Why LMA Can't get any respect?

[magnifier661]

How do you define "effective" as far as perimeter shooters are concerned?

I see an effective perimeter shooter one that doesn't miss the basket. I don't see any of Aldridge's shots miss the rim or look awful. They are usually around target and the misses barely bounce out. To me, I think Lillard is one of the best in the league. His shots always look like they are good the moment it leaves his hands. His misses fall into the same category. If he misses, there are no air-balls or way off target shots. They hit the rim and bounce out.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

I see an effective perimeter shooter one that doesn't miss the basket. I don't see any of Aldridge's shots miss the rim or look awful. They are usually around target and the misses barely bounce out.

So it doesn't matter how often the shots go in, as long as the misses are "close" misses?

That's very interesting to me. the definition of the word "effective" is: "successful in producing a desired result" I don't see how near misses qualify.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I see an effective perimeter shooter one that doesn't miss the basket. I don't see any of Aldridge's shots miss the rim or look awful. They are usually around target and the misses barely bounce out. To me, I think Lillard is one of the best in the league. His shots always look like they are good the moment it leaves his hands. His misses fall into the same category. If he misses, there are no air-balls or way off target shots. They hit the rim and bounce out.

How about evaluating whether they generate points or not? That's all that matters, not how much iron they draw. Jesus.

 

[magnifier661]

So it doesn't matter how often the shots go in, as long as the misses are "close" misses?

For me, yes... When the shots are always on target; that is a good sign of good fundamentals. If the shots are hitting all over the place, then the mechanics are all wrong. Then I use the "defending' factor. When shots are being made, heavily contested, they hold more value to me then a Batum spot up three on the left wing. Why? Well the moment a defense can take away that shot; the player is useless.

You can't take away Aldridge's perimeter game because most the time he creates his own shot, contested and most the time doubled and still makes 42% of them.

 

[Jayps15]

I see an effective perimeter shooter one that doesn't miss the basket. I don't see any of Aldridge's shots miss the rim or look awful. They are usually around target and the misses barely bounce out. To me, I think Lillard is one of the best in the league. His shots always look like they are good the moment it leaves his hands. His misses fall into the same category. If he misses, there are no air-balls or way off target shots. They hit the rim and bounce out.

So being a good shooter is how the shot looks, not whether or not it scores? LOL, ok I'm done if that's what you're gonna argue.

 

[magnifier661]

How about evaluating whether they generate points or not? That's all that matters, not how much iron they draw. Jesus.

Like 21.1 PPG, with 70% of his shots being from the perimeter?

 

[magnifier661]

So being a good shooter is how the shot looks, not whether or not it scores? LOL, ok I'm done if that's what you're gonna argue.

No I am saying what I use as an eye test. Obviously the advanced stat gurus will use advanced stats, excluding all the other intangibles, like defended or contested shots. Or totally discounting that Aldridge has 48% assisted jump shots, while comparing players with 75+% assisted is more valuable. Or 4th and 5th option players getting wide open shots are more valuable.

 

[BrianFromWA]

if 70% of his shots were from inside, he'd have about 26 ppg and we wouldn't have this thread.

If he shot 40 shots a game from the perimeter, he'd average about 34ppg. You may think that would be awesome, but that would crush our team.

 

[Jayps15]

No I am saying what I use as an eye test. Obviously the advanced stat gurus will use advanced stats, excluding all the other intangibles, like defended or contested shots. Or totally discounting that Aldridge has 48% assisted jump shots, while comparing players with 75+% assisted is more valuable. Or 4th and 5th option players getting wide open shots are more valuable.

You can't take away Aldridge's perimeter game because most the time he creates his own shot, contested and most the time doubled and still makes 42% of them.

Check the link again, it's 58% assisted jumpers. And he certainly doesn't get doubled 'most of the time' while taking them either.

 

[magnifier661]

if 70% of his shots were from inside, he'd have about 26 ppg and we wouldn't have this thread.

If he shot 40 shots a game from the perimeter, he'd average about 34ppg. You may think that would be awesome, but that would crush our team.

I just replied to your assumption that Stotts never said publicly that he would use Aldridge from the perimeter and no response. I was wondering why? Clearly the entire transcript disagreed with you. I also find it ironic that you used "Dirk" as a reference as an efficient outside scoring PF. So your complaint on Aldridge taking more perimeter shots is more of a result of Stotts hoping Aldridge could be like Dirk. And knowing that Aldridge is a coaches player; he is just following orders. So who is really to blame Brian?

