You may be right about the 23PPG thing, but I don't think the numbers show he is "exactly the same". http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aldrila01.html You forgot Offensive Rating: 07-08: 108; 09-10: 113 You also forgot Win Shares: 07-08: 6.2; 09-10 (Partial Season) 7.0 He is not the same player from 07-08. He is a different and better player. Changes from 07-08: More Minutes Played: He already has as many minutes as he logged in ALL of 07-08. Keeping an inferior backup off the floor has been huge this season. Diluting his energies and playing out of position to log all those big minutes may also partly explain the drop in PER from last season and the lack of consistent agressive play. Defensive Rebounding: With the team needing it, despite not being a strength of his game, his Defensive Rebounding Percentage has increased from 15% to 19%. (Per game: 4.7 to 5.7) Assists: His Assist Percentage has increased from 8.8% to 9.7%. Turnovers: His Turnover Percentage has decreased from 8.9% to 7.5%. Usage: He is getting "his numbers" without being a ball-dominating player. His Usage has decreased from 25% to 22%. Of course, this is what many in this thread are complaining about - the want Aldridge to be an extra agressive offensive player who demands plays and shots and takes shots - even tough ones. LaMarcus is what he is - a player who is more likely to take what the defense gives him, and his increase in efficency, lower turnovers, increased assists, lower shots - all point to an improving playing who is refining his game - but who isn't trying to establish himself as some kind of 1st Option. If you want him to be a 1st Option player or you think he should be, you are disappointed. If you accept him for a decent PF who continues to refine, expand and improve his game, you are satisfied.
Masbee, you raise some good points. Let me offer a few points in return. You compare 07-08 to this season. What about 08-09? Didn't he actually make his big leap last season, rather than this season? Personally, I can live with the fact he didn't become a #1 option of offense. The problem is, he hasn't become a consistent #2 option. Defense is much harder to quantify than offense. My purely subjective opinion, is that LMA could be more of a factor on the defensive end. Many nights, he is just too passive.
I followed the topic presented by the OP - which was 07-08 vs this season. As others have noted, your complaints about LaMarcus are very similar to those made about Rasheed Wallace for years in this town. Sometimes the player you get is what the player is - not what you want them to be.
