Appreciating Aldridge

Now that Brandon Roy is getting his proper national recognition, it seems like a good time to send some love to the other unbelievable second year player on the Blazers, LaMarcus Aldridge. The most impressive thing is how good this guy is at so many things, and the scary thing is his youth. If his health issues are behind him, it seems he'll at least become a perennial All-Star. He's noted for physical gifts like length and speed, and for a near automated jumper from 15-18 feet. He's an excellent finisher around the rim. His defense is improving, and he certainly has the tools to leap from occasional highlight blocker to consistent shot changer. Another nit-pick is he isn't hugely effective in the low-post with his back to the basket. Of course, he's on year number two in this league and with his attitude and work ethic its hard to argue these weaknesses will be around for long. This highlight reel shows a lot of what I'm referring to if you need a refresher. I recommend keeping the sound down unless you enjoy old-school homophobic DMX lyrics:



But none of these are my favorite Aldridge quality. He is a superb passing big man, and I think this goes a little underappreciated. I'm a little biased, I love good passers. One of my dogmatic beliefs is that this ability is related to a high basketball IQ and unselfishness. This also has me even more excited for Oden. The thought of a high-low offense with those two is absolutely sublime. Aldridge at the top of the key, with his jumper, and Oden to feed down-low. With Oden, I see Aldridge as a four assists a game power forward. It really doesn't seem fair. I beg you to watch this video and see for yourself. I mean seriously, a second year big who can throw a perfect one-handed bounce pass off the dribble?