I will bump the quote again, hoping for a response this time.

Using LaMarcus Aldridge like Dirk Nowitzki

I want to try almost everything that we did with Dirk, with LaMarcus, to get a comfort level. On the left block he's as good of a block player as there is in the league. A pick-and-pop shooter for a big man, he's almost on the same level as Dirk with mid-range. Dirk can take it out a little bit further, or at least he has. I'd like to expand his game a little bit. We would isolate Dirk at the free throw line, it's very difficult for guys to double-team in that area. It creates a problem. That's one area that we can explore with LaMarcus and expand his game in that way. He's 27 years old and can improve. He's already an All-Star and he can still improve. Stretching his range, I don't know if he's a 3-point shooter, but putting him in the corner, I think he can make corner threes. I don't necessarily want to emphasize that but he's capable of that.

When we got to Dallas, Dirk was primarily a right block player. Over the course of four years, it got to the point where he was comfortable on either block and during the course of a game, we would ask him, 'Which block do you want?' We didn't know because some games he felt more comfortable on the left than the right. I'd like LaMarcus to have that versatility. If we can move him around, the way I want to play 2-man game where the ball is moving and it swings to him and he's able to go on the weakside, he pops and it's a quick drive to the basket.

I think the way we want to play as a team is going to help him individually and when we want to get him the ball, depending on the match-up, have some flexibility. Whether it's the block, the free throw line, a ball screen, having a little guy set a screen on him when he's handling. A lot of different ways to expand his game and tweak it, and not take away from what he already does really well.

Using him and Damian the same way we used Dirk and Jason Terry has some possibilities. We talk about those two guys, Nic Batum and Wes Matthews have some versatility with their game. Improving their pick-and-roll game and their post-up game and their transition game.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

if 70% of his shots were from inside, he'd have about 26 ppg and we wouldn't have this thread.

If he shot 40 shots a game from the perimeter, he'd average about 34ppg. You may think that would be awesome, but that would crush our team.

That assumes he would keep his shooting percentage. Make Aldridge bang down low for all his shots all game long and his shooting percentage would take a serious dip, IMO.

 

[magnifier661]

That assumes he would keep his shooting percentage. Make Aldridge bang down low for all his shots all game long and his shooting percentage would take a serious dip, IMO.

See this is what I don't like about advanced stats or PER 36 numbers. Just because you give a player 10-12 more minutes, you just assume they will make it at the same rate? The one thing we know about Aldridge is he is fully capable of producing numbers with high minutes and low injuries (knock on wood).

 

[Jayps15]

That assumes he would keep his shooting percentage. Make Aldridge bang down low for all his shots all game long and his shooting percentage would take a serious dip, IMO.

Even if his interior FG% took a dip his overall shooting percentage, and with it our teams offensive efficiency, would rise.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Even if his interior FG% took a dip his overall shooting percentage, and with it our teams offensive efficiency, would rise.

Hopefully that would work. I don't pretend to know more about Aldridge than anyone else. We are all fans that watch all the games (or as many as we can) so we can all have a decent opinion about LA (better than the average fan).

How I perceive Aldridge is as a talented big man who doesn't have the body or stamina to bang with the big boy all game long. Wasn't it just last year that he made a concentrated effort to be more of a low post presence? I remember he was effective, but it was beating the hell out of him and he could not sustain it for more than half a year. He slowly fell into his old habits of living from the outside and at the end of the year needed hip surgery.

I don't think LA should spend most of his time banging inside. He is effective enough with his current game, why not get a big wide body (with good hips) to do the work down low . . . and let LA be LA.

If I thought LA could sustain a year of banging bodies on both sides of the court, I too, think he would be more effective spending a majority of his time down low. But I see it as trying to put a square peg into a round hole kind of situation. You can force it in and it might work for a while, but something is going to give.

 

[Hobbesarable]

Hopefully that would work. I don't pretend to know more about Aldridge than anyone else. We are all fans that watch all the games (or as many as we can) so we can all have a decent opinion about LA (better than the average fan).

How I perceive Aldridge is as a talented big man who doesn't have the body or stamina to bang with the big boy all game long. Wasn't it just last year that he made a concentrated effort to be more of a low post presence? I remember he was effective, but it was beating the hell out of him and he could not sustain it for more than half a year. He slowly fell into his old habits of living from the outside and at the end of the year needed hip surgery.

