Post your "what the hell happened to LA" theories here

[THE HCP]

Huh?

Eric, you just lost some street cred for not knowing an Animal House reference!

 

[Sedatedfork]

Loss of the Harlow loving has him in a funk. Bring back Harlow and recharge the big man.

 

[Minstrel]

My belief:

-Really more of a fifth option (at least on the kind of team talent I want)
-He doesn't much care for the game of basketball (I can tell a lot about people's underlying psychology from their facial expressions)
-Fat and happy (he has money to buy all the food he could ever eat, why earn more?)
-Nate (self-explanatory, always)

 

[HailBlazers]

(I can tell a lot about people's underlying psychology from their facial expressions)

And you let that guide your belief about a person?

 

[Minstrel]

And you let that guide your belief about a person?

Yes. I know all these athletes better than their own families know them.

 

[HailBlazers]

Yes. I know all these athletes better than their own families know them.

typical Blazer Fan

 

[Minstrel]

typical Blazer Fan

How dare you mock me! I am world's greatest facial expression psychologist. I have multiple degrees in it, all from famous educational universities that you are impressed and intimidated by.

 

[Blaze01]

A combination of things....

First and foremost, teams are doubling him more frequently, making other players beat them, which makes sense since no one else outside of Batum can seem to consistently score the ball....

Secondly, Aldridge is not being as aggressive as he was before the All Star break, too much settling for a jumper (old habits die hard) and too often passing right back out of the double team and not calling to get the ball back....

I maintain that Aldridge's rise to All Star level play is a direct result of his effort to be more aggressiv in the paint and going to the basket...the lack of free throws is telling in this regard. I am sure there is a little fatigue, Nate certainly overplays his players IMO...Up by 20 last noght with 4 min to go and all of the starters are in...just asinine Nate....

So in summary to the OP's post, IMO it is 1/2 on Aldridge (lack of aggressiveness) and 1/2 on POR offense being apparently unable to adapt or capitalize on teams double teaming Aldridge.....that is on coaching and the players...

 

[magnifier661]

A combination of things....

First and foremost, teams are doubling him more frequently, making other players beat them, which makes sense since no one else outside of Batum can seem to consistently score the ball....

Secondly, Aldridge is not being as aggressive as he was before the All Star break, too much settling for a jumper (old habits die hard) and too often passing right back out of the double team and not calling to get the ball back....

I maintain that Aldridge's rise to All Star level play is a direct result of his effort to be more aggressiv in the paint and going to the basket...the lack of free throws is telling in this regard. I am sure there is a little fatigue, Nate certainly overplays his players IMO...Up by 20 last noght with 4 min to go and all of the starters are in...just asinine Nate....

So in summary to the OP's post, IMO it is 1/2 on Aldridge (lack of aggressiveness) and 1/2 on POR offense being apparently unable to adapt or capitalize on teams double teaming Aldridge.....that is on coaching and the players...

When the game is won, you pull players out. I never got why he does this shit! On the bright side, Aldridge only tallied 29 minutes.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

My belief:

-Really more of a fifth option (at least on the kind of team talent I want)
-He doesn't much care for the game of basketball (I can tell a lot about people's underlying psychology from their facial expressions)
-Fat and happy (he has money to buy all the food he could ever eat, why earn more?)
-Nate (self-explanatory, always)

 

[PapaG]

When the game is won, you pull players out. I never got why he does this shit! On the bright side, Aldridge only tallied 29 minutes.

Is it possible to have at least one or two things to not bitch about regarding Nate?

Here are the top and bottom teams for having a player with 40 minutes of action in a game.

Top 5

Memphis (35 times a player has played 40 or more)
Chicago (32)
Minnesota (32)
Atlanta (32)
OKC (31)

Every single team on this list would be in the playoffs if they started today.

Bottom 5:

Dallas (3)
San Antonio (5)
Utah (6)
Cleveland (7)
Phoenix (7)

Two veteran teams that are in the playoffs, and three also-rans.

If we're going to bitch about Nate playing guys too late into games, shouldn't Hollins/Thibedeau/Adelman/Brooks/Drew also be criticized?

Hell, looking at those numbers, Nate should probably be playing his best players more minutes.

