KingSpeed

I agree that we need someone to push him in practice. I will say this-- during warmups before the Lakers-Blazers game in L.A., Coach Bayno wore big paids on his arms and pushed LMA around as he practiced his post moves. It worked. He handled all the pressure from L.A. and scored 24 pts on 10 of 19 shooting. As for being drafted "a few years ago," LMA has only played in the NBA for a total of of 9.5 months if you don't include the offseason or preseason. 9.5 months. And ACTUALLY he had that condition at the end of last season so let's make it 8.5. Eight and a half months!!! I'd say he's doing GREAT for a player who has only played in the NBA for 8.5 months. Lay off him, Sonny. Only a few months ago, you said that LMA would be our top scorer during our championship years and now you've turned on him during what is a great first full season for him. If he was considered for rookie of the year this season, he would probably win. He has weaknesses, yes, but he will get better and better and his skills will complement Greg Oden's game in a fantastic way. Whenever I'm on the road with the guys, the fans around me go on and on about how great LMA is and is going to be.

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BuckW4GM

nothing wrong with that. rahim was a good player throughout his career. i think on offense, their impact will be very similar. on defense, i expect aldridge to be much better. so abdur-rahim with defense. i like it.

HurraKane212

I think so. Yes I take Battier (last year's version especially) as opposed to a chucker who doesn't rebound that well and turns the ball over enough to make Jack look like Calderon.
Battier is a team first player with great defense and the ability to score. He's not who I'd build my team around, but he's the perfect complementary piece.
I would not, however, build around Carmello. The Nuggets have 2 of the top 5 scorers in the league and one of the best defensive pig men (Camby) and they are not even in the playoff picture right now.

In ESPN's daily dime there is this piece on turnovers by Eric Karabell:

Basketball isn't just scoring. The box score doesn't give an accurate picture of everything a player does on the court. You say that from your subjective (and seemingly biased) observation that LMA is a bad defender. I say that he is a decent man defender and great help defender. He has to tools to be a lockdown defender with some experience.

You throw out stats to try to prove your argument and then disregard stats that counter your claims. When faced with statistics you don't like, you then revert to subjective opinion.

Maybe you should google confirmation bias?

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< insert witty Blazers related remark that both bemuses and enlightens here>

↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A

MrJayremmie

how is LaMarcus not developing as expected? You expected him to be better then 17 and 7 this year? as his first year as a starter, and at the age of 22? with a team that has no other post presence?

There are some players on this team that have degressed liek Webster and Jack, but Aldridge has had a breakout year, imo, along with Outlaw.

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Jerryd Bayless

Xericx

LMA played like he did last year. NOW at the end of the year he is attacking the basket a bit more, but honestly when you watch the game time he got last season vs. this season, there isn't much improvement in ability or consistency.

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Establiiiishment...establishment...you always know what's best......

Public Defender

There's been a great deal made of where Aldridge ought to be in his second season, and I think comparing how he's played to how Chris Bosh played his second year is helpful. I'd like to tackle another criticism - that Aldridge is inconsistent.

Here are some scoring stats in that regard:

Games of ten points or less:

Feb: 3 (of 14)
Jan: 1 (of 14)
Dec: 3 (of 10)
Nov: 2 (of 15)

Games of 15 points or less:
Feb: 5 (of 14)
Jan: 6 (of 14)
Dec: 5 (of 10)
Nov: 5 (of 15)

During streak: 15.6 ppg and 6 rebounds

In well over half the games he's played in over the last four months, Aldridge has scored 15+. That's consistently making a contribution. Let's compare him to another PF, who's his team's second option...

Pau Gasol (this season - both Memphis and Lakers' numbers)

Games of 10 points or less:
Feb: 0 (of 13)
Jan: 0 (of 13)
Dec: 2 (of 11)
Nov: 0 (of 14)

OK, so Gasol looks a whole lot better there, but look further...

Games of 15 points or less:
Feb: 5 (of 13)
Jan: 3 (of 13)
Dec: 5 (of 11)
Nov: 6 (of 14)

So, Aldridge had 21 games of 15 points or less, Gasol had 19. I'd say that's pretty even in the consistency department. The problem, for Aldridge, I'd say, is he needs to improve on those few games where he's held under 10 points, and at least get up into the low teens, to help the Blazers' scoring woes.

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Next year...

nikolokolus

not quite true:
points per 40 min up from 16.3 to 19.7, rebounds down by .6, with the rest of his statistics slightly up and down, but a marked improvement in assists.

LMA still has a ways to go before he can be considered a great PF, but to say he hasn't improved much when he's gone from the bench to a full time starter's role isn't quite correct.

Xericx

I wouldn't call that exactly a breakout season. He will get better but again, it takes time.

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Establiiiishment...establishment...you always know what's best......

crandc

I think LMA suffers sometimes from comparison with Roy, but remember Roy did have 4 years of college and LMA one. That makes a big difference. And generally big men take longer to develop. LMA may not yet even be fully physically mature. We have seen improvement and that's what we want, along with willingness to work hard. It would be absurd to bench him and I doubt the coaches and KP have any such intention. The general basketball consensus about LMA is overwhelmingly positive, just one poster seems to really hate him (maybe a Sheed or ZBo loyalist?)

Truly a non-issue.

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Xericx

My take on LMA is that he is progressing nicely, needs to play inside more and to be more consistent and "into the game". He turns it on and off, so that's what I want him to focus on.

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Establiiiishment...establishment...you always know what's best......

STOMP

he was at Texas for two years

STOMP

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaQprMCe20A&NR=1

mediocre man

Here is an interesting bit of information by sportsline.com via the Columbian


Player rankings


http://www.columbian.com/sports/blaz...ry=2093#entry1

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"SHOW ME THE BUFFET!!!"


Former Blazer Alaa Abdelnaby on being a student athlete at Duke. "The only way I could get 5 A's at Duke was to spell my name"


I'm Mediocre Man, and I approve this message.

nikolokolus

What's more interesting is that those rankings are basically a peer review ...