[Jason Quick] Trail Blazers' list of concerns after Game 1 should include the future of LaMarcus Ald

Lilliard does not look like a designated max player to me from the Memphis beatdown. Without a healthy Aldridge and Mathew, Lilliard looked really bad out there.

 

I think lillard's max is higher because he made the all star game and he was a first round pick. I'm not sure if he got on a all NBA team or won any awards or anything but that will increase it also.

 

I hope Aldridge goes to an Eastern Conference team. They need more All-Stars over there.

 

Damian Lillard is the most overrated player in the NBA.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Report: Spurs are “near or at the top” of LaMarcus Aldridge’s list unless Cavs lose Kevin Love <a href="http://t.co/WIox4CnY6B">http://t.co/WIox4CnY6B</a> <a href="http://t.co/sfwbGt5s0k">pic.twitter.com/sfwbGt5s0k</a></p>&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/594246159951990784">May 1, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LaMarcus Aldridge Says Blazers Have 'More Weight' in Free Agency <a href="http://t.co/rPOPNCkCaZ">http://t.co/rPOPNCkCaZ</a> <a href="http://t.co/Z4lUKRlUwG">pic.twitter.com/Z4lUKRlUwG</a></p>&mdash; SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) <a href="https://twitter.com/SLAMonline/status/594185786750185472">May 1, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

Imagine the Wizards with him in Nenes slot.

 

Does Cleveland have a chance with him? LeBron needs his Chris Bosh clone after Love is inevitably going to leave. :grin:
Don't know how flexible they can be with player contracts.

 

Don't they take enough midrange jumpers? lolol

 

Not to mention its not like Portland is not going to pay him. If they lose LMA and Lillard, they might as well just sell the rest of their team and tank. Batum and Wes aren't star players; they can't carry the team by themselves.

 

How do you rate LMA's defense?

Rocket River
. . . the word soft keeps coming to mind . . .

 

Affalo couldn't even come close to cutting Matthew's role and just that alone unraveled the entire Blazers team. In that regard alone let's check Batum's numbers for the series but I have a hint that Batum is a bit overrated.

I think Aldridge would cost the Rox too much to make up. J Smith, Brewer, and other key players would have to agone.

 

Haha I remember saying this during the series and earlier this year but people thought I was just being bitter.

He relies WAY too much on contested jumpers (3s at that) he can take it inside occasionally but it's never enough to scare you and then there's his defense. So come down to it he's just a really good three point shooter.

When you think of it that way it makes sense that as his team faced injuries his numbers declined. He no longer had Wes to spread to floor with him and saw less open shots. Instead of like a true superstar player getting better when guys get hurt and seeing numbers increase because of more opportunities his decreased.

So yeah, Portland will throw it all at LMA because Damian is no perennial all-star type player.

 

^^^^ It's a chain affect. Lillard couldn't count on overrated Batum to spread the floor as well. And there were some that would package both Ariza + Brewer for Batum. I kid you not and have read it in other trade ideas on this board.

 

In his defense (I guess), Batum is worth Ariza + Brewer when he plays hard. He is a classic "Why can't you be like that all the time" guy. But he has serious motor issues. Kinda reminds me of Diaw.

Lillard has the same problem except he disappears for 2-3 quarters at a time instead of 5-6 or more games like Batum.

LMA & Wesley were the two that brought effort to every Blazers game.

 

I think it's quite telling that he is considering leaving. If he just stays with this team and waits for Lillard, McCollum and Freeland to mature while Batum and Matthews provide great support, then his team is going to fight for homecourt for a long time. They have all their picks, and they're not spending an obscene amount of money so MLE additions are likely. That team will improve for at least two more years by just staying together and finding better role players.

He seems to want to go home. But will the Spurs be better than the Blazers if Duncan and Manu retire?

I think the real threat here is that Manu and Duncan come back for the minimum and they get Aldridge. That would be a crazy good team, and make sense for LMA.

 

I don't know about that. Brewer makes some fancy fast break layups that seem impossible while splitting up to 3 defenders sometimes.

 

Celtics: LaMarcus Aldridge and Wes Matthews both possible targets?

CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely believes the Boston Celtics could target a pair of Portland Trail Blazer free agents this summer, including star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

During an episode of Celtics Talk TV (below), Blakely said, "My understanding is the Celtics are going to be open to putting together some type of package deal where they would not only bring in LaMarcus Aldridge, they'd bring in one of his good friends by the name of Wes Matthews. Now, if you're the Celtics and you can put together a deal to get those two guys in town, you've gotta do it."

Blakely was asked to place a percentage on the likelihood top free agents land in Boston. Asked about Aldridge, the reporter said, "I'm going to go high with this one. I think there's a 35-40 percent chance that he's going to come here."

"Here's the thing about LaMarcus Aldridge," Blakely continued. "He's going to look for a situation that is going to give him the best shot of going deep in the playoffs."

Are the Celtics that? The Spurs and Mavericks are more established, of course, better stocked with talent, and located in Aldridge's home state. If the power forward chooses Boston, he would be betting on a young, improving roster, a talented coach, and a president of basketball operations who has built a winner before. Those aren't the worst things to bet on, but while all three potential suitors lost in the first round this season, Boston obviously lags behind the other two in recent success. Given the competition -- which also presumably includes Portland -- most people would not give the Celtics a 35-40 percent chance of acquiring Aldridge. He might not even be their top power forward target.

As a rugged wing with size who doubles as an elite shooter, Matthews would fit in well with what the Celtics need. His free agency could be interesting because of his recovery from a season-ending torn Achilles.​

 

Nobody is going to the Celtics.