Serious Lamarcus Question Confusion

Why does he not ever get low post position. I've seen him get mid post, high post, farther from the basket position. Why not low post? It really seems to limit his effectiveness and rebounding. Some nights he'll play great - but it seems like that occurs when he's hitting his fadeaway jumper.

Why does he not get the ball closer to the basket? In years past, I figured it was because of the "not lifting weights at Texas" thing. But, that was a long time ago, now? What's up?

 

This is the million dollar question. I have been asking this for about 2 years now.

 

It's either lack of desire to get into position, or probably more likely it's lack of lower body strength, which is only exacerbated by a lack of fundamentals.

 

I think that's just not something within his skillset. It's often talked about with players as though it's merely a "desire" thing...tall players who don't play in the post just don't want to or are scared of the contact. I think it's like anything else...it requires certain skills and talents, not just size. Some big players don't have those skills and talents. Just as some guards don't have ball-handling skills or passing skills.

Aldridge's skillset is more high-post oriented. If Oden remains healthy and is an effective low-post presence, Aldridge being a high post type of player will be a boon. If Oden doesn't stay healthy and effective, then the team will need to keep looking for a player who can give them that.

 

Heh...I was posting as you were. I didn't see yours until mine was posted. I wasn't passively aggressively responding to you.

 

I think he just shies away from contact, whether or not he has the ball. Watching him in game 5, I saw several plays where he had good position under the basket and just stood there looking at the loose rebound instead of going after it in traffic. Same thing on defense, he haphazardly follows the ball around on doubles but doesn't put in the extra effort to get in front of the play.

Don't get me wrong, I've long felt LMA is the most important player on the team. I just think he's miscast as a "power" forward.

 

No worries ... and I don't attribute it to the 'desire' factor, I really do think it's just a lack of innate strength (and his motor doesn't exactly run hot).

 

This is an excellent topic and why I was so excited when I found out we were going to get Greg Oden. LMA has always struggled getting deep post position, and it certainly hurts his shooting percentage. Whenever you see LMA get the ball on the block, he seems to spin hard to the hoop or hit that baby fade with regularity.

Not knowing what goes on at practice, it's hard for me to put full blame on LMA or the coaching staff, but I think there is some blame that should fall on both sides. If Nate told Andre and Brandon to only give LMA the ball when he gets good post position, I think LMA would magically become better at getting a little lower.

 

It also may be we run no plays for him in the low post. Nate likes to use a high post and pick & rolls in his set offenses.

 

Which may be because LMA isn't the type of player to get on the low blocks... so Nate's maximizing LMA's effectiveness by not trying to turn him into a player he's not.

Hmm, not placing crazy unrealistic expectations on a player simply because his position is PF? Sounds pretty revolutionary.

 

There are times he get's good position but when he does the ball isn't on his side of court so he can't really get a pass.

In other words, I think timing has something to do with it as well.

 

To be less snarky about it than earlier, I think he doesn't feel like he has to get low post position because he's being force-fed anyway. WHy bother with the elbows to the back, knees to the bumhole, and abuse laid on you by a defender when you can just get it on the high block and drain a 15 footer that's your money shot anyway? Regardless of effort, you're going to get 10 plays called for you in the first quarter, and you're going to drain 5 or 6 of those shots on a good night.

 

...and zero offensive rebounds, which is part of the problem.

(Not respond to the above quote): It takes strength to establish midpost position, and he does that. I just can't imagine it being a strength issue.

 

It also appears, when establishing positon, adn attempting to back a guy down, he does more work with his back, whereas a guy like Oden does the majority of his work with his ass. If we wanted him mroe of a low post presence, we need to greatly increase his base strength, and get him to play a little lower. But, as wsa mentioned, he's an ideal fit next to Greg, so I'm ok with who he is.

 

Yup, post play is all about base strength. Yao is so effective in the post because he may have the strongest base in the NBA since a prime Shaq. Wiry length guys, even if they have strength through their bodies, are at a disadvantage in working the post. Charles Barkley was so successful backing guys down because he was all base, no height.

 

I guess I'm watching different games than everybody else, but LA does get low post position, usually on the low left block. His tendency has been to turn into the key when he gets the ball there. PHX started doubling this move, and LA was flummoxed. The best part of Game 4, IMO, was LA rolling to his left shoulder and making left-handed lay-ups. I though Amare was going to fall down, the move so surprised him.

So, saying LA "never" gets low post position isn't at all based in truth. I'd like to see Miller/Nate call that low block play more often in Game 6, since it set the slower tempo of Game 4, as opposed to the jump-shooting spectacle we witnessed early in Game 5's blowout.

 

I think it's a shortcoming of our coaching staff being below average with teaching big men.

For years the Blazers not only had great assistant coaches for the big men, but also sent most of them to Pete Newell's Big Man Camp in the off-season.

There seems to be poor/inept coaching, no desire to seek outside resources, and of course none of our bigs other than Joel seem to take their careers very seriously during the summer.

Zach Randolph could school LaMarcus all summer long.

 

It's coaching. Nate coached forwards the same way in Seattle. He's not coaching Aldridge this way because Aldridge can't do it. He's coaching him this way because Nate can't do it.

As I keep saying, I can't understand why Pritchard won't bring in a big man coach. People answer, how could he be better than the assistants we have. Answer: Look at Aldridge's deficiencies for a start. Look at how Oden has no offensive moves.

 

serious answer... I think Nate puts him at the high post because it plays to both his strength and the team's. Putting any Big regularly on the low block brings the other team's best low post defender/shotblocker down low as well, which cuts down on the effectiveness of guys who like to drive like Brandon Andre and Bayless. This is why Brandon and the team were chaffing integrating Greg early on this year. LA is okay on the low block and I think you vastly overstate how often he goes down there, but dude was born for the high post... his build and jumper are those of a high post player. While thats where I'd primarily like to see him at, I'd love to see him focus on his handle in the offseason to improve on his ability to go by guys who close out to hard on his high release J.

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