I don't think LA should spend most of his time banging inside. He is effective enough with his current game, why not get a big wide body (with good hips) to do the work down low . . . and let LA be LA.

If I thought LA could sustain a year of banging bodies on both sides of the court, I too, think he would be more effective spending a majority of his time down low. But I see it as trying to put a square peg into a round hole kind of situation. You can force it in and it might work for a while, but something is going to give.

Call me crazy, but I think a tandem of two good interior defenders are needed for a highly succesful team. We need LA to be willing the bang with the big boys each game.

 

[jlprk]

Call me crazy, but I think a tandem of two good interior defenders are needed for a highly succesful team. We need LA to be willing the bang with the big boys each game.

Yes. I continue to say--A PF exists to rebound and defend. A team will not become elite if it depends on its PF to carry the weight of its offense.

Look at this thread. Look at the long quote from Stotts. Everyone talks like a zombie about Aldridge purely being a scorer only. Everyone has forgotten the fundamentals. Aldridge is not what we need from his position. Because he hogs all the 2-point shots, no teammate can build any shooting momentum in a game, so they all look like inferior shooters.

 

[magnifier661]

Yes. I continue to say--A PF exists to rebound and defend. A team will not become elite if it depends on its PF to carry the weight of its offense.

Look at this thread. Look at the long quote from Stotts. Everyone talks like a zombie about Aldridge purely being a scorer only. Everyone has forgotten the fundamentals. Aldridge is not what we need from his position. Because he hogs all the 2-point shots, no teammate can build any shooting momentum in a game, so they all look like inferior shooters.

Aldridge takes 21% of the team's shots, Lillard takes 20%, Batum takes 14%, Matthews and Hickson take 12.5%. Our starting unit takes 80% of the team's total shots. Most of that average was much much higher at the beginning of the season. Now that the bench is actually contributing a bit better; it's more like Aldridge taking 18%, Lillard 17%, Batum 10%, Matthews 8% and Hickson 9%.

Lately, Aldridge is taking roughly 50% of his "2 pointers" on the blocks and paint; while 20% are 10-15 ft fade aways and 30% are the outside jumpers. The biggest problem is the other players just aren't shooting well; other than Lillard. Aldridge and Lillard are still asked to carry the majority of the scoring load; while the others just don't have players able to contribute consistently; especially Batum.

Until we have a consistent bunch of players; Aldridge needs to score. Hopefully management understands that Hickson is fool's gold and his contribution to this team isn't helping the entire team. WE need a defensive, rebounding center or PF to pair with Aldridge. Hickson is far from being a decent defender. In fact, I think he is awful at the box out.

 

[magnifier661]

Well another game and another dominating game by Aldridge!

 

[Sinobas]

LA is ranked 147th in the league at eFG%. And that is only counting guys that have played at least 50 games, and more than 12 minutes per game. Hickson on the other hand is ranked 25th. 48% is not good for a big man.

Mag, you say it's an advanced stat that does not tell the whole story. Not sure what you mean by that, it tells much more of the story than FG%. But LA has only taken about a dozen 3s this year, so his eFG% and FG% are about the same.

The perimeter game sucks, because it's low %, and if you're going to shoot outside, you may as well be shooting 3s. If LA just stuck with open mid range, shots, his % might be better, but it's all the turn around fade away crap he tries.

Half of LAs shots come from beyond 15 feet, and he's only shooting 40.5% from that range. That is pathetic!!! Do you know that JJ Hickson is actually shooting a better % from that range this year? 50.6%

 

[magnifier661]

LA is ranked 147th in the league at eFG%. And that is only counting guys that have played at least 50 games, and more than 12 minutes per game. Hickson on the other hand is ranked 25th. 48% is not good for a big man.

Mag, you say it's an advanced stat that does not tell the whole story. Not sure what you mean by that, it tells much more of the story than FG%. But LA has only taken about a dozen 3s this year, so his eFG% and FG% are about the same.

The perimeter game sucks, because it's low %, and if you're going to shoot outside, you may as well be shooting 3s. If LA just stuck with open mid range, shots, his % might be better, but it's all the turn around fade away crap he tries.

Half of LAs shots come from beyond 15 feet, and he's only shooting 40.5% from that range. That is pathetic!!! Do you know that JJ Hickson is actually shooting a better % from that range this year? 50.6%

Don't know why you don't understand... When Roy had the ball on the top iso, and he was doubled or triple teamed, is his shot harder or easier than when Babbitt or batum has a wide open tre from the left 3 point line?