 

[magnifier661]

Is it possible to have at least one or two things to not bitch about regarding Nate?

Here are the top and bottom teams for having a player with 40 minutes of action in a game.

Top 5

Memphis (35 times a player has played 40 or more)
Chicago (32)
Minnesota (32)
Atlanta (32)
OKC (31)

Every single team on this list would be in the playoffs if they started today.

Bottom 5:

Dallas (3)
San Antonio (5)
Utah (6)
Cleveland (7)
Phoenix (7)

Two veteran teams that are in the playoffs, and three also-rans.

If we're going to bitch about Nate playing guys too late into games, shouldn't Hollins/Thibedeau/Adelman/Brooks/Drew also be criticized?

Hell, looking at those numbers, Nate should probably be playing his best players more minutes.

If the game is a blow out, you take key players out to avoid injury. If you are blown out, the same applies.

 

[magnifier661]

And I'm not trying to be a dick about my hate on Nate. I supported him for so many years. I just had enough. If he somehow keeps his job and starts winning and making it past the first round, I will gladly eat my words.

 

[PapaG]

If the game is a blow out, you take key players out to avoid injury. If you are blown out, the same applies.

LMA was out of the game yesterday, and the team is going on a 2-week road trip where they won't get in much practice time, if any.

Ya think that just maybe Nate was trying to get a little bit of confidence and practice for his secondary players like Wallace, Batum, Matthews, and Felton? Maybe just a little bit more time on the court to try and get some chemistry?

It's ridiculous around this place these days.

 

[magnifier661]

LMA was out of the game yesterday, and the team is going on a 2-week road trip where they won't get in much practice time, if any.

Ya think that just maybe Nate was trying to get a little bit of confidence and practice for his secondary players like Wallace, Batum, Matthews, and Felton? Maybe just a little bit more time on the court to try and get some chemistry?

It's ridiculous around this place these days.

It gets that way when you normally see your team okay with no heart or desire.

 

[Blaze01]

LMA was out of the game yesterday, and the team is going on a 2-week road trip where they won't get in much practice time, if any.

Ya think that just maybe Nate was trying to get a little bit of confidence and practice for his secondary players like Wallace, Batum, Matthews, and Felton? Maybe just a little bit more time on the court to try and get some chemistry?

It's ridiculous around this place these days.

Really? Grown men...professional basketball players, in a game past the 1/2 way mark into the season, need the last 5 minutes of a blowing out a lousy team, to develop chemistry?

Wow, you are right, that is as ridiculous as it sounds....

 

[PapaG]

Really? Grown men...professional basketball players, in a game past the 1/2 way mark into the season, need the last 5 minutes of a blowing out a lousy team, to develop chemistry?

Wow, you are right, that is as ridiculous as it sounds....

What's your glitch today?

Nate isn't even among the worse at playing starters heavy minutes, and I provided two examples of the #1 seeds in each conference doing the same thing in the past week. Plenty of things to bitch about, but starters in the game (minus LMA) with five minutes left seems like a little kid whining.

 

[RR7]

Really? Grown men...professional basketball players, in a game past the 1/2 way mark into the season, need the last 5 minutes of a blowing out a lousy team, to develop chemistry?

Wow, you are right, that is as ridiculous as it sounds....

wouldn't that work the same then, in opposite?

Really? grown men... proffessional basketball players, in a game past the 1/2 way mark into the season, need the last 5 minutes of a blowing out a lousy team to work on their game? (Nolan, williams, babbitt). Does garbage time build confidence for scrubs? Does anything there win them time?

 

[jlprk]

What's your glitch today?

You say that the better a team is, the more they overplay players. It follows that Nate can save his job by playing all starters 48 minutes per game.

 

[Blaze01]

What's your glitch today?

lol...there is no "glitch" I just disagree with your premise that Nate was playing them near the end of the game b\c of chemistry concerns....I mean that is just ridiculous....Batum, Matthews and Wallace are not new to each other or this team are they?

Nate just has a chronic habit of leaving the starters in games already decided....I think it is dumb thing to do on his part...

Does garbage time build confidence for scrubs? Does anything there win them time?

I don't know, ask Elliot Williams.....

