Has LMA reached his ceiling?

07/08 - 17.8 PPG | 7.6 RPG | 1.2 BPG | 1.6 APG | 48 FG% | 35 MPG | 18.5 PER

08/09 - 18.1 PPG | 7.5 RPG | 1.0 BPG | 1.9 APG | 48 FG% | 37 MPG | 19.1 PER

09/10 - 17.9 PPG | 8.0 RPG | 0.6 BPG | 2.1 APG | 49 FG% | 37 MPG | 18.2 PER

Quite possibly the fastest plateau for a top-3 pick in NBA history. His DRtg% has not improved, either -- 107/108/107.

 

I'm sure there have been many that plateaued faster, and probably lower. At least Aldridge seems to have plateaued at a fairly high level, just a slight cut below All-Star caliber.

I think he still has a chance to break out to a higher level, but it's becoming progressively less likely.

 

I'd say it's probably 90% likely that this is the LMA we can expect moving forward, with modest improvements and it would take a real personality and/or skillset change for that to change drastically -- he'd have to develop a face up game with an ability to take people off the dribble or he'd have to become much more aggressive in his pursuit of the ball and his effort on defense.

 

His shot blocking is truly pathetic for a player his size.

Nearly 7'0" with a 7'5" wingspan, athletic, he has the tools to be a force on the defensive end. He just doesn't focus enough or just lacks heart.

 

Of course he hasn't.

 

I'm okay with LMA hovering around 18 or 19 PER and playing the way he is for the foreseeable future. Here's why: we had six players with 500 minutes or more and PER over 17:

Oden (23.1)
Roy (21.3)
LMA (18.2)
Miller (18.1)
Nic (17.3)
Camby (17.0)

But when you look at the playoffs, the top two players were missing, and the bottom two were hurt, leaving only the middle two, and leaving us essentially at 33% strength. So LMA being 3rd out of 6 good-to-great players on the team isn't bad at all. It's just getting all six on the court in the same game (though not the same play... unless it's against the Celtics).

 

Hell no.

Forget his stats. His overall game will improve. I think he has the ability to make his teammates better, and this will be more apparent when his teammates mature too.

 

That ship sailed when they inked him to his new contract.

 

While that is nice and all, it is what I call an "excuse". An excuse for not getting it done. Anbyody who watched the games knows he needs to do more on the boards and more on the defensive end. We are not paying him to be a role player. We are paying him to be the guy that when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

I believe that Lamarcus has plateu'd because he has ceased expanding his game. It is a choice, not a matter of talent.

 

Look how much better he looked when he played more with Miller. Look how many easy buckets he got from alley oops. Just think if he had Nash working the pick and roll with him. He would be an all star.

 

His ceiling is an AS caliber player, so no. At just 24, he's not even in his prime yet.

Glad to have him.

 

No it wouldn't. There are a ton of player who catch a lot of alley-oops. It doesn't make them an instant all star. What makes players all stars is if they put up big numbers on teams that win a lot. Nash wouldn't help him rebound. Nash wouldn't help him play defense. Nash can't make him move closer to the basket to receive a pass.

 

If Oden can get healthy, he'll be a lot better as a result of playing with him.

 

I would be shocked if LMA doesn't get better.

 

I would be ok with this as a plateau if he played his Post-ASB game all season.

 

LaMarshmallow would have to try harder to actually reach his ceiling.

Now that that's out of the way -- I think he can be better and I hold out hope he will be. With a couple of other quality players around him, such as an improved Batum and Oden, a healthy Roy, and a newer Point Guard, I don't know that his stats will show it, though. I hope with Oden taking up space and boxing out, LaMarcus might snag a few more rebounds too. I certainly hope he's not resting on his new contract, because it felt like that to me at times at the beginning of the season.

 

No.