I know there is a raging debate on here after every loss about what LMA does or does not bring to the table. And yes, I know that LMA brings a lot to the table. He's not a "bad" player by any stretch. But I have to say, it just gets a little old watching him shrink in big moments. I know he hit a game winner against Dallas, but I've also seen him be flat out terrible down the stretch of more games than not. I guess my feelings about him at this point shake out like this:
- I can't think of many "all stars" in this sport who have less of an influence on how their team performs overall than he does. We can look great when he's terrible and vice versa.
- I can't think of many "all stars" who control a game less than he does. There are long stretches when you can't even tell if he's out there or not. He just doesn't control the action in any way.
- He can't really create for himself and he doesn't seem to be able to create opportunities for others. There are nights like last night when he gets some nice assists, but most nights, he's either making his shot or he's just not contributing much.
- He makes a lot of money and I can think of at least 10 power forwards I'd rather have than him. I just don't think he's worth what he makes.
- He comes across as soft, which makes it hard to root for him and give the benefit of the doubt about effort.
- I don't think his play would bother me as much if he wasn't viewed as an all star. I just don't think he's an all star, but that designation makes me want more out of him.
I guess that's a long way of saying I'm just not enjoying what he's bringing any more. I find his game more frustrating than enjoyable or valuable.
isn't it?
