Lets not forget the league having to apologize for an obviously incorrect call in the late stages of game 1. Dwight phantom technical in game 4 that gave the blazers an extra point -- a game that went into overtime
Aldridge will get a max contract from over 2/3 of all NBA teams. You guys are kidding your self's thinking anything different.
right he was just red hot against us i might even say lucky because the shots were being contested VERY well
No, they weren't being contested "very well" in game 1 and most of game 2. McHale had TJones and Dwight guarding him for most of the first two games, and TJones is WAY too short to bother LMA. LMA just faced up and shot right over him. You might as well be asking Beverley to guard LMA if you're going to put TJones on him. Dwight has decent length, but he's a shot blocker not a positional defender. He's great if you want to alter shots at the rim. He's not nearly as good if you move him out of the paint and ask him to move his feet and stay down and vertical. Not to mention it put Dwight in constant risk of foul trouble as well as left the rim WIDE open for anyone who took a pass from LMA. It wasn't until they rolled out Asik that LMA was actually well contested. And that's when you saw the big drop off in numbers as you were able to rotate Dwight and Asik to spread out the fouls and bang in the post, as well as Asik's much smarter footwork and positioning. It's also why you saw Duncan and Splitter both covering LMA during the Spurs series. You need length AND solid positional defense AND enough bodies to avoid foul trouble to slow down LMA consistently.
I'll say this again if the Rockets strike out on Melo, Bosh, Lebron, and Lowry and Love and LMA sign extensions what's the plan? ZBo? He's likely to resign too.
Unless you are the Spurs/OKC/Heat, you pretty much have no chance winning it all so lock up whoever gives you the best hope. LMA gives Portland's fans a glimmer of hope. But you're right, they ain't winning crap.
I dont think we have one. I mean- what could we do at that point? Id guess we try to get millsap or someone on his level but who knows?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>LaMarcus Aldridge tells The Oregonian he will not sign a contract extension with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Blazers?src=hash">#Blazers</a> this offseason, but plans to do so next summer.</p>— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlazerFreeman/statuses/486636688731803648">July 8, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Aldridge said it makes most sense financially to wait because he can sign for more years (5) and make more money ($108 million) next year.</p>— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlazerFreeman/statuses/486637096086417409">July 8, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Aldridge: "I'm happy to stay (in Portland), happy to be here, happy with the direction the team has gone the last year or 2. But ..." (cont)</p>— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlazerFreeman/statuses/486637749831602178">July 8, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Aldridge cont: "... I just want to get a 5-year deal. I feel like that’s the best decision on my part."</p>— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlazerFreeman/statuses/486637834321678337">July 8, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>LaMarcus Aldridge said he wants to finish his career in Portland. One reason why: "I want to be the best Blazer. Ever."</p>— Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlazerFreeman/statuses/486638261960331264">July 8, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Harden made ~$13.7M last year, def not "top dollar." He is making the mini-max, so his contract is actually a steal for us and Parsons could arguably be making more per year for the next few years and Lin + Asik will make $15M which is more than Harden next year lol...
All well and good for LMA to wait, but people will be in his ear. He says these things now, but could easily be a UFA with a number of high profile suitors!
[rQUOTEr]This could be random, but nearly a half-dozen executives from different teams mentioned the possibility of the Spurs luring LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency with a max contract. Let me be clear, my beloved Portland maniacs: I do not see this happening. Repeat: I do not see this happening. Aldridge isn’t the type to say stuff lightly, so it meant a lot — to everyone — when he declared so emphatically in July that he would sign a new five-year contract this summer and hopefully go down as the “best Blazer ever.” It’s always wise to take sunny public comments about free agency with a pile of salt, but Aldridge is a bit of a different cat in this regard. Still: I found it interesting that after having heard very little San Antonio/Aldridge talk of any kind, ever, a bunch of unconnected higher-ups suddenly started mentioning it over the last two weeks. Someone said something to start the rumor mill churning, and the Blazers have always considered one of Aldridge’s home-state Texas teams the biggest threat to snag him away. San Antonio waited on a Kawhi Leonard extension precisely to hoard max cap space this summer in case both Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili retire. Dallas could have max-level space, though it’d have to renounce several very good free agents to get it. Houston would need to cut some salary, but it also has the goods to put together a solid sign-and-trade offer if Aldridge makes it known he’d prefer to go there. This is probably much ado about very little. Aldridge is in a wonderful spot as the co-centerpiece of a top team, with a superstar point guard, a smart coach/GM combo, and a nucleus of prime-age veterans — most of whom are also free agents the Blazers could re-sign this summer via Bird rights. Portland can offer him one more year and about $30 million more than any other suitor. http://grantland.com/the-triangle/13-observations-from-the-d-league-showcase/[/rQUOTEr]
It's a bit of a misnomer. Kobe Bryant has a PER of 17.80 despite having a TS% of .477 (horrific). Kawhi Leonard is hugely more efficient but his PER is only slightly higher around 19 because he doesn't get as many points and assists. It tends to reward guys who get a lot of the counting stats (points, rebounds, steals, blocks). Doesn't really penalize as much for missing a lot of shots or not playing good defense.
He has Damian Lillard, the eternal love of a franchise and tons of money. Why would he walk away from that?
