Photo by turbojoe from Flickr
Since (David Stern, The Players Union,Billy Hunter, Dan Gilbert, Robert Sarver, Gilbert Arenas’ contract - just pick your favorite) is/are trying to ruin our life with this whole “lockout†thing (maybe you’ve heard of it), I’ve decided to go ahead and pretend it doesn’t exist. Some might call this the “denial†stage; I choose to call it the “I need to find a way to keep myself off drugs†portion of this dreaded labor disagreement. Thus I present you a pair of posts (in a somewhat shorter form, it’s the lockout for crying out loud) I would write in a world where BRI squabbles, hard cap disputes, and blogissists didn’t exist.
A Home For Earl
The league is coming off of one of the best post seasons in recent memory. The Dallas Mavericks finished off an improbable run at the expense of LeBron, Wade and the Heat. The NBA is in the best position since his Airness left the game for good in 1998 (yes,I’m pretending those Wizards years didn’t happen). Unfortunately, the free agent class of 2011 lacks the star power and intrigue of 2010. Tyson Chandler is certainly set to make a lot of money, but that will most likely come from Cuban and the Mavericks considering how well Chandler played throughout the playoffs. Nene is probably the best available player, but it would be surprising if the Nuggets didn’t make a serious effort to lock him down. There is however, an incredibly gifted, if not equally crazy, swingman who could play a key role in the upcoming season.
There’s been enough written about JR Smith as a player already. The general consensus seems to be he has the talent to be one of the best guards in the league, but his emotions and mental mistakes often make him more trouble than he’s worth. Still, placed in the right situation, JR could be an incredibly valuable weapon to a godd team. There are two particular franchises I believe would be most interesting. The first is the Denver Nuggets. Now, most Nuggets fans probably cringe at the idea of bringing JR back. The fact of the matter is he played very well for them, especially after the Melo trade, and I still hold Karl made a huge error by keeping JR on the bench in crucial situations against The Thunder.
The second, and much more intriguing option would be for JR Smith to join the Chicago Bulls. At first blush this seems like an awful idea, but consider a few things: First, The Bulls need someone else who can create and make his own shot. Throughout last years playoffs Derrick Rose was forced to carry the entire offensive load (insert your favorite Carlos Boozer is overpaid, and inept joke here). If Rose couldn’t get to the rim The Bulls were left helpless. JR, either as a starter, or a 6th man could provide a legit scoring threat to take some of the pressure off of Chicago’s new golden boy. Â
Second, while Thibodeau and JR would seem to an awful match, there is also a decent chance Thibs could help turn JR around. Thibs’ system has turned lesser players into useful defenders, and JR has to grow up eventually, right? Yes, it’s equally likely that this turns Carlisimo-Sprewell situation, but you have to risk something to gain something. Of course with JR it’s impossible to predict the future. Who knows? He might even sign somewhere crazy, like Zambia or even China.
Lamarcus, We Have A Problem
Most NBA fans are familiar with the story by now. LaMarcus Aldridge stood as a 6 foot 11 inch, supremely talented enigma. Every Portland fan was aware of the potential but many had already dismissed him as “weak†or “softâ€. The conventional wisdom - as much as a mystery wrapped in an enigma shrouded in a Blazers jersey can lend itself to conventional wisdom - was that Aldridge and players like him never developed the requisite physicality to dominate down low. Then Brandon Roy went down and everything changed. It seemed as though the Blazers season would be lost. They had no legitimate star or go to option on offense. That’s when LaMarcus WENT OFF. Suddenly LMA was fulfilling his limitless potential. He was terrorizing low post defenders, abusing them with deft hooks and turnarounds, and catching back-breaking lobs as soon as defenders dared to front him. By the end of the season LaMarcus was rightfully being discussed as one of the best power forwards in the league.
Despite LaMarcus’ efforts the Blazers’ season ended in disappointment at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. However, Portland fans, while certainly distraught over Roy, have to be giddy at the huge leap Aldridge made this past year. Even if Roy is unable to play meaningful minutes in the future, the Blazers appear to have a star they can build around.
With that said there are a few circumstances that concern me when it comes to the future of LaMarcus Aldridge.
One issue is the exit of Andre Miller. Now I know what you’re thinking, “ANDRE MILLER! He’s old, slow, and he can’t shoot.†In reality, only two of those things are true, and more importantly while Miller is not a flashy player he is a very gifted floor general. He always managed the game effectively, and was very good at getting the ball to LaMarcus in the spots he was most comfortable. Furthermore, Miller was a key part of the killer back door lob play that became a staple of the Blazer’s offense. John Hollinger has often called Miller the best lob passer in the league, and as great as Lamarcus was at spinning off the defender at the right moment, Miller’s on point passes were equally crucial. Sure Felton’s speed and shooting may provide better spacing for Aldridge, but it’s hard to believe Felton can fully replace Miller’s passing and leadership.
The other thorn in Aldridge’s side is head coach Nate McMillan. While McMillan has had great success in Portland despite numerous injuries, he still has the propensity to frustrate fans and players alike. His slow paced style handicaps Aldridge’s ability to flourish on the break. LMA is one of the best big men in the league while running the floor, and McMillan is actively limiting those opportunities. Second, McMillan has consistently overused his stars. Aldridge played the second most minutes in the league at 3211 total minutes and 39.6 per game. McMillan can’t allow that trend to continue. Aldridge’s body can only handle so many minutes throughout a season and his fatigue was apparent late in the Dallas series. In order for Aldridge to continue to grow and develop, McMillan needs to be more careful with his minutes or risk wearing down his gifted forward.
I remain extremely excited for the upcoming Blazers season. Since he was drafted LaMarcus has always been one of my favorite players and seeing him succeed last year vindicated my belief in his abilities. Still, Brandon Roy’s short lived success and rapid decline leave me weary of becoming too optimistic. Maybe Aldridge can handle all the minutes, maybe Felton will end up being a better fit than Miller ever was. Ultimately we’ll just have to watch and see. Thank goodness November isn’t that far off.
