When will people accept that Aldridge is our center?

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Rastapopoulos, Aug 28, 2012.

Moderators: 6

Moderators

  1. BrianFromWA
  2. Chris Craig
  3. Darkwebs
  4. Ed O
  5. PtldPlatypus
  6. SlyPokerDog
Page 1 of 3
  1. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    41,872
    Likes Received:
    26,204
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    Everybody keeps acting like Meyers Leonard is going to be our center. Yeah - maybe in five years if we're lucky. If he plays more than 15 mpg and/or averages more than 5 points and 4 rebounds then I will eat my hat. (Or somebody else's, because I don't actually have one.)

    Furthermore, neither Freeland nor Hickson is tall enough or suited to play center, at least in the NBA. So who does that leave? Answer: LaMarcus Aldridge. He has a wingspan that's 3 inches longer than Joakim Noah, 1.75" more than Meyers Leonard and half an inch more than Greg Oden. He can handle just about anybody except maybe Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, but that makes him possibly the third best center in the league. Sure he doesn't want to call himself a center, but that's because he's a Trail Blazer and people don't like to live on the thirteenth floor either. Tim Duncan has been pretending he's not a center since David Robinson retired (and even before then, most people argue that Robinson played PF in that pairing) but do you really think Matt Bonner was the Spurs' center?

    So let's stop pretending. As soon as Indy matched Hibbert's offer sheet, the die was cast.

    (Side note: I've seen people cite stats that compare Aldridge playing C vs. Aldridge playing PF. Where can you find such things, and what are they?)
     
    Rastapopoulos, Aug 28, 2012
    #1
  2. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    125,263
    Likes Received:
    145,477
    Trophy Points:
    115
    Center? The way he never likes to bang down low and battle for rebounds I thought he was a really big small forward.
     
    SlyPokerDog, Aug 28, 2012
    #2
  3. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    41,872
    Likes Received:
    26,204
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    You do what you need to where the coach puts you. Was Rik Smits not a center? Is Brook Lopez not a center?

    And I don't know what you've been watching, but Aldridge posts about as often as anyone in the league.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Aug 28, 2012
    #3
  4. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    41,872
    Likes Received:
    26,204
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    [video=youtube;Q55Pc4K815g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q55Pc4K815g[/video]
     
    Rastapopoulos, Aug 28, 2012
    #4
  5. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    125,263
    Likes Received:
    145,477
    Trophy Points:
    115
    Easy cowboy, I was just kidding around. I've read more than one post/thread/rant saying how soft LMA is. Just having some fun with you.

    If you want a serious reply to your rant I think you need to look beyond height and arm length to determine a player's best position. Skill set and just plain attitude play into it. When Rasheed and Ben Wallace played together Ben had shorter arms, shorter legs and a shorter body but he was the center on that team. Did Rasheed sometimes cover bigger players? Sure. But he was the power forward.

    IMO, LMA's best position is PF. That's what he wants to play, that's where were going to get the best results out of him. It's the position that best takes advantage of the skill set he has.
     
    SlyPokerDog, Aug 28, 2012
    #5
  6. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 30, 2008
    Messages:
    41,872
    Likes Received:
    26,204
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Ballin'
    Maybe positions are overrated anyway. So long as your two bigs can coexist it doesn't really matter who you call what. Pau Gasol is a center when he needs to be and a PF when he needs to be that. I see Aldridge as similarly versatile. The question is, do we need to play somebody next to Aldridge to cover the team's center? And, unless the team is playing LA or Philly, I don't think we do.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Aug 28, 2012
    #6
  7. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    125,263
    Likes Received:
    145,477
    Trophy Points:
    115
    It's going to be interesting to see what Stotts does with LMA.
     
    SlyPokerDog, Aug 28, 2012
    #7
  8. VanillaGorilla

    VanillaGorilla Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2009
    Messages:
    12,073
    Likes Received:
    4,750
    Trophy Points:
    113
    This may be what you're talking about (Production by Position a little more than halfway down the page), but it shows that he's better as a PF.
     
