg
Click to expand...

Don't be silly. This is clearly a picture of Paul Beaty, AP - who was so good that basketball-reference does not have the mathematical capacity to list his accomplishments!
 
I'm not sure about that brother. He was considered ZBO's backup and also they were going to try to get him minutes as the backup center.
 
HCP said:
I'm not sure about that brother. He was considered ZBO's backup and also they were going to try to get him minutes as the backup center.
Click to expand...

I remember the reports from the time. He was drafted as a "project". It was a surprise that he got as many minutes as he did that season.
 
LMA got only 22MPG (in 63 games only as he started and ended the year on the injury list) - but most of his big-minute games came when ZBo, Magloire and Joel were injured... until the end of the season when it was pretty clear that he was the 2nd best big-man on the roster after ZBo - whatever big minutes he got at the start of "his" year were in garbage time - and there were plenty of those that year...

But, I do remember the "project" label as well. Of course, when your big-men are ZBo (offense only), Magloire (just a big body) and Joel (defense only) - it was not that big of a surprise that LMA's project status was short-lived. For all his faults - LMA has tons of talent...
 
andalusian said:
LMA got only 22MPG (in 63 games only as he started and ended the year on the injury list) - but most of his big-minute games came when ZBo, Magloire and Joel were injured... until the end of the season when it was pretty clear that he was the 2nd best big-man on the roster after ZBo - whatever big minutes he got at the start of "his" year were in garbage time - and there were plenty of those that year...
Click to expand...

Correct. Not much was expected of LA that year, which was my point. These days, a player picked that high is expected to start immediately, especially on a team coming off of a 21-win season. The injuries gave LA a chance to earn minutes, and it ultimately led to ZBO's trade after the season.
 
MickZagger said:
Both suck at rebounding for big men. Amare beasted him on the offensive end.
Click to expand...

Stoudemire - 20.5 ppg in that series, 23.1 ppg in the regular season
Aldridge - 19 ppg in that series, 17.8 ppg in the regular season

Plus, LA shot more FTs than Stoudemire in that series. I guess I don't see how Stoudemire "beasted" LA when he averaged less ppg and less FTA/g than he did in the regular season.

ADD - LA also averaged more bpg and less TO/g than Stoudemire that series.

Missing a healthy Roy was why the Blazers lost that series, IMO.
 
HCP said:
Good post FAMS!
Click to expand...



At the very most, LA vs. Stoudemire was a very, very small edge to PHX. Not bad considering that Stoudemire was a gold-medal USA player on a max contract and playing with a two-time MVP, while LA was still on his rookie contract for a team missing its All-NBA SG.
 
BGrantFan said:
Stoudemire - 20.5 ppg in that series, 23.1 ppg in the regular season
Aldridge - 19 ppg in that series, 17.8 ppg in the regular season

Plus, LA shot more FTs than Stoudemire in that series. I guess I don't see how Stoudemire "beasted" LA when he averaged less ppg and less FTA/g than he did in the regular season.

ADD - LA also averaged more bpg and less TO/g than Stoudemire that series.

Missing a healthy Roy was why the Blazers lost that series, IMO.
Click to expand...

[video=youtube;5hYXT14cEWs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hYXT14cEWs[/video]

Aldridge was never the same psychologically after that play.
 
BGrantFan said:
It was doubtful if LA would be able to even make an impact his rookie year by many fans and media types. Even the front office didn't expect much of him. I know it is easy to forget these things, but it did happen.
Click to expand...

That's absurd. He was going to back up Zach AND Joel, and he was expected to make an immediate impact. Remember, he was stepping into Brian Skinner's role, for cry sakes. I, for one, remember more people speculating that he would make Zach expendable than people doubting he would make an impact.
 
 
BlazerWookee said:
That's absurd. He was going to back up Zach AND Joel, and he was expected to make an immediate impact. Remember, he was stepping into Brian Skinner's role, for cry sakes. I, for one, remember more people speculating that he would make Zach expendable than people doubting he would make an impact.
Click to expand...

I think you are wrong. I also don't that that your opinion is absurd. I just think it is wrong historically. You admitting that our top pick on a 21-win team was going to play the "Brian Skinner role" strengthens my argument, but no biggie.
 
As I remember it, both are right. Around these parts (blazer boards), most thought that he would get some good burn and some speculated that one day he would start. But in most national coverings of the blazers Aldridge was talked about as a good prospect but not quite ready. Not to the degree of Favors this year or Bargnani in LA's draft, but not far behind. It was considered a weak draft with few ready-to-go players, and that included LA.
 
Aldridge was the most polished out of the bigs taken in the lottery in that draft. More so than T. Thomas, Bargnani, O'Bryant, H. Armstrong.

I remember from watching him at Texas thinking, solid player but a tendency to disappear in games and soft. More finesse than anything else.

Some things never change.
 
Hopefully this isn't the same "LaMarcus Aldridge is huge and ripped" like the way people used to say "Zach Randolph is toned down and slim".
 
IDK, a lot of people regarded him as raw. KP himself was surprised that LA seemed so skilled initially. I always thought Bargnani was the most skilled big of that draft.

Even in his first game, he showed some of that great touch, but was nowhere near as refined as he is now (sad that this improvement in fluidity hasn't translated to production, though.

[video=youtube;aThIbBJH_tc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aThIbBJH_tc[/video]
 
Here's one of his best games early in his sophomore season:

[video=youtube;S12zbSIAUrE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S12zbSIAUrE&feature=related[/video]

One more:

[video=youtube;nfjAtmJTCgQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfjAtmJTCgQ&feature=player_embedded[/video]
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top