Maybe we were wrong. And by “we,” I mean “I”.
Because after questioning whether LaMarcus Aldridge would ever make The Leap, after doubting his fortitude and his motivation, we have watched over the past month as The Enigma has transformed into The Beast.
Consider the 15 games prior to the Blazers’ contest Saturday against the Nets, a span in which Aldridge averaged 25.7 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 53 percent from the field.
Or consider Sunday’s overtime loss to the formidable Miami Heat, in which Aldridge had 31 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists.
Or consider that, with Brandon Roy’s future in doubt, Aldridge has been thrust into the position of being Portland’s signature player and has played as though he embraces the role.
Who knew? Who would have guessed that Aldridge could put the Blazers on his back and carry them?
That’s what happened against Miami, when he continually toyed with Chris Bosh in the low post, scoring six of Portland’s final eight points in regulation on a variety of force-of-will moves. It wasn’t enough to hold off a comeback by the Heat, but it was enough to reflect a transformation in Aldridge’s demeanor.
According to J.A. Adande of ESPN.com, that transformation was born of sadness. Aldridge’s mother, Georgia, is battling cancer, and that has the son thinking more than ever about the potential for his first All-Star selection.
“If I make it, that would give her something to look forward to other than having chemo,” Aldridge told Adande in a quote that can rip your heart out.
While the temptation is to hope for Aldridge to garner an All-Star berth, the reality is not promising. Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony are the leading vote-getters among Western Conference forwards, leaving Aldridge to battle Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, and Zach Randolph for a spot as a reserve. In terms of John Hollinger’s catch-all statistic, Player Efficiency Rating, the Blazer ranks behind each of those players.
In truth, Aldridge’s season-long statistics aren’t much different from what he has posted in previous years. He’s averaging a few more minutes per game and getting a few more shots, but his field-goal percentage is a smidgen lower than it has been in any season of his career.
Yet the change in Aldridge’s game is reflected in his free throws. Per minute, he’s getting to the line 25 percent more often than at any other time in his career.
And over the past month, he has looked like a different player, forcing his way to the basket rather than settling for 15-foot jump shots, shedding the oft-stated criticism that he’s softer than a “power” forward should be.
“He’s doing a better job of getting deep post position,” coach Nate McMillan said after a recent game. “When teams are double-teaming, he seems to be getting a little more comfortable playing in the post. He’s maturing and learning how to play against different defenses.”
Which brings up the point that maybe the problem all along wasn’t with Aldridge, but with the expectations for him.
Considering that still only 25½ years old, it’s understandable that maturity would lead to improvement, regardless of how badly we wanted that maturity to arrive immediately.
And when you compare his career with those of other players who have been selected No. 2 in the NBA Draft over the past decade, you find that Aldridge ranks second in scoring, third in rebounding, and third in field-goal percentage, making him the second-best player of that group behind Durant.
So maybe that’s the surprising lesson of Aldridge’s play over the past month — he’s always been right where he was supposed to be in terms of his development, and now he’s even better. Even if we never realized it.
Greg Jayne is Sports editor of The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4531, or by e-mail at greg.jayne@columbian.com. To read his blog, go to columbian.com/weblogs/GregJayne
