I'm one of the biggest Aldridge fans on this board, but this guy is really starting to piss me off. I understand nate wants to try and get him going early, but what the fuck. The guy had Oden waving his arms wildly under the basket for an easy dunk and he fucking shoots the ball every time. Most the guys on the team look Oden off, but Aldridge is the worst. Oden needs to get in his face if he wants the ball, because Aldridge is all about getting his. He needs to figure out how to pass the ball to Greg.
Aldridge doesn't strike me as a me-first player at all. He's a good guy who wants to do what the coach says will help the team win. Do they need to get Oden more involved? Yes. But that's on everyone. Not just LaMarcus. When Oden came back from the injury, he would set picks, roll to the basket with his arm in the air, and got ignored by the guards every fucking time. Eventually, he gave up. I think they just need more practice together. They'll get three more full days off after the Phoenix game. Maybe they can work on getting our big guy the ball so that he can dominate Denver which, in my opinion, he should do. All of that said, I can't wait for Greg's first start against Shaq on Thursday.
I think what I love more than anything else is that someone with the nickname toutlaw calls someone a me first player. Aldridge was going well early, and he is anything but a me first guy. he is also our only low post threat and Nate has said in interviews that LaMarcus needs to be more agressing early to get the team going.
He is DEFINITELY not a me first player, but we shouldn't give this guy a hard time. He has the right to say w/e he wants.
geez... who pissed in your Cheerios? Welcome to the board toutlaw25. You're right that LA and Greg need to develop better chemistry. Lucky for us that they both seem to be smart/team oriented players and time is really on their side. STOMP
Lots of players have missed Oden open under the middle. They don't understand, that when he is standing next to somebody much shorter than him, he is open. Steve Blake is starting to get it, I saw him lob a few in over the last couple of games. Just throw it up, he will get it. As for Aldridge, no he is not a me first guy. He is a guy that is depended on to produce for his team, and as such, is supposed to shoot. Sometimes not taking a shot when your are supposed to, can be worse than taking a bad shot.
Stop editing my posts Zohan. LMA is the 2nd best player on our team. Oden is no where near LMA. If Oden wants teammates to pass him the ball, then he needs to CATCH IT and not flop around like a freaking butterfinger when we DO pass to him. I have seen 9 year olds with better ball control then Oden. Don't get me wrong, I love Greg. But I would be hesitant to throw him the ball too when he treats it like a hot potato everytime someone throws him the ball.
Last night, (FINALLY!) he realized that if you give the ball to Oden while he's rolling to the hoop with a head of steam, the results can be impressive and almost unstoppable. Once. Also, on Miller's second foul (I had to rewind this b/c I couldn't believe it), we'd just gotten an offensive rebound and kicked it to Blake. Oden was INSIDE THE RESTRICTED CIRCLE with Miller just trying to stay upright, and Blake's staring right at him, but doesn't throw him the ball (instead starting to call a play). Mercifully, they called Miller for a loose-ball foul, but it just cemented in my mind that no one on this team has an idea what an open big man in good offensive position is.
You got issues if you think LA would deliberately NOT give G.O. the ball if open like you say he was. He is not selfish at all!
I think Aldridge is more unsure of his role than selfish. Sometimes he plays too passively, other times he seems to try and fix that by being aggressive and shooting a lot. He still hasn't found his comfort zone, so he has plenty of games where he seems invisible or shot-happy.
I should record and watch a game just to count the number of times Oden flashes to the middle, with his hands up, ready to catch the ball within 6 feet of the basket... and doesn't get a pass. Oden's ability to draw two quick fouls on Miller helped set the stage for the blowout last night. His presence down low often drew two guys to block him out. I think he's being drastically underused, and I look forward to the day when he starts getting the ball more when he establishes position... he's going to get to the line a lot and get a lot more dunks. Ed O.
I think a lot of guys miss Oden at times, so Aldridge shouldn't be singled out. I kind of think one of the reasons guys are a little hesitant to throw it down to Oden is because he has a tendancy to make himself smaller, by allowing his defender to jump around him and tip the ball away. He needs to seal them off. He's also not the quickest and most adept at catching and making moves in traffic yet, which is why he gets stripped so often. So I can see why some might shy away from making those passes at times. He's improving, and as he does I think guys will continue to look to him more. But if we want to point at anyone not getting Oden the ball in scoring positions, lets point at our guards, not our PF.
stop insulting posters and you won't have issues with mods having to clean up your crap. The answer to this problem certainly isn't to lash out at the mod who is just doing their job. STOMP
Rasheed wasn't enough of a me first player and now Aldridge is too much of a me first player. Portland fans are the worst. Pathetic.
Yea it is also weird how fans want to see one player do better over another. I just want the Blazers to do well.
