If you take LMA out of our starting lineup and put one of hibbert, verajoe, monroe, any other non AS level but good big and we lose one of the greatest assets he had and thats the fact he gets doublded and creates open shots when he gets on the left block. take that away and we will get less open shots. Trade value is not dictated by 12 games, his value is still very high around the league and playing injured 12 games into a season with a new coach we dont know if LA is going to continue to take the majority of his shots from that 18 feet out. Im not convinced he does but it is a possibility. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
does someone have access to the synergy numbers on this? I keep hearing that he's going down to the block a bunch and getting double-teamed, but the eye test (and I've watched every play so far) doesn't stick to me as that being the case. I'm very open to being wrong on this, but I'm seeing a lot of pick-and-pops (and the screen isn't that great, but that's nothing new), some left-block-extended stuff where he starts on the block, runs out two steps or so to accept the pass and then have the passer run by, rubbing off the passer's defender--but I don't consider that "left block". His assists per game HAVE gone up from 2.4 to 3.1, but that's not even one more time a game where he's passing out of the double team for an assist. Just out of curiosity, I ran a list of people in the 3pt era who averaged 19ppg on a TS% between 46% and 48.5% (LMA's is 47.8 right now). He's almost identical to old Jamal Mashburn, old Chris Webber (except they rebounded better) and (if he bumps up his scoring to 23 or so) Antoine Walker. That's NOT top 20. And I'd normally be the guy who says "aw, forget it, it's 12 games, bad hip, etc."--but then I look at his comments about having lost a step and having enough trouble banging Chuck Hayes 6x to get to that spot for the jumper and I don't see a guy who wants to go inside 10 feet, even if he was healthy.
I don't know if he's necessarily getting double teamed more this season or not. I do know that having someone with his talent level that the defense has to watch makes life much easier for our other three players. Hickson isn't someone that commands that extra watchful eye. To remove him, IMO, will just make things that much more difficult, and that much tighter for our 3 wings.
I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude (especially being new over here). But just how is LMA a top 20 player? He's barely a top 20 player at his position. He might have "top 20 STATS", but he certainly isn't a top 20 player. Not unless you also think players like Tyreke Evans, Monta Ellis, and Kevin Martin are top 20 players.
2 years ago he was 3rd-team all-nba, so you could say he was Top 15 at that point. Last year he was an all-star, so you can say he was top 25 or so. This year? He's playing like Antoine Walker or the Philly version of Chris Webber
I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, especially with you being new over here, but this statement here is just terrible. BARELY top 20 at his position?
He's not. He's generally in single-coverage or left wide open at the top. He's taking the VAST majority of his shots from 18' out. And teams generally leave him wide open to take that shot because they know the Blazers won't win with LMA shooting jumpers. As you'll see here LMA is taking far and away (10 per game) the most long jumpers on the team. He's essentially taking as many long 2-pointers as the rest of the team COMBINED: http://www.hoopdata.com/shotstats.aspx?team=POR&type=pg&posi=%&yr=2013&gp2=0&mins=0 Last year he was getting double-teamed quite a lot. However, I argue that he only "commanded" a double-team because the opponent could get away doubling him without worrying about any consequences. LMA doesn't actually "command" a double-team, it was just a sound defensive strategy because (a) LMA is easily frustrated by a double-team, (b) is incapable of making a pass to someone cutting down the lane, and (c) there wasn't anyone else on the team worth doubling. But nobody is doubling LMA anymore.
In no particular order here are PFs who are better, or about as good as LMA: Dirk Pau Randolph Duncan Griffin West Lee Millsap Cousins Boozer Bosh Ibaka Amare (if he ever plays again) Josh Smith Garnett Scola I may have forgotten a few names too. And what happens when these rookies and sophomores develop and they get added to the list? Heck, add Hickson to the list - he's a better PF than LMA! I'm not saying all of these guys are hands-down better - but I also can't say that LMA is better than all of these guys, either. I contend that all of these guys would be able to put up the same or better stats as LMA, if the entire offense was run through them for a season. LMA's game doesn't do anything that makes other players around him better - he doesn't do anything that leads to winning. He pads out his stats while losing all the way to the lotto - that's all he's got going for him. That, in my book, is not good. I can probably agree that he's a top 20 PF, but I most certainly can't say he's ever been a top 20 player.
you forgot kevin love, but i guess he is the same kind of player, padding stats on a lotto team, so i get the omission
Sorry guys - bad mood today, and I'm coming over from a very combative message board. I can already tell that the audience here is FAR more intelligent than what I'm used to. I'll try to keep my exclamation points in check. But just a disclaimer - if there's one topic that'll get me going it's LMA. I think he's one of the most over-hyped players in the league. But I'll back my opinion up with data, and not just hate on him to be a hater. Anyway - I gotta run to a meeting. Again - apologies if I rubbed anyone the wrong way. I just really hate LMA. Tomorrow?
