Aldridge has been really disappointing this year so far to me. His passing this year has been great. He's had some good offensive games, and his post defense is as good as ever. But my god is he a horrible offensive rebounder. Just watch him after every shot--he starts trotting back while the ball is still in the air, no matter how many other guys are behind him. The only offensive rebounds he's getting are on his own putbacks. His overall rebounding is pathetic--a power forward averaging 38mpg and getting only 7 boards? Yeesh. And his help defense is absolutely appalling. I don't know how a guy that tall and that athletic can do such a piss-poor job of protecting the rim. You would think after playing all those years with Przybilla, Camby and Oden that at some point he would have learned to block a shot from the weakside every once in a while, but maybe he's come to think of it as "the other big man's job" or something. Basically, Aldridge's mindset is that if he's not going man-on-man either offensively or defensively, he's checking out of the play. Given our likely record, it was doubtful he was going to make the All Star game anyway. But 20ppg (on 42% shooting!) and little else isn't even close to getting it done.
I think he just needs a veteran to come in and get in his ear. Sort of like the way Oakley pushed Vince Carter out of his softness. Or he needs to be traded. One or the other. I don't think he and Hickson are a good combo, though. Part of Aldridge's passivity on offensive rebounding might be that that's Hickson's wheelhouse. (What is a wheelhouse anyway? Why did I just use that stupid term?)
I think he's taking the year off. Might be better for us in the longrun, but a horrible way to set the example for our young guys.
it was too late last night for me to go through it, but I saw at least 3 examples of LMA checking out of a defensive possession when it was his responsibility to either rotate across or step up. He just stood there. Look, everyone has a bad game. What I'm slightly worried about is that, for the most part, he's back to taking 18' jumpers and playing SportsCenter D.
He is the face of the franchise, when things are bad, he will be the one people blame. Goes with the teritiory, IMO. (especially with Nate gone)
And I've said it before and I'll say it again we should have kept Andre Miller and drafted Faried, but here we are.. Aldridge just needs to get in the post and get to the line more. There's no reason why he shouldn't average 22 points a game. Kaiser: Blazers F LaMarcus Aldridge Is "Transforming" Into "Glorified Wing Shooter"
LA has never been a strong rebounder, that's why management has tried so hard to pair with with brute types like Oden and Hibbert. I also think that the Stotts offense uses LA more like Dallas uses Dirk which keeps LA more outside-in which plays to his strength but emphasizes his weakness more. It would be nice if he was a better rebounder but given his overall contribution, and that no player has it all, I'm pretty satisfied with his season so far.
Stott's offense uses Aldridge like Dirk. Jumpers with little to no post play. Naturally, Aldridge, a subpar rebounder, will average less rebounds per game. Actually, it makes me think that in this kind of offense, if we can put Mathews on the bench and play Aldridge at SF. Lillard-Batum-Aldridge-Hickson-Leonard. That way, it'd help with rebounding while making the bench somewhat more capable.
there's something to that. I was thinking it last night when we rolled out some Price/Lillard/Sasha or Price/Lillard/Barton lineups that we have more serviceable bigs than we do guards and that Leonard isn't embarrassing himself and that, for all that we crush his ball-handling skills, Wes isn't much worse at it than Price and Smith are. So, if you do like Dean says and start Lillard/Batum/LMA/Hickson/Leonard, you can bring Wes off the bench for Hickson or Leonard at the first sub. The problem comes when you end up with our current starting lineup (still really good) and then sub Lillard for one of the bigs--ending up with Batum/Wes/LMA/Hickson/Freeland OR someone like Price or Smith or Barton for ballhandling. this is where having one decent combo guard would really help.
Fuck it, let LMA play small forward. I like that big lineup. It would certainly present some matchup problems for the other team.
Name one instance of an all-star at one position moving to a SMALLER position at the prime of his career. It's quite common to move to the larger position (i.e., SF to PF, like Robert Horry and now LeBron James) as you get bulkier and slower with age, but I can't think of one case moving in the other direction. (And PJ Carlesimo playing Harvey Grant at SG doesn't count. That was sheer desperation.)
Pippen at point guard? Rasheed played small forward with Zach at PF and Sabonis at PF. Don't you remember our big lineup? Pippen/Bonzi/Sheed/Zach/Sabonis
When LA settles for that outside jumper he stops rebounding and playing defense on both sides. Its something he has done for years, its something that needs to change. He is the face of the franchise, he is our best player but making him take that outside shot over and over sets him into that mindset of not pounding the paint, of not working hard. Pretty much it makes him lazy and it always has when he takes a ton of them a game. I'm fine with him taking a few, but limit the shots he is getting from there unless he is on fire. He needs to be in the post, he has one of the most complete post games in the NBA and its just going to waste at the moment.
