Perhaps LaMarcus does what he needs to do to help the team win basketball games? The last time I checked, basketball was a team sport. When LaMarcus had to carry the team on his back, and play like an All Star, LaMarcus carried the team on his back and played like an All Star. When the team had an actual All Star (Roy V. 1.0), or has a previous All Star (G-Force Wallace), or the team has a great rebounder (a healthy Marcus Camby), and there are players on his team who can help him win games by doing what they do well, maybe LaMarcus plays basketball within a team concept? Refresh my memory, but the Blazers won the game, right? Aren't the Blazers something like 10-5 in the month of March, during LaMarcus' 'disappearing act?'
The rebounding arguments against LaMarcus always amuse me. I'm sure LaMarcus could grab 8-9 rebounds in his sleep - you know, provided in his sleep Portland wasn't running a switch defensive that left him on the perimeter guarding 6'2 guards. You act like he's being placed in these positions to get rebounds - this is not the case. Our defense, regardless of what Nate says he is trying to do, is filled with the idea of switching on the defense and leaving our big men on little guys. This happens far more often to LaMarcus than it does to Camby (or it did to Joel and Greg), and those guys are naturally superior rebounders to LMA either way. But when you're a 6'11 guy guarding a 6'2 guy, it isn't going to be in the paint - it isn't going to be in a great position to be boxing out for a rebound. So if you want LaMarcus to grab eight to nine rebounds in his sleep, maybe you should make sure he's at least being put in the paint to box out for the majority of the game on the defensive side. You know, to grab those rebounds.. in his sleep.
So true. LMA has had some great games against Duncan the past few years. It's one of the reasons I wouldn't mind seeing the Blazers play San Antonio in the playoffs. As an aside HCP, list where you'd rather spend your first-round road games. San Antonio Los Angeles Dallas Okie Dokie One of them is an obvious NO, but the other three all aren't bad places for 4 days.
QFT! There is a lot of knowledge and keen observation in this thread. And a number of posts that...umm...not so much.
Let's get a few things straight. I'm glad the Blazers won. I'm glad we beat the Spurs. I'm glad to have Roy on the team. I'm glad to have Wallace on the team. I like our chances in the playoffs. I love this team. I'm a diehard Blazer fan for life. Okay? That said, some of you are ridiculously thin-skinned. You get your panties in a knot if somebody criticizes the team or a player after a win, as if the W is the only thing that counts. Well, it's not. It also matters HOW you play, the effort you put forth, the consistency that you bring every night. All of these things are important because they help you build success over the course of a season, not just one game. Those of us who are concerned about Aldridge's performance last night realize that Aldridge didn't seize the moment to have a big game and lead this team to an important victory in the chase for the playoffs. He didn't demonstrate the killer attitude and the strong will to win that you expect from your best player and team leader. And that's very disappointing. I've seen a lot of theories in this thread about why Aldridge didn't do this, and why he didn't do that, and how the defense was set up to stop him, and none of it is very convincing. Aldridge is a great player, but last night he didn't bring his A game, or even his B game, against greatly inferior competition. That's just a fact.
Same ol' crusade against Miller, eh? Everytime the ball went to Aldridge last night he passed it to a teammate like a hot potatoe. Might want to rewatch that. It had nothing to do with Andre. But, continue to slight the guy who won the game for us, if thats your prerogative.
Yet, we still won, on the 2nd night of a back-to-back on the road. Players are prone to bad games when they are rode hard all season long and their legs just aren't there. The fact that we still found a way to win despite our best player playing one of his worst games season is a good sign.
It's pretty clear he's just tired as hell. He plays more minutes more often than anyone else, constantly doing the most tiring work, and providing the most production. For the past few weeks he's been tweeting about how tired he is and apologizing to Patty and Nic for not being able to go out and do things because he slept through it. Now an article pops up with him expressing how tired he is: http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2011/03/lamarcus_adridge_shows_signs_o.html He just needs a nap. He's logged the 2nd most minutes in the league this year. To even begin to criticize him for not bringing his all is silly. Massive improvements in his game have clearly come at a cost, and now he has to pay it. Let's just hope he gets his beauty sleep before the playoffs.
some people actually enjoy being angry and complaining. They express the same bitterness year after year, regardless of how the season is going. I've just accepted that for some the team winning games or playing good hoops is inconsequential, as the fun for them is to bitch and argue. STOMP
It would be awesome if you would just switch to being a Laker fan...your posts are sure right on par for it. People give you shit because your posts are ridiculous and it's obvious you don't know how to analyze basketball. Of course, I guess its what we have to sift through in order to have other good discussions about the Blazers... I'm just sayin', there's far too many posters like you that can only analyze stats, and when the stats back up your opinion like fools' gold, you talk shit...
I was told that the heavy minutes shouldn't have any effect on him. I read it by some experts on this very website!
Just an observation. I can't remember the last time I criticized Miller outside of him not involving LMA last night. Can you? The team wouldn't win last night without Miller. Then again, had he played his normal game, it may have been a Blazer blowout.
Search it yourself. There was an entire thread about it three or four weeks ago. Plus, I don't consider you an expert, so you probably didn't contribute to it.
