If you're not on the L-Train, what are you waiting for?

Ropez is the biggest man I've seen on the court for the Blazers since Sabas. He just fills up space. I love it.

 

Yeah, he's a true monster. Love his game.

 

I've always thought when we played against him, in PHX and NO, that he always seemed a lot bigger than he was listed. And not simply because of his hair.

 

Freeland and his "arms up" defense, combined with his size, makes a difference, too. At least once a game it appears he alters a shot that could be called a foul, but isn't, and the Blazers get the ball on the missed shot or turnover.

 

Bropez is huge, too. I hated those guys at Stanford, but love Ropez as a Blazer in the middle. The Blazers, with LMA/Ropez/Batum on the front line, just look huge and lengthy to me. That's what wins in the NBA.

 

Yes, I wasn't saying his usage stat was affected by that possession. I trying to say that a high usage player gets double teamed more, like that possession, and the stats will lie on possessions like that because LA risks a turnover (negative stat) while creating points that don't show up in his stats.

 

I'm not in love with the long range or turnaround 2's either. I much prefer him taking it to the hoop. But there are some possessions that take a bad turn and having that shot as a reliable fall-back is a good thing.

The point of my post was (1) his efficiency is not down, its about the same and (2) when a player's usage goes up that can be a sign that he is drawing more attention and benefiting other players while not helping and potentially hurting (risking turnovers) his own stats.

Fans are not getting on the L-Train based on season stats. It's based on what they see more recently...

Points per possession:
1.081 Last Year
0.991 November
1.148 December
1.144 January

If that was a basketball score it's 108 last year vs 114 for the past two months.

LA also seems to have shedded his FT line end-of-game choke factor.

 

I'm not taking sides in Hatefest 2005, but I will say that it is not unreasonable to question(as many have in past years) why LA does not take his game inside more often. Does that mean "OMG ALDRIDGE IS SOFT IZ IT TOO LATE TO GIT A REAL PF?!?!?", no. LaMarcus has been, and IS phenomenal. This is the same behavior that took place in a thread about Batum not long ago. No one wants this player gone, nor would I like to see them crucified, but that doesn't mean they cannot improve. LA has a beautiful stroke, he can hit from almost anywhere on the court and it is a fantastic asset to have. However, would it not benefit the team if he took it into the paint more often where A) He shoots extremely efficiently B) He has a much better chance to draw fouls, which means more subs for the opposition, getting his team into penalty shots, frustrating defenses , etc C) He puts himself in better position for offensive rebounds

If those claims are outlandish, well then i'm fine with being crazy.

 

That was the intent of the OP. It doesn't surprise me that some who advocated trading LA in the past are still struggling to let go of that notion, and lashing out with anything they can point out that might diminish his significant bump in over-all performance.

 

Why would you not trade for Dwight?

 

I still want to read his answer.

 

Revisionist history even within the same thread? This is new. Right... you're the victim, or "Priestess", who was insulted, and who's opinion is fact, and didn't go out of their way to say LA probably wasn't even the MVP of the Blazers. smh

List the incorrect stats from the stretch between Dec 1st to Jan 15. I fixed the STAT (singular). His FG% is 1% lower because of a typo I made when converting his game stats to excel, and it doesn't diminish or invalidate what most people know to be true: that LA is having the best stretch of his NBA career.

Please list the invented facts: and go.

Please list the statS and incorrect analysis: and go.

You were going to get back to me a month ago in regards to LA in another thread about LA and never did because he destroyed OKC in Portland. If I made any assumption that was incorrect, it was you had turned the corner on the anti-LA rhetoric.