This summer as we were all spouting off about our big three and feeling good about them things were different. Different in that we hadn't seen the LA of this season yet. Weak defender Terrible rebounder Inside game not that good. Looking more and more like a poor mans Rasheed Wallace. Is he still untouchable in your book? I'm beginning to wonder.
He's our best defender next to Joel imo. He doesn't rebound because he stays on the perimeter, both on offense and defense, though he's a pretty good offensive rebounder. Inside game is coming, but he's not a low post guy just yet.
In my personal book, no. But there are only a couple of guys I'd trade him for: Packaging for Bosh (and obviously LBJ or Howard in pipe dreams). I don't think I'd trade straight-up (with RLEC) for Amare. Not Boozer, though that's due more to Boozer leaving this year than the talent decision. Not Brand, though if he was healthy I'd think about it. But LMA and (Blake or Bayless) and RLEC for Devin Harris, Yi and Bobby Simmons? http://games.espn.go.com/nba/featur...83~3417~454&teams=22~22~22~17~17~17&te=&cash= I don't know that I wouldn't do that, even if Yi is older than we thought and sucks.
HES 23!!!! In his 3rd year so far he is averaging 17 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1 spg, 1.2 bpg, shooting 47.2% from the floor In Rasheed Wallace's 3rd year he averaged 14.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1 spg, 1.1 bpg, shooting 53.3% from the floor Has LMA made the turn we hoped he would coming off of a stellar Soph season? No, but he is still a great young talent. I believe he is getting used to playing along side Oden. I am not sure he can make the turn into a KG/Duncan like Power Forward, but if he ends up at Sheed/Gasol level, that is good enough for Robin to Roy's Batman. Not to mention, he is the perfect fit alongside Oden. It would take a knock your socks off type of deal for me to pull the trigger on a LMA deal. He is young, he fits in, and I don't want to jeopardize our future for a shorter term fix.
I wouldn't call him untouchable, but if I was KP, I wouldn't even be close to thinking about moving Aldridge.
MAS, I think that's what we're all saying....but the question was, would there be deals that would "knock your socks off" to trade LMA? I say yes. You could make the point that the only player we'd trade Roy for right now is LBJ. I don't think you can say that about LMA anymore. A couple of the ideas I put out there are, for me, "knock your socks off" trades. So I'd do them. What knocks your socks off?
He's David West minus the toughness and rebounding. He's been solid but we're in trouble if we are going to rely on LMA as a #2 option long term. He's a third wheel on a good team. He'll have a span of games where he puts up 20 ppg but will go back to his mediocre form. It's frustrating.
"He's David West minus the toughness and rebounding." great..... which means hes not even close to david west.....which makes him VERY tradeable lol
he's not untouchable but its clear he at the moment he isnt the robin to roy's batman on a nightly basis. Also, with our current perimeter/jump shooting style of play he is anchored much farther outside the box than we need him to be in order to increase his rebounds etc but we can't really have it both ways..... if we had a consistent threat @ SF we could play outside-in a lot more and give LA a chance to be a 'banger' rather than a 'finesse' PF like he is now. Some toughness would go a long way IMO.
Aldridge was never untouchable, IMO. He's still a very valuable young player, so it would take a lot for me to want to move him. I still think he has second-tier All-Star potential.
LMA is our best perimeter defender and does a pretty decent job getting weakside blocks and stripping power forwards when they try to face him up. He still could be a much better defensive rebounder, but I've actually been pretty happy with his willingness to post up more and take it inside, you can tell he's not fully comfortable doing yet because he still doesn't convert his hooks at a very high percentage. LMA is progressing pretty nicely for a 6'11" power forward who was almost exclusively a face up jump shooter coming out of college. I wouldn't go so far to say he's untouchable, but the player coming back had better be Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, or somebody close to that skill level.
You would play Andris at the four. He'd improve our rebounding almost instantly. He's a year younger than LaMarcus and is putting very solid numbers: 15 ppg 12 rpg.
I'm not a huge fan of Andris at the 4. He's a great garbageman, he's basically Joel with more touches. His eFG % outside of "close and dunks" is 14%. Until one of our centers (including Biedrins, if we got him) can make a 10 foot jumper, we need someone like LMA or Bosh at the 4.
As others have said... Untouchable? No. He never was. Good player and very good and valuable prospect? Yes. A guy is not merely either untouchable or must-trade. Ed O.
I don't think LMA is untouchable and nobody on the Blazers should be but Roy is very close. I would trade all 3 of Roy, LMA and Oden for the right players that would get us a championship for sure. I do like LMA's upside and wouldn't trade him unless it was a very good player. I wouldn't trade LMA for anyone from GS.
