Hickson is very limited offensively, the fact this is overlooked and understated is just ridiculous. He is an okay shooter but has no real post moves and makes very bad decisions with the ball. He will hit an open 14 footer at an average clip, but all he does is roll to the hoop on the PnR and attack the basket. Millsap is a better offensive player and defensive player(and no millsap isn't that good on D, Hickson is just that bad). Also why is hickson getting such a pass defensively that people want him as a starter for the future. Defense is half the game and it's a half Hickson has ignored for far to long. LA isn't KG on D but he is worlds better then Hickson and to suddenly replace him with a defender that is as bad as Hickson is like playing Rashard Lewis at PF except we don't have a Dwight Howard to clean up the mess it would make. This team will go nowhere with hickson as our starting pf Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Aldridge just isn't that great over the course of an 82 game NBA season. But I feel like he's the sort of guy that rises to the occasion and takes it to another level when its important. He is creamy and I feel like when we are good enough to make the playoffs you want that guy cause he's gonna rise to the top. It looks really bad this season cause we're such a shallow team. Problem is Batum is sort of the same guy. So it looks even worse cause there's nights that neither of them are really there. Personally, I blame Terry Stotts for still playing them 40 minutes on those types of games. Aldridge and Batum both gave nothing in yesterday's game. From what he saw of them in the first half why did he think they'd be able to pull it out in the second half? Claver and Freeland didn't play a single minute. Maybe you play those guys 10 minutes and Aldridge and Batum have enough left in the tank to win the game at the end.
Agreed with the loss falling on Stotts, not to mention the ill advised sub the last hornets possession of the game.
I'm really glad fans don't run the team sometimes I actually saw a guy on Twitter yesterday saying he wanted Nate back.
I'll start this off by saying a couple things: I don't think Aldridge has quit on the team, nor do I think he is to blame for all our woes; however, my stance has changed regarding him since the start of the season. He may be slightly overrated with the current way he is playing - I just don't think he'll ever get physical and play in the post. Not consistently going to his patented turn around jumper, or pick and pop 99 out of 100 times. When he does play like a man, he is worth every bit of his salary - and more. I think most people realize that the only way we are going to get a PROVEN defensive talent in middle is through trading Aldridge, ala Larry Sanders. While Hickson's defense isn't good, Larry Sanders would be able to clean that up. Currently, Aldridge and Hickson is a pretty inept starting front court defensively. Aldridge, nor Hickson, force teams to alter their shots at the rim, which plays into why we are pathetic in points allowed in the paint. Hickson wouldn't be able to give us the same return, and free agency certainly won't land us a defensive minded center that moves the needle. Also, while everyone preaches that LMA is more developed offensively than Hickson, I'd agree - with the caveat that Aldridge hardly ever uses it. When's the last time you've seen him show his actual offensive arsenal outside of pump fake/dribble right/left floating scoop shot, and turnaround jumper? Hardly ever. At least Hickson is willing to bang a little bit, has a decent shot, and rebounds at a decent rate. My dream trade would be Aldridge for Derrick Favors + Gordon Hayward + other parts, but that'll never happen. Let Hickson walk, and wait for Meyers to develop, or use our cap space to sign/uneven trade for a legit Center. Meyers (21) Favors (21 years old) Batum (24) Wes (26) Lillard (22) Hayward (22) Maynor (25) Give the team 2 years to gel and develop, maybe find another center to bridge the gap (as that would be our weakest position). No way this trade happens though. Larry Sanders and Redick would be decent, but we'd then have to attempt to find at least some sort of post presence if we did let Hickson go. Sanders, ? , Batum, Wes, Lillard Meyers/Claver/Redick/Maynor is decent, but not championship material. Would really need another high caliber player, IMO. Also need for Batum to start playing worth his salary, and develop a little more of an attacking mentality - not 10 3's a game.
The idea was't that Sanders is better than Aldridge, the idea is that Sanders fills a much bigger need at this point. We need a defensive center and there are a number of power forwards on the market this summer that could be had through free agency. You trade Aldridge for Sanders, a re-signed JJ Redick (also a need), and some filler. Maybe a draft pick. Who knows what Neil could pull off. You do all this without impacting our cap space this summer. Then you turn around during free agency and sign someone like Milsap or Al-Jeff. I actually think Al-Jeff might be better, and then re-sign Maynor. So all you're losing this summer is Aldridge and Hickson, but you're gaining: Sanders Redick Jefferson Maynor Sorry, but that easily makes this team a playoff contender. Lillard/Maynor Redick/Matthews Batum/Claver Jefferson/Freeland Sanders/Leonard
It's not that a certain player like Sanders or Milsap is better than Aldridge, it's that those players plus all the assets you could get for LA are better than LA
But in the case of Sanders, Sanders IS the asset you get from LMA. Reddick we could already sign, so him in a S&T doesn't add any value to the deal. It's Aldridge and cap space for Sanders. And then likely overpaying another PF out there to replace him. I'm not all that excited about Aldridge for Sanders, essentially straight up. You create one hole by closing another.
I really enjoy talking with you guys on this website and I think most of you are very knowledgable when it comes to the nba and the blazers.... But in the lma for sanders+ some garbage "assets" case some of you have lost your flipping minds.
If it were Aldridge for Sanders and Redick, you would still have all your cap room, so you could additional assets. Purely hypothetical, you could add Milsap and someone like Evans still....Maybe? Thinking that Sanders, Milsap, Redick and Evans is better than Aldridge, Evans and an available FA center
And people keep saying get a great defensive center to put next to LA. How is that going to happen? It won't happen during FA. LA is the most valuable trade asset at this point (other than Damian Lillard of course).
You can't take Redick out simply because we could sign him outright. We couldn't sign him, Jefferson, and Maynor without trading Aldridge. We fill many holes, by slightly lowering the talent at one position. Sanders - (24 years old) 8.9 points, 9.1 boards, 3.2 blocks per game, 18.3 PER Redick - (28 years old) 15.1 ppg, 4.4 assists, 16.2 PER (these are his averages from Orlando Jefferson - (28 years old) 17.6 ppg, 9.2 boards, 20.9 PER Maynor - (25 years old) 8.3 ppg, 5 assists, 15 PER (stats from Portland) You are able to bring in these four players by simply trading Aldridge and allowing Hickson to walk. Aldridge - (27 years old) 20.6 ppg, 8.6 boards, 1.2 blocks per game, 19.6 PER Is losing Aldridge really that bad?
Also, since the All-Star game on February 17th: Feb 19th against Phoenix - 23 points 7-16 shooting, 5 boards, 1 assist Feb 22nd against LA - 15 points 6-19 shooting, 6 boards, 3 assists Feb 24th against Boston - 16 points 7-15 shooting, 4 boards, 3 assists Feb 27th against Denver - 22 points 11-24 shooting, 5 boards, 3 assists March 2nd against Minny - 17 points 7-16 shooting, 8 boards, 4 assists March 4th against Charlotte - 23 points 8-16 shooting, 14 boards, 5 assists March 6th against Memphis - 10 points 2-13 shooting, 10 boards, 6 assists March 8th against SA - 26 points 12-18 shooting, 5 boards, 2 assists March 10th against NOR - 16 points 6-14 shooting, 6 boards, 1 assist A couple of good games, a couple of stinkers, and a whole lot of meh.
