Is LaMarcus the most dominant Trail Blazer in over 20 years? Which team does Portland not want to see come playoff time? And what are the chances that both Aldridge and Lillard make Team USA? Seven local reporters who eat, sleep, and breathe Trail Blazers basketball give their take in this week's edition of Running The Break.
1. Is LaMarcus Aldridge is the most dominant Trail Blazer since Clyde Drexler?
Casey Holdahl (@Chold), TrailBlazers.com: The way he's playing this season? Yes. But I think it's going to take one more year playing at this level to say he's "more dominant" than guys like Brandon Roy and Rasheed Wallace, though I certainly wouldn't argue with anyone who thinks Aldridge has already surpassed those two in dominance.
Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes), CSNNW.com: Brandon Roy had a nice run there for a minute. But yes, LaMarcus Aldridge is the most dominant Blazers since Clyde Drexler. Being that his team has been fighting for the top spot in the Western Conference all season long and he is being recognized nationally as a legitimate MVP candidate, in my opinion, validates my claim. Even Roy at his best wasn’t garnering this much praise and hype.
Joe Freeman (@BlazerFreeman), The Oregonian: I don’t know. Probably. But Brandon Roy, who won an NBA Rookie of the Year award and three All-Star Game nominations, was pretty darn good. Let’s wait until Aldridge’s career is over before we start this kind of historical debate.
Mike Tokito (@mtokito), The Oregonian: Not yet. I think we should let this season, plus playoffs, play out before we make that sweeping a judgment. Aldridge has been terrific, but you still have to lead your team to postseason success if you’re going to put the label “dominant” on a guy. I mean, Zach Randolph had one of the better individual seasons in Portland history in 2006-07, and no one called him “dominant” then.
Erik Gundersen (@BlazerBanter), The Columbian: Yes #NoDisrespectToBrandonRoy.
Mike Acker (@mikeacker), Willamette Week: LaMarcus Aldridge is incredibly dominant, more dominant now than he’s ever been in his career. He has yet to achieve some of the heights of Clyde Drexler, so it’s hard to say that LA is the most dominant Blazer since the Glide. LA is going to have a chance this season to become something special in the post-season. If he can have the kind of dominating performances in the playoffs, and if his big games can get Portland into the Conference Finals and beyond, then we can start to talk about LA being just as dominant as Drexler. However, as a sub-answer to a question that was un-asked, Aldridge’s 2013-14 season is probably the most dominant season for a single Blazer player since Brandon Roy lit up the Association over the course of 2008-09.
Dave Deckard (@blazersedge), BlazersEdge: In that time frame you look at Rasheed Wallace and Brandon Roy. Wallace was a two-way, multi-tool player and led his teams to plenty of wins but he never produced the stats Aldridge is producing this year. Roy was more of a clutch guy, the superstar assassin, resembling Damian Lillard’s style more than Aldridge’s. This year LaMarcus is bumping up against Brandon’s peak production levels, exceeding them in some categories…no small feat. I’d say Aldridge’s last couple months have been as dominant as we’ve seen since the Drexler era but I’d need to see that performance sustained through the season and the playoffs before putting him head and shoulders above everyone else. He’s definitely on a level with those other two right now though.
2. On Thursday, it was announced that both LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard were selected to the 2014-16 USA Men's National Team. Should fans expect both players to make the final 12-man roster?
Lillard might not be a lock, but I suspect he’ll make it. In the USA Basketball practices I watched last summer, he looked really good in that elite group of players, and he’s certainly one of the two best shooters among the point guards in the pool.
Deckard: It depends on who is healthy and who’s willing to make the multi-year commitment. Aldridge should be a no-brainer considering his range on the court and on his shot. He should be plenty comfortable in the international game. Lillard may get crowded out by bigger names but his ability to play on or off the ball and score reliably from distance make him enticing as well. They’d both be great for the team…better than some other guys who have made it on star power more than targeted, team-oriented skill.
3. The Trail Blazers are the only team in the NBA to use the same Starting Lineup so far this season *knock on wood* and their 32-11 record at the time of this writing (January 24th, 2014) speaks volumes about such continuity. With that all said, does Portland have the best Starting Five in the league? If not, where do they rank?
Deckard: In practice they have been. Everybody else has dealt with injuries. But if you assume a theoretical matchup where all lineups are healthy you have to look at Miami, Indiana, Oklahoma City, Golden State, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, and the Clippers as at least being close to Portland’s level. The Blazers are good but they’re not unique. They’re defined by style of play as much as talent level.
4. If the postseason started today, which Western Conference team would be the best matchup for the Trail Blazers in the First Round? Which squad would be the worst matchup?
As for which team is the best matchup, I would say the Dallas Mavericks because the Blazers blew them out in their building, and that kind of thing sometimes carries over to the post season. And, although it might sound counterintuitive since Portland is 1-2 against them, the Phoenix Suns could be a good matchup based solely on the fact that if Phoenix makes the Playoffs they’ll probably be the least experienced team to make the post season. The Blazers don’t have a ton of playoff experience, especially not this specific roster, so getting a team with less experience could be key to winning a first round series.
Deckard: Of the current playoff teams San Antonio seems to be the most vulnerable to Portland’s combination of talent, skill, and youth. Houston would be a nightmare over 7 games. They hit the Blazers’ weak spots and have the capacity to draw fouls against big men the Blazers can’t afford to lose.
5. The Grizzlies are quietly 7-3 over their last 10 games and 3-1 since Marc Gasol returned to their lineup. Are they going to round into their Western Conference Final form of a year ago and become a team nobody wants to see in the playoffs? Or are they just not as feared without Lionel Hollins?
Deckard: Both. Hollins gave them an identity not easily replaced but it’s not fair to judge the New Grizzlies when Gasol has been out of the lineup. They won’t abandon everything that made them decent just because the coach changed. I don’t see Memphis making the conference finals again but they’re not going to be an easy out. They’d be on the short list of teams I don’t want the Blazers to face in the playoffs. The Blazers might well get past that road but it wouldn’t be a smooth ride.