Spurs fans grade LMA first preseason game

[Scalma]

I find that description odd also. One comparison I've heard for Aldridge is Nowitzki. Yes, booth take about 55% of their shots from 10 ft and the 3pt line. However, looking at the stats:
Aldridge:
FG% between 10-16: 41.0%
FG% between 16<3pt: 42.0%
Nowitzki:
FG% between 10-16: 47.2%
FG% between 16<3pt: 47.7%

Another quote from SpursTalk:


It's not the shots at the rim that I'd be worried about. It's those mid-range shots between 10 ft and the 3pt line. Get ready for a steady diet of 41-42% shooting with over half his shots coming from that range.

Yeah and just wait until Pop gets on him for settling for those shots. No way Pop brought him in so he can jack up a bunch of 15 footers.

 

[Scalma]

Lamarcus had everything catered to him in Portland and still found things to bitch about. I doubt stotts ever got on him about anything. Pop will be a different story and I'm not sure lamarcus is mentally capable of handling it.

 

[Strenuus]

Lamarcus had everything catered to him in Portland and still found things to bitch about. I doubt stotts ever got on him about anything. Pop will be a different story and I'm not sure lamarcus is mentally capable of handling it.

He's not.

LMA may single handily destroy the Spurs culture.

Yeah, I said it.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

He's not.

LMA may single handily destroy the Spurs culture.

Yeah, I said it.

I hope so, tired of those fucks.

 

[Sinobas]

Im sure they thought they could 'fix' him. We will see. Its almost like watching a car wreck. You see it happening in slow motion, but there isnt anything you can do & you cant look away... you have to watch and see if o e of the drivers can manuver enough to avoid the wreck.

Except this is a car wreck that you WANT to see happen.

 

[Sinobas]

I find that description odd also. One comparison I've heard for Aldridge is Nowitzki. Yes, both take about 55% of their shots from 10 ft and the 3pt line. However, looking at the stats:
Aldridge:
FG% between 10-16: 41.0%
FG% between 16<3pt: 42.0%
Nowitzki:
FG% between 10-16: 47.2%
FG% between 16<3pt: 47.7%

Another quote from SpursTalk:


It's not the shots at the rim that I'd be worried about. It's those mid-range shots between 10 ft and the 3pt line. Get ready for a steady diet of 41-42% shooting with over half his shots coming from that range.

Exactly, he's a good finisher around the rim. His mid range shot is better than the league average, so you could technically say he's a "good mid range shooter", the problem, is volume. Dirk not only shoots 6% higher from mid range, but he also shoots and makes a lot more 3s. And he hits about as well from 3 as LA does from the mid range, so that makes a big difference in their overall efficiency.

edit: just looked up this stat, and he's actually only above the league average on his 16-23 shot, by like 2%. So not exactly deadly. He's actually worse on his 10-15.

So he's taking a large volume of what every coach knows is the worst shot.

 

[Scalma]

Exactly, he's a good finisher around the rim. His mid range shot is better than the league average, so you could technically say he's a "good mid range shooter", the problem, is volume. Dirk not only shoots 6% higher from mid range, but he also shoots and makes a lot more 3s. And he hits about as well from 3 as LA does from the mid range, so that makes a big difference in their overall efficiency.

edit: just looked up this stat, and he's actually only above the league average on his 16-23 shot, by like 2%. So not exactly deadly. He's actually worse on his 10-15.

So he's taking a large volume of what every coach knows is the worst shot.

All because he's too lazy to get physical. Same thing on defense. He'd rather swipe at the ball like a guard than go up and block the shot. I HATED how announcers viewed that as a positive. You also probably only need one hand to count the amount of times he blocked a shot as a help defender.

 

[Sinobas]

Another one that I hated is when commentators would imply that somehow LA shooting those mid range shots opened things up for the rest of the team. How did that work? It never made any sense to me. He was just forcing up shots against 1 on 1 coverage and didn't get many assists.

