<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">When his name was called in last June's NBA draft and he went on stage to be congratulated by commissioner David Stern, LaMarcus Aldridge was wearing a Bulls cap but knew the only stop he'd be making in Chicago was if he had to change planes at O'Hare. ''My agent told me I was going to be drafted by the Bulls and then traded,'' Aldridge said of the prearranged draft-day trade that sent him to the Portland Trail Blazers for Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa. Before playing his first game in Chicago on Monday night at the United Center, Aldridge was asked if he was surprised the Bulls didn't keep him with the second pick in the draft. After all, the Bulls still are searching for a low-post scorer, and the 6-11 power forward from Texas was the best big man in the draft. ''No, you don't ask questions,'' he said. ''I was just happy to be drafted that high.'' Whether he was making a statement or not, Aldridge put on a display of his low-post prowess in the first quarter, scoring 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting. Included among his five baskets were a jump hook and a power spin move against Ben Wallace and a step-back 12-foot baseline jumper over Thomas. For the season, Aldridge was averaging 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22 minutes, but he has elevated his game since the All-Star break. He scored a career-high 30 points March 1 against Charlotte and had 24 points and a career-high 17 rebounds March 13 at Denver. ''Ever since the All-Star break, I've been more consistent,'' he said. ''My legs started to get a little tired [before the break]. I didn't do anything during the break. I stayed at my house and rested.'' While the Bulls selected Thomas with the idea he could be a future star, Aldridge has shown he probably could have helped the team this season.</div> Source
He gets much more minutes than Tyrus so his numbers are higher...I think we already had this discussion?? I'm loving Tyrus so whatever.
LaMarcus is a much better offensive player. He has a low post game along with a much better jumper than Tyrus. Pax probably picked Tyrus because he has so much potential, and he's an atlethic freak. I wanted LaMarcus during the draft because of our need of a low post scorer and somewhat of an offensive minded player. From his stats he's not bad at defense either. But, I think it's a toss up for their future.
