The one player will we have to trade to take it to the next level

LaMarcus Aldridge

Right now, its as if we have two small forwards. Great teams tend to have banging PFs, and as much as we all love LA and his game, a banger he is not. He's a tall 3.

The piece about Buck Williams brought this home, when Clyde turned to him and said he was the missing ingredient. THAT type of player is the missing ingredient on this team - a Brian Grant, Kurt Rambis guy.

 

Let's not kid ourselves. Like Ty, said above the whole thing hinges on Oden staying healthy long enough lead the team to and through the playoffs. Certainly players like Batum, Roy and LMA providing all-star and near all-star level of play is essential too, but the whole thing (fair or not) rides on Greg ...

That's both slightly disheartening and terrifying to me

 

Well, it is for good reason.

 

That's one of the oddest constructions I've seen. "That's both bad and really bad to me."

Usually, the "both" connects contrasting feelings. Doing two negatives is pretty creative and an amusing effect.

For my part, it's both slightly terrifying and exciting to me. The team is essentially a 50-55 win team without him (if everyone else is largely healthy all season)...and they still have a possible ace in the hole that could elevate them even higher. But, of course, title hopes riding on one guy is pretty dangerous.

 

Last two champions have had PFs more similar to Aldridge than a Carlos Boozer type.

 

What can I say it's late, I'm tired and I really meant to say it's at turns either slightly worrisome or really depressing -- depends on the day you talk to me.

 

you mean David Lee/Carlos Boozer type?

 

Kevin Love.

:edit:

He's a beast on the boards but after thinking about it I'd hang on to LMA. Kevin measured 6'7.75" with a rather average wingspan. I think he'll always struggle on the defensive end.

 

this.

 

Exactly.

Duncan, Garnett, Gasol, Sheed were the PF's in 6 of the last 10 championships.

With his mid-range game and lean body type, Aldridge is more similar to these type of players than a Karl Malone.

 

Lamarcus is the problem? C'mon, how many different centers has this guy played with? He has adapted extremely well. He gets killed because he is being told to run the floor, and rebound at the same time. You want him to be a banger, but Nate doesn't go to him in quarters 2-4. It's not that Lamarcus isn't a interior player, the Blazers are just NOT a interior team. The blazers are a jump shooting team, and have been for the last 3 years.

 

LaMarcus is so underappreciated around here. He's been our most consistent scorer all season and people take it for granted.

Also- please tell me who the tough "banger" was on last year's championship team.

 

Also- his ability to switch onto quicker guards defensively is also taken for granted.

 

Must agree with this. He's not given enough credit for this ability.

 

I happen to really like LaMarcus on this team. Combined with Oden, it's a lethal front line. LMA seems to have absorbed some lessons from watching Camby. He's getting better at weakside blocking, which will reap dividends for this team.

In fact, one of the biggest reasons I want to re-sign Camby next year is for McMillan to counter an Odom-Gasol-Bynum front line with Aldridge-Camby-Oden. Put Batum on Kobe and have Roy play the point and I think that would be something to watch. It doesn't have to be for long; just five minutes is all I ask.

I want our 4/5 to compliment each other. I think that LMA and GO can develop some great chemistry. And if Joel is able to come back at even 70% of what he was, he'll provide a great backup combo with Camby playing the four. In fact, my pitch to Camby would be that the best way to extend his career and to perhaps get a ring is to play backup 4/5 to our bigs. As long as we're willing to pay him what he'll get elsewhere, it should be a compelling pitch.

Aldridge fits GO's game really well. Aldridge doesn't love the post, but has the ability to play under the hoop. He can pull his guy out, leaving Oden with single coverage. There aren't many players who can handle GO down low. His length is sufficient to create problems for every single impact PF in this league. Sure, he can get pushed around sometimes, but that issue gets mitigated once we get Oden back.

If we want a Brian Grant-type (I heart Carl Landry), it should be as a backup PF. When it comes to LaMarcus, I want him to stay a Blazer.

 

Oden is the key to a championship.

I think Aldridge is fine next to him, but I think a back up PF that will come in and do some dirty work is needed. Maybe we have him in Pendergraph or Cunningham, but I would like more a veteran there.


Regardless of any of this, I still don't think we have the correct man at the helm for a championship. I really don't know who would be though?

 

I still am praying that Gregg Popovich decides he simply has to live within driving distance of the best Pinot vinyards in the US.

 

We need to stop building around Oden. It's a recipe for disaster that's bitten us twice. If Oden is healthy, then great. But if he's not, we can't be held hostage to his health.

I think this team needs a great young PG going forward if we want to hang in the West. We'll need someone to matchup with CP3, Westbrook, DWill, Evans, Brooks, Collison, Curry, etc in the long term out West.

 

I concur with many others on this saying fail to the OP

I always read how LA doesn't board, yet somehow Portland continues to overcome this and be one of the league's better rebounding club. I don't think I've ever read a poster crediting him for how often he tips balls to teammates who then garner the stat... that happens a lot on both ends.

That they now have 3 long quick frontcourt players shutting down the paint makes me very very happy

STOMP

 

I think Aldridge has done an admirable job this season considering he was asked to be the low post presence after the injury and has been the focus of the opposing team's defenses down low.

But what I think the OP is getting at is maybe there is a bit of overlap developing between Batum and Aldridge (although Batum has to greatly improve his midrange shot IMO) and that Aldrdige might be the only valuable piece that can be utilized to bring in somone who gets us over the top.

Maybe the Blazers already have that piece in Oden . . . but if Oden goes down again next season, do you trade Aldrdige to bring in a banging PF low post presence or do you still build around Roy and Aldrdige?