    VanillaGorilla, Aug 28, 2012
    #8
  9. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2008
    Messages:
    23,216
    Likes Received:
    15,675
    Trophy Points:
    113
    We can not afford to have LA in foul trouble. We need him on the floor. So I am in favor of playing him the most minutes at what ever position the opposing team has the weakest scorer, C or PF. Usually one of them sucks on the offensive end.

    But I agree I hope JJ works out enough that he and LA are on the floor at the same time. Meaning LA at center.
     
    Pinwheel1, Aug 28, 2012
    #9
  10. tlongII

    tlongII Legendary Poster

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2008
    Messages:
    17,246
    Likes Received:
    11,918
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Systems Analyst
    Location:
    Beaverton, Oregon
    He's definitely not a center. Leonard will be the starting 5 before mid-season.
     
    tlongII, Aug 28, 2012
    #10
  11. Blazinaway

    Blazinaway Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2010
    Messages:
    11,047
    Likes Received:
    4,324
    Trophy Points:
    113
    when will you accept LMA is an all star PF and not a C? "Can" he play there? yes but it's a bad idea for more than minor minutes
     
    Blazinaway, Aug 28, 2012
    #11
  12. PapaG

    PapaG Banned User BANNED

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2008
    Messages:
    32,870
    Likes Received:
    291
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Tualatin, OR
    Stupid thread. Meyers Leonard was drafted to be the starting center for the Blazers next year, if not this year.
     
    PapaG, Aug 28, 2012
    #12
  13. HailBlazers

    HailBlazers RipCity

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Messages:
    19,997
    Likes Received:
    17,216
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    PDX
    ...When Tim Duncan, Dirk, and KG are considered C's
     
    HailBlazers, Aug 28, 2012
    #13
  14. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2008
    Messages:
    94,054
    Likes Received:
    57,198
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I've said it before, but who cares what "position" he plays? Play Freeland or Hickson at "center" and Aldridge at "power forward". Just as long as you have a good inside presence, it doesn't matter who plays what.
     
    Natebishop3, Aug 28, 2012
    #14
  15. MARIS61

    MARIS61 Real American

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2008
    Messages:
    28,007
    Likes Received:
    5,012
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    retired Yankee
    Location:
    Beautiful Central Oregon
    Meyers Leonard is already a far better center than Aldridge could ever be.
     
    MARIS61, Aug 28, 2012
    #15
  16. HailBlazers

    HailBlazers RipCity

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Messages:
    19,997
    Likes Received:
    17,216
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    PDX
    whoa there cowboy
     
    HailBlazers, Aug 28, 2012
    #16
  17. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2008
    Messages:
    63,207
    Likes Received:
    22,399
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    actor
    Location:
    New York
    What matters to me is that we get an offensive minded center to start with Aldridge. That way, the opposing team's center has to guard that guy instead of Aldridge. Aldridge can feast on the other PFs in the league, but it sucks when he has to be guarded by Tyson Chandler etc because there's no one at center to worry about. Playing with offensive zeroes like Camby and Joel has been hard on Aldridge. I hope Leonard is the answer.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2012
    KingSpeed, Aug 28, 2012
    #17
    PtldPlatypus likes this.
  18. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2008
    Messages:
    34,325
    Likes Received:
    43,687
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Excellent point, although I think it's fair to say that even if we have an offensive minded center, Aldridge will still be the team's superior post presence offensively, and will draw the toughest defender anyway. With his length, skill, and array of moves, he's already arguably the toughest post cover in the league.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2012
    PtldPlatypus, Aug 28, 2012
    #18
  19. STOMP

    STOMP mere fan

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2008
    Messages:
    11,465
    Likes Received:
    4,143
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Marin
    yup, Aldridge is very good on the high post and probably even better on the low block. Where he plays on O is often tied to the abilities of who he's playing with. I'd rather he isn't the primary Big guarding the low block though as he seems like he can get worn down guarding an active even bigger player. It seems who's primarily guarding the low block is usually defined as the 5 but for the most part those two positions are pretty interchangeable in their responsibilities.

    STOMP
     
    STOMP, Aug 28, 2012
    #19
  20. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2008
    Messages:
    44,783
    Likes Received:
    27,542
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Maybe when Aldridge himself does?
     
    Mediocre Man, Aug 29, 2012
    #20
Page 1 of 3

Share This Page