I'm not sure I get the point of this article. They seem to be saying: [PARAPHRASE]Amare >> Aldridge, so they should trade for him; OTOH Amare is a terrible fit, so [on the Blazer team] he is << Aldridge [/PARAPHRASE] It sounds like they think the fans should want Amare, but the management shouldn't try and get him.
Adjust them numbers for minutes played and pace and the difference between Amare and LMA are not as big as some people make them to be, add the fact that LMA is not allergic to defense, is cheaper and is a chemistry fit... Looking at Pts/Rb/Ast/Blocks/Steals This year, per 36 LMA is: 17.7/6.8/1.8/1.0/0.9 This year, per-36 Amare is: 20.2/7.9/1.9/1.0/1.0 Phx Pace: 96.7 Por Pace: 88.9 Amare's per-36 numbers adjusted for Portland's pace: 18.6/7.3/1.7/0.9/0.9 All of a sudden - the difference between Aldridge and Amare does not look so big... Add the fact that Aldridge plays on a team with better rebounders than Phx (Portland is 2nd in the league in rebounding rate, PHX is 15) - and I bet you that Amare will not look any better rebounding the ball next to Oden/'Billa and the rest of the gang... Amare is fool's gold...
It seems the orginal author's biggest problem with Aldridge is that he doesn't know much about him and how he fits in the Blazer system. Excellent post - repped
So basically we need to get highlights on SportsCenter at the expense of rebounding/defense (the things that win games). Fucking great idea. I knew there was a reason I've been avoiding this forum lately. Now I've already wasted more time than I promised myself I would on stupid stupid stupid stupid rumors. Ugh. Three things. One, the ridiculous rumor I've heard isn't a straight up Lamarcus for Amare, so any argument on who is the better overall player is pretty pointless. 2nd, I really do think Lamarcus is the better player for this team, so sorry if 'idiotic stat-obsessed journalist' doesn't approve. And third, the bolded text isn't how I would describe Aldridge - far from it. But I've actually watched him play, what would I know.
So the author compares LMA actual stats to Amare's hypothetical stats as a reason Amare is better? I could easily say that LMA would put up 25/8 in "slightly better circumstances", such as playing with Nash or being the primary scorer. Lame article, lame argument.
Some just have higher standards for a second overall pick. If Beasley put up 17/7 in his third year he'd be labled a borderline bust.
Apparently, this is why the dude was in town: http://www.portlandmercury.com/events/Event?oid=1060800 Given that the Blazers are severely challenged defensively and that Aldridge is one of the few Blazers who actually does play decent defense, and given that Soudemire doesn't, and further given that the Blazers lack a Steve Nash to feed Stoudemire the ball, it seems to me that this guy's opinions make little to no sense.
Shoals entirely misses the whole story about what we're doing here, and why we can turn our noses up at Amares' "last season stats". We're more interested in the next several seasons, and LaMarcus is improving while Amare has flatlined already, careerwise. Shoals also points out Amare can't defend worth a lick, so there's not much else to talk about.
And some don't just look to stats to define someone a "bust" or not. Go back and look at the 2006 draft. Reorder the players. We know who the first pick would be. Who would the second be? Bargnani? AmMo? Sheldon Williams? LaMarcus Aldridge is one of the two or three best young PFs in the game.
Stretch. If Beasley were putting up 17/7 in a slow-paced system with two of the top rebounders in the league, and played solid defense, he wouldn't remotely be labeled a bust. Some would find that disappointing, but he would still be viewed as a generally successful selection, especially with more upside remaining to him. Aldridge hasn't reached the most optimistic evaluations of his talent (yet), but he's will within the range that a top-five selection should achieve.
I'm not generally one to evaluate systems via "Does it agree exactly with what I already believed?" but the results are very odd. Kenyon Martin and Mike Dunleavy Jr. about as valuable as Chris Paul and Dwight Howard? It's a little hard to believe.
17/7 is not a bust no matter what pick you are. Those are solid numbers especially in terms of his role on our team.
