Aldridge at a Crossroads: Sheed or Bosh?

Sheed Career Averages: 15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 blocks

Bosh Career Averages: 19.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 blocks

Aldridge 2008-2009 Averages (11 games): 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.2 blocks

Someone needs to really get in this guy's head and tell him the fall away jumper is a back up move, and should not be used in place of GETTING TO THE BASKET.

 

TB, relax. LMA is just adjusting to playing next to a dominant pivot.

 

I'll buy that for now. I still love Aldridge.

 

So do I. Once he figures out how to play with GO, those two are going to scare the shit out of the opposition.

 

As Maxie said, these guys are going to need some time to feel each other out and figure out how to play with each other (the same applies to Roy and Rudy); we are still very much in the "cocoon" stage of development with this team and it might take the better part of the season before we truly start to see this team clicking in a highly efficient manner. That's why this team is still a couple of years away from truly challenging the elite franchises in the league, they're greener than wintermint, despite all of their individual talent and potential.

 

I'd say he's on the path to being Lamarcus Aldridge.

 

Seeing Maggette abuse him last night defensively in the post was not good. Maggette was flopping but Aldridge could have been shooting over the top of him all night long. He was trying to force that hook when he had his favorite fade away there whenever he wanted it. He's still growing and needs to recognize when he can take what he can get.

 

brace yourself.....


hes not as good as either of them.


sorry its the truth. LA isnt and never will be close bosh. And as far as sheed, hes got a looooooooooooong way just on teh defensive part.

ist not close

 

I don't think he going to be like either player.

I do take exception to the idea he is having to get used to playing with Oden. LA has gotten off to slow starts in the last three games, when Oden is watching from the bench. I know Oden has a large impact, but how can he get in LA's way while wearing warm-ups on the side lines?

 

I think it's a reasonable opinion to hold that Aldridge won't be a good overall as either player. But last year Aldridge averaged 17.8, 7.6, and 1.8. If he just trended up a little, he'd be in the 19/9 range which I think is what a lot of us expected. Instead, he's trending down, which is the main reason I pulled Sheed's numbers (to which they are eerily similar).

 

He's not quite as good as Bosh, but he's not an entire tier down. His numbers would look considerably better on a team with fewer good players, and on a team where he didn't have to figure out how to play with another major post presence.

He's also not quite as good as a prime Sheed, yet. His offensive game is close, but his defense isn't. Wallace was one of the best one-on-one defenders of other big men and a help defense asset. Aldridge has shown, inconsistently, the ability to be a help defense asset, but not the man defense.

Aldridge is still only 23 and still learning his role on a constantly evolving team. I think of all the players on the team, Aldridge has been most impacted by the constant shifting nature of the team's talent.

 

Egads, I find myself agreeing with Mixum. Like Sheed, LaMarcus is a sub-par rebounder at the PF position, but Sheed is one of the great defensive forwards of the past decade. He was also the offensive anchor of the team of the early 90s that was 12 minutes away from the finals. LaMarcus is closer to him offensively (and not necessarily in a good way - neither has any low post game apart from turnaround jumpers, and LaMarcus won't be doing crazy alley-oops the way Young Sheed could) than defensively. And Bosh has just jumped into another sphere this season (and was the co-MVP of the US Olympic team with Dwayne Wade if you go by +/-).

But that could be okay. He could be the Blazers' Andrew Bynum: solid role player on a very good team. Right now, however, he isn't even that.

 

I'm scared to death he's turning into another sheed (just without the bad attitude). Of course, Sheed used to have a fire that I have yet to see in LMA. If you got him going he could explode for 30+ points. He also attacked the rim more than Aldridge does. I don't know. I'm hoping LMA has a little bit more passion than he has exhibited.

 

A Sheed minus the bad attitude would be fantastic. Sheed's bad attitude led to him being quite underrated. Well, his attitude and the bizarre belief among some Blazers fans that he could be Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan if he just "cared."

The idea of a prime Rasheed Wallace (without the histrionics) next to a dominant center...amazing. However, Aldridge shows no signs of ever being the defender Wallace was. Aldridge will be a very different player.

 

In all seriousness, he looks like a young Joe Smith right now.

He has a LONG way to go to reach Rasheed status. You can show their stats but 'Sheed was more than stats. He was an intangible guy who played great defense and always looked to get his teammates involved (though to a fault at times).

Color me unimpressed with LaMarcus.

 

And his excuse for last year?

 

...as soft as Aldridge.

Attitude determines who, or what, you are.

 

Sure, and there are more possible atttitudes than Rasheed Wallace's. It's not like one can only choose between Aldridge's current attitude or Rasheed Wallace's attitude.

Rasheed Wallace minus the bad attitude (but with the good aspects) would be great.