Apparently it doesn't help Luke Babbitt though....but at least it gets those players some semblance of playing time and provides rest for your starters which IMO does add up throughout the year....

I think Nate leaves the starters in so much b\c quite frankly he is insecure in the team keeping the lead....

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

After watching Aldridge take outside shot after outside shot last night, I couldnt help but think of Charles Barkley's "he's not a power forward" comment during the All Star reserve announcement on TNT. Aldridge went the FT line 3 times last night. Love went to the FT line 11 times. LaMarcus needs to man up and take the ball strong to the rim! Get the other teams bigs in foul trouble, get to the line and get easy points, prevent the fast break opportunitys of the opponent, etc. etc.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I don't think that is fair. The offense he plays in requires him to pop on a good percentage of the plays. He certainly needs to be more assertive, but his lack of FT's isn't entirely on him, IMO

 

[Blazinaway]

Nate wore him out?

He doesn't care now that he made the all star team?

He is more a 2nd or 3rd option?

Hes just not that into it?

I say all of the above!

damn, you overdo things, he had a letdown after the all star game, WTF is wrong with U? opps, we don't have that much time or space do we for that?

 

[MickZagger]

After watching Aldridge take outside shot after outside shot last night, I couldnt help but think of Charles Barkley's "he's not a power forward" comment during the All Star reserve announcement on TNT. Aldridge went the FT line 3 times last night. Love went to the FT line 11 times. LaMarcus needs to man up and take the ball strong to the rim! Get the other teams bigs in foul trouble, get to the line and get easy points, prevent the fast break opportunitys of the opponent, etc. etc.

....but he's not white so he doesn't get the calls that Love does.

 

[THE HCP]

....but he's not white so he doesn't get the calls that Love does.

FINALLY SOMEBODY SEES THE LIGHT!

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

If LaMarcus attacked the hoop like Love does he'd get calls.

Lately all he's doing it posting up 12' from the hoop and fading away.

Hence the low FT attempts.

 

[MickZagger]

If LaMarcus attacked the hoop like Love does he'd get calls.

Lately all he's doing it posting up 12' from the hoop and fading away.

Hence the low FT attempts.

Exactly. Aldridge never tries to sell his pump fake. Its such a weak pump fake, its like wasted energy. Dale Davis was the master of the pump fake, someone should hire him to teach LA the pump fake.

 

[jlprk]

I don't think that is fair. The offense he plays in requires him to pop on a good percentage of the plays. He certainly needs to be more assertive, but his lack of FT's isn't entirely on him, IMO

What a softy. You fanboy apologists need to shut up and let the critics step up to the plate.

 

[RoyToy]

Aldridge was 2nd in dunks last year at one point when he was working with a competent PG that, you know, actually put him in a position to score at the rim.

This team needs a really good PG. The kind of PG that makes your C- player a B player. Not only would it help Aldridge, but help catch and shoot players/cutters like Batum and Wes as well.

 

[jlprk]

For years people pointed out his flaws. Others would jump in and say, "A soft defender who doesn't rebound becuse he stays way out there is the perfect complement to when Oden returns. Oden will occupy the empty space created by tbe vacuum where Aldridge should be. Everything's going great. He doesn't need to learn to rebound or play tough."

No one had the energy to answer what we were thinking. "So what? How about him addressing his defects, so we're not hurt when Oden is out?"

Last season, he had a hot 6-8 weeks because both Miller and Camby were breaking McMillan's silly plays by alley-ooping to him, so people danced in the street long after the two passers got injured and he flopped down to Earth. I posted stats showing that it had been temporary, but the celebratory commotion continued into this season, ignoring the facts. They still claim he improved greatly last year. After getting the worst stats per minute on either team at the All-Star game, he complained about his minutes in a national article.

Now, some are shocked to discover his constant fatigue, that he accumulates most stats early while the game is on Cruise Control, and is usually worthless when the win is on the line. In today's posts I see people debating over whether he'd be #1 or only #2 on a championship team. He'd be the Gasol or Odom of the team--#3 only if he had 2 superstars ahead of him. The only way he'd win a championship would be with a Kobe and Shaq, or a Michael and Scotty.