The similarity between the two players was one of the main reasons Colangelo avoided him, IIRC. Ironically, Bargnani and Bosh might end up being too redundant offensively as well. I have a feeling Colangelo anticipated a certain amount of offensive development and growth from Bosh which never really occurred.
When drafting that high, you should ALWAYS take BPA. Ironically, Bosh lobbied for Aldridge. They are both from Texas and have known each other for years. Aldridge is a very versatile player. He's got a great face-up game for a guy 6'11", but he also has some great post moves. He adapts well to the other big men he plays beside - whether that was playing center next to Zach Randolph as a rookie or PF next to Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden last season. As a rookie, he didn't get much PT until after the trade deadline - when the Blazers finally stopped "showcasing" Jamaal Magloire and moved Aldridge into the starting line-up at center on March 1. He responded immediately by scoring 30 points, and averaged 15.6 PPG and 8.3 RPG over the next 14 games. He had games of 24 PTS /17 REB and 27 PTS/14 REB during that stretch - and this was playing next to a dominant low post scorer and strong rebounder named Zach Randolph. In fact, it was Aldridge's play during this stretch that convinced the Blazers to trade (practically give away) Randolph, who had just had his finest season (23.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, PER = 22.8), to move Aldridge to the starting PF role. Early last season, when Oden was initially starting, Aldridge's production was down until he got comfortable playing next to Oden. After the first month of the season he figured it out and had a great final five months. Point being, I think Aldridge is versatile enough and adaptable enough, that he can play beside almost anyone and would have done fine playing beside Bosh. He isn't an overpowering center, but when he has played center, he's more than held his own. There really aren't that many overpowering centers in the league today, and Aldridge's ability to run the floor and knock down a jump shot would make him a great center in an SSOL style offense. BNM