As being the #1 or #2 defensive assignment; they would rather the other team take the shots than the all star or superstar in fear that they can't be stopped.

When Aldridge is laMonster mode; he is impossible to stop. This is why you see hickson have less minutes, less plays and isn't counted on offensively like Lillard and Aldridge. If they aren't on the floor; the defense is much easier.

I don't understand why any if you can't see this... This is why advanced stats don't tell the entire story. It's based on individual performances. This is why Perkins is more valuable than a mcGee. McGee is killing Perkins in advanced stats, but okc would rather have Perkins than mcGee

 

[jlprk]

Aldridge gets no respect because of his backers. I mean, look at this thread. You are judged by the company you keep.

 

[magnifier661]

Aldridge gets no respect because of his backers. I mean, look at this thread. You are judged by the company you keep.

Dang so the entire nba analysts that praise him are jokes? Bold statement there

 

[jlprk]

NBA analysts are no better than the members of this board. We'd wipe their asses in grasses in a game of Horse.

 

[magnifier661]

NBA analysts are no better than the members of this board. We'd wipe their asses in grasses in a game of Horse.

Oh so the coaches that voted him to the all star game too? Obviously they respect him enough right? The "no respect" is from the nba fan base; not people really in the know.

It's why Aldridge is one of the only real double team threats at forward. It's also why he has stayed consistent for the last 4 years of his career.

 

[jlprk]

I bet I could dunk on him.

 

[Sinobas]

I don't see any other player taking turn around fade away 17 foot jumpers like LaMarcus does. The point is, he shouldn't be taking those shots. He hasn't even been that good on his set jump shots either.

No, teams are not double teaming him on the perimeter, so don't try to blame his low % on that.

It would be better if another Blazer just hoisted up a 3pt shot. Shooting 40% in the mid range is like shooting 27% from 3pt range.

 

[STOMP]

Yes. I continue to say--A PF exists to rebound and defend. A team will not become elite if it depends on its PF to carry the weight of its offense.

the Spurs (and their championships) say hello

Make Aldridge bang down low for all his shots all game long and his shooting percentage would take a serious dip, IMO.

pretty sure if forced down low LA would have to play through knocking heads with JJ (and the guy guarding him) a few times a game too. I'd love to see LaMarcus with the low block role again. But until Portland gets someone besides him who is a half decent at the high block (remember Camby?), he'll be setting up at the top of the key more times then not.

STOMP

 

[magnifier661]

I don't see any other player taking turn around fade away 17 foot jumpers like LaMarcus does. The point is, he shouldn't be taking those shots. He hasn't even been that good on his set jump shots either.

No, teams are not double teaming him on the perimeter, so don't try to blame his low % on that.

It would be better if another Blazer just hoisted up a 3pt shot. Shooting 40% in the mid range is like shooting 27% from 3pt range.

Funny he was double all game tonight and most his shots were outside the paint. Even the mikes were commenting on how much aldridge was doubled this game. Guess this game doesn't count huh?

Also, since the call out that he doesn't get double; I've been keeping track. Sorry, your argument is wrong. I've counted countless doubles, from the perimeter to the block. I don't know what games your watching?

 

[VanillaGorilla]

How do you count that which is countless?

 

[magnifier661]

From mike Barrett's blog

LaMarcus Aldridge is quite simply playing the best basketball of his career right now- even with the miss at the buzzer that would have beaten Philadelphia in the first game of this road trip. Playing the team gave him up for Tyrus Thomas and Victor Khryapa on draft day, Aldridge seemed determined to prove that he was the best player on the court. [Bold]His offense was great, but his defense was fantastic.[/bold]

Aldridge finished with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and was an efficient 14 of 23 from the field. [Bold]Chicago threw multiple defensive looks at him, and he fought through them all.[/bold] LaMarcus usually does most of his damage from the left block, but if you saw the shot chart we showed during our post-game show, you saw how tonight his attempts came from all over the court. The Blazer coaches get some of the credit here, because when Aldridge gets it rolling, the Blazers move the pick-and-roll offense all over the court to keep the defense off balance.

Seems a certain group of you just don't get it. You can complain all you want; but lately there ain't shit you can say. Aldridge has manned up these last 10 games. During the most important part if the season.

You call Aldridge soft; but he's the one that is playing tough. So as you keep complaining; it sounds more of just back peddling than actual observation. Any complaints now is just lip service. Sorry....