Overall, LaMarcus Aldridge is playing at a high level for the Blazers. But the fact that he’s seemingly reverted to jump-shots over post play has resulted in some criticism that his head coach doesn’t feel is appropriate at this time.
Aldridge’s points-per-game average of 20.8 is down alost a point from last season, but his rebounds are essentially the same at around eight per game, while there’s been a slight uptick in his assists and blocked shots per game averages.
One area where Aldridge has seen a significant decline is in his field goal percentage, which is currently at 45.9 percent, down from 51.2 last season.
Fans in Portland have been largely down on Aldridge this season because of it, and because when observing the games, it appears that more of his looks are coming from jump shots instead of from aggressive play in the post.
Go ahead and count Blazers head coach Terry Stotts among those who feel the criticism is neither warranted nor justified.
From Joe Freeman of The Oregonian:
Stotts is sick and tired of the general masses crushing LaMarcus Aldridge.
“He’s been doing everything that’s been asked of him at both ends of the floor,” Stotts said of his All-Star power forward. “And he’s done it willingly and effectively. And it just bothers me when people throw darts at him, when they are disparaging. He doesn’t deserve it. I don’t think the criticisms are valid.”
“When you look at plus-minus, everybody plays better when LaMarcus is on the floor,” Stotts said. “And that provides a tangible benefit that doesn’t necessarily show up in box score.”
And while it may appear to the naked eye that Aldridge has abandoned his low-post game, Stotts said the reality is that his franchise power forward is actually averaging “slightly less than one fewer postup every 36 minutes” compared to last season and roughly the same number of free throw attempts (4.9 to 5.0).
“I think it’s a legitimate observation,” Stotts said, referring to Aldridge’s dip in shooting percentage and rebounding. “But it’s undue criticism that he’s not being aggressive or he’s being soft or that he’s not pounding inside. He is doing all those things when he has opportunities.”
Aldridge’s dip in field goal percentage — again, really the only glaring area that’s a legitimate cause for concern — is likely due to where he’s being used in Stotts’ schemes.
Aldridge has said earlier this season that he’s simply doing what he’s told offensively, so there’s no reason to believe that after an All-Star campaign, where he was at times dominant in the post, he’d choose to follow that up by reverting to his jump-shooting preferences that were evident in the earlier stages of his career.
If that’s the case, Stotts will need to find more opportunities to use Aldridge in the post, as is his strength. Otherwise, the criticism is likely to continue to fall on Aldridge’s shoulders, whether justified or not.