Just imagine you're a head coach, and a scout comes up to you, and says there's a guy on the opposing team that likes to shoot 13 mid range jump shots per game, and he doesn't shoot it any better than the league average. Would you design your game plan to stop him from shooting? Hell no, you'd want him to take that as much as possible. If he gets hot, nothing you can do about it any more that you can do anything about JR Smith getting hot from 3.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I can't believe how much weight he gained. He's not at Shawn Kemp level after his payday, but it's close

Like Kemp, he obviously bulked up so he can play center.

BNM

 

[Sinobas]

LA was actually better in the pre-Stotts era. He had one or two seasons under McMillen where he'd play in the low post, and he was awesome, then Stotts came around and he tried to play like Nowitski. Not sure if that is because of Stotts, or if he just reverted.

 

[Tunchi]

LA was actually better in the pre-Stotts era. He had one or two seasons under McMillen where he'd play in the low post, and he was awesome, then Stotts came around and he tried to play like Nowitski. Not sure if that is because of Stotts, or if he just reverted.

I feel what your saying about LMA and the stats you provide but how come we had so much success with him the last couple years then? I mean we had back to back 50 plus win seasons when we finally had a squad assembled for him and a second round appearence when we were fully healthy.

I hope your right don't get me wrong but I don't know your making LMA sound as a total scrub. For god sakes he's damn near all NBA every year and an all star every year as well.

 

[HailBlazers]

LAs best performance of his career was the Rockets series, he was unstoppable on the low block. Don't know what happen to that guy.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

LAs best performance of his career was the Rockets series, he was unstoppable on the low block. Don't know what happen to that guy.

Apparently Houston let him do that by refusing to double him. Maybe That Guy never existed.

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

Guess who's going to get his way.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Guess who's going to get his way.

Yeah, New Dad isn't trying to make LA like him like Old Dad was...

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

Yeah, New Dad isn't trying to make LA like him like Old Dad was...

I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall during the Spurs practice when Pop has enough of LMA's lazy-ass routine. It may have already happened......

 

[Sinobas]

I feel what your saying about LMA and the stats you provide but how come we had so much success with him the last couple years then? I mean we had back to back 50 plus win seasons when we finally had a squad assembled for him and a second round appearence when we were fully healthy.

I hope your right don't get me wrong but I don't know your making LMA sound as a total scrub. For god sakes he's damn near all NBA every year and an all star every year as well.

I think Lillard and Matthews were the big difference makers. Remember we had some terrible teams with LA leading the way before Damian arrived. And we got to the 2nd round once in his career here, not sure that is such a feather in his hat. In his playoff appearances, he only had one good series vs Houston.

 

[Scalma]

Another one that I hated is when commentators would imply that somehow LA shooting those mid range shots opened things up for the rest of the team. How did that work? It never made any sense to me. He was just forcing up shots against 1 on 1 coverage and didn't get many assists.

Just imagine you're a head coach, and a scout comes up to you, and says there's a guy on the opposing team that likes to shoot 13 mid range jump shots per game, and he doesn't shoot it any better than the league average. Would you design your game plan to stop him from shooting? Hell no, you'd want him to take that as much as possible. If he gets hot, nothing you can do about it any more that you can do anything about JR Smith getting hot from 3.

Exactly. The frustration for me was that I know deep down LA there is an awesome player that is unstoppable. If anyone can bring that out of him on a consistent basis its Pop. I still have my doubts though. I just don't think it's in his DNA.

 

[Natebishop3]

Exactly. The frustration for me was that I know deep down LA there is an awesome player that is unstoppable. If anyone can bring that out of him on a consistent basis its Pop. I still have my doubts though. I just don't think it's in his DNA.

You really can't change a player unless he wants to be changed.

Derrick Coleman.
Darius Miles
Michael Beasley
etc

Obviously LA has had a much better career than any of those guys, but my point is that you can't change what's inside a player. Hell, it sucks but Sheed really is a great example of Aldridge. Can you imagine how good Sheed would have been if he had really cared? Can you imagine if he actually worked out? If he wanted to be the man? I see so many similarities between Sheed and LA, it's sickening.

