When will people accept that Aldridge is our center?

Our only real center is Leonard. Aldridge is a PF like Hickson and Freeland

 

Tanking starting that early?

 

That would be great. But given that that isn't likely to happen any time soon...

True. But how many teams (besides the Lakers) have offensive threats at both post positions? Conversely, who is the "etc"? I'll give you Dwight Howard, but most centers who are good at defending centers will be too slow or too short for Aldridge. His versatility is a nightmare for most post defenders.

Fair point, but on the other hand, both Camby and Joel have been fantastic rebounders and have helped him in other ways. Camby fed the post from the top of the key like no other center and I bet LaMarcus liked having a guy who would threaten people on the other team that he would "fuck them up" if they "met him after".

 

Presumably you're referring to the Rugby position.

 

Wrong question. MM got closest to correct (stopped clocks and all). It does not matter in the least what we on this board think. If Aldridge can play like a center and if the coaches play him like a center he is one. If the coaches and Aldridge agree he's a forward, he is. Not our call. To date they have played Aldridge as a forward, with sporadic center duty in "small lineup". That could change but the change does not depend on what posters on a board "accept" or don't accept.

 

One of the great things about LaMarcus is that whoever they have guard him, whether it be a forward or center, he can adjust his offense to take advantage. On the other end is where it matters. When he's guarding their center, he's a center. Else, he's a PF. I'd prefer to pair him with a strong defensive post player and rebounder and let that person man up the center position. I'm not sure we have that player yet. I am optimistic that Leonard and maybe Freeland will be that guy, later if not sooner. Otherwise, it's just too much wear and tear on Aldridge.

 

Bingo.

LMA needs to save energy on D, so he can be the man on O. Really want to see LaMarcus get to the line more this year.

 

I still favor Hickson starting, but after seeing Leonard in SL I kind of lean toward throwing Leonard into the deep end on day one. He's an aggressive finisher on the pick and roll and he showed me he had decent hands. Centers with any real skill will abuse him, but luckily there aren't that many in the league. Before playing a single NBA game he's already a better offensive player than Przybilla ever was.

He'll probably foul out before getting to 25 minutes on many nights, but that's life on a team that isn't supposed to be in the playoffs. He'll learn.

Like I've said, though, the non-Aldrdige big man position (call it whatever you want) is the only one completely up for grabs heading into preseason. Freeland, Hickson and Leonard all have a chance to win that spot.

With Stotts saying that this team is going to focus on tempo and three pointers, and his rep for focusing on offense, I suspect he's going to want his best offensive players in the starting lineup. That, plus his experience in the NBA and his nice performance at the end of last season, tells me Hickson is the early front runner.

 

Agreed. Which means that, as I said, Aldridge is our (starting) center.

 

This.

 

Whomever they go with may be a real barometer to how committed Portland is to truly overhauling its offense.

We've heard so many times over the years from McMillan how he wanted to push the tempo--it became a running gag year after year.

But this time it really could be different. Stotts has a completely different reputation, and he has none of the baggage all of us do with the Nate Years.

Portland has the pieces to go completely run-and-gun if they want to, either Phoenix-style or in more of a Nate/Sonics/three-jacking-style. We've got tons of guys with speed, including our best player. And we've got three pretty good three point shooting starters. If we go either route, it doesn't make sense to throw Leonard in there much. That kind of pace is just a bad fit for a rookie 7 footer.

 

Ordinarily I'd agree, mook. But this rookie seven-footer runs the floor and does under the leg behind the back dunks, and cartwheels.
Throw him into the fire, I say!

 

Put Meyers to the fire! Throw Leonard to the lions!

 

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with labels.

It's about combinations of players, not about who we try to shoehorn into labels.

Leonard looks like he would make a great lock, or maybe even number 8 given his agility.

 

Well Camby (when he tries) Blocks a major amount of shots, and gets a major amount of Rebounds. 2 Things a C must do. 2 things LA doesn't do too well.

That said, I see Freeland, or Leonard starting from Day 1. You can't play fast break basketball without getting a Rebound 1st.

 

Neither appears to possess the traits of a dominant rebounder/defender. I'm sure somebody will be the starter at center because they'll have to, but Freeland is really more of a 4 and Leonard is raw as hell. The position is hardly set.

 

Anyone could foresee that we will need experience at center. Olshey didn't get just anyone when he got Jared Jeffries.

 

Yeah, he usually plays from mid-range to inside the 3 point arc. In reality, he plays like a big man with little post moves or a small forward with less shooting range.

 

You're thinking of the hooker.

On topic, the day we "accept" Aldridge is the center is the day we give up on this team ever being any good. The center should be the best shot blocker and rebounder on the team. I imagine a team where Aldridge is the best shot blocker and rebounder and I see that team going nowhere. Then again that's what we've got this season. But saying Aldridge is our center because the team around him sucks kind of seems like throwing out the baby with the bath water.

It doesn't accomplish anything and you're basically thumbing your nose at the basketball gods. Do you really want Aldridge to have a career limiting (more likely ending but I'm trying to keep things light) injury? You shouting from the mountain tops that we have a good player and that he's a center would certainly bring down whatever mojo afflicts the Blazers centers.

ooh, I've got another possible means of getting me to call Aldridge our center. You get a time machine and go back to 2007 and convince the Blazers to pick Kevin Durant instead of Greg Oden and not to trade Zach Randolph. Then I'd be more than happy to call Aldridge our center as he'd be playing on a front like with Kevin Durant and Zach Randolph.