 

[blue9]

More from the Spurs board:

So I wont pretend to know much about LMA but I thought he was supposed to be great on offense. What seems to be the issues here? Is he a slow learner? Is he nervous? or is he kevin love 2.0 where he can flourish when he's one of the only options on offence. I'm not going all season over and stuff but he seems to not be fitting, obviously its only preseason but this is not what I expected to see from someone who is supposed to be so good on O. He's fat, slow, and a bad shooter. TBH.

I gotta say, Spurs fans are much quicker on the uptake than Blazers fans...

 

[Orion Bailey]

I still disagree. Yes, you're right that he never should have been a #1 option. But even as a #3 option he's severely lacking because (1) he doesn't play team defense, (2) he sets crap picks, and (3) his jumper isn't that good. He would never be able to play the role that KG played for the Celtics, or that Bosh played for the Heat. The #3 guy (and PFs in general) needs to do all the little things that make the game easier for their teammates, and LMA has never been good at doing those things.

I see your points and agree for the most part.

Mann prior to July 1st everybody was sweating balls that LMA wouldn't leave, me included. Now all the sudden he's this and that, he will never be this and he will never do that.

My goodness I hate the guy with a passion as well but all this negativity is so funny to hear other than Sinobas and maybe a few others nobody where was all this about LMA? lol

Let it go, LMA is going to be perfect for the Spurs. Pops makes scrubs look elite imagine what hell do with "fat boy LMA" lol I get the hurt he did us but man all this is so funny to hear

Not me. I wanted him to re-sign, but I wanted to keep the whole team together and try to find one more "core 3". However, I have never felt he was a number 1 option type guy. Mainly its the mentality, not the physicality or skill set. Its all in his head...

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I gotta say, Spurs fans are much quicker on the uptake than Blazers fans...

Well yeah, they've seen the highest quality team in the last 20 years. Doesn't take a genius to know if someone isn't that kind of material once you've been soaking in it for 20 years.

 

[Natebishop3]

Well yeah, they've seen the highest quality team in the last 20 years. Doesn't take a genius to know if someone isn't that kind of material once you've been soaking in it for 20 years.

Usually they attract guys that fit their culture, but Aldridge seems to be everything they don't look for in a player.

He's selfish.

He's mentally soft.

He has an ego that needs to be stroked constantly.

 

[tester551]

Usually they attract guys that fit their culture, but Aldridge seems to be everything they don't look for in a player.

He's selfish.

He's mentally soft.

He has an ego that needs to be stroked constantly.

They have a history of giving guys a chance to conform. They just don't give the 'selfish guys' a long rope. They either get with the program, or are cycled through fairly quickly.

 

[Natebishop3]

They have a history of giving guys a chance to conform. They just don't give the 'selfish guys' a long rope. They either get with the program, or are cycled through fairly quickly.

Not on a max contract, they don't. This was a last gasp move to try to win one or two titles before Timmy and Parker retire.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

They have a history of giving guys a chance to conform. They just don't give the 'selfish guys' a long rope. They either get with the program, or are cycled through fairly quickly.

Shit they're gonna make a killing dealing LMA in February to a desperate team on the playoff bubble.

 

[Natebishop3]

Shit they're gonna make a killing dealing LMA in February to a desperate Eastern Conference team on the bubble.

That would actually be hilarious. He thinks he's going home and they deal him to Detroit for Drummond or something like that.

 

[blue9]

That would actually be hilarious. He thinks he's going home and they deal him to Detroit for Drummond or something like that.

OMG I would love that. Well, not THAT specifically - I don't want the Spurs getting Drummond, and I don't want LMA to be a Piston. But maybe trade him to MIN - that would be awesome! Then we could whoop him 4x a season!

 

[Orion Bailey]

OMG I would love that. Well, not THAT specifically - I don't want the Spurs getting Drummond, and I don't want LMA to be a Piston. But maybe trade him to MIN - that would be awesome! Then we could whoop him 4x a season!

Toronto!!! LMAO AT LMA!

 

[Natebishop3]

OMG I would love that. Well, not THAT specifically - I don't want the Spurs getting Drummond, and I don't want LMA to be a Piston. But maybe trade him to MIN - that would be awesome! Then we could whoop him 4x a season!

I could see them trading him to Sacramento for Cousins.