這篇和下一篇講Nate的都很棒,不過現在沒心情翻XD~今天比賽完明天再翻好了
或是大家要接力?
http://tinyurl.com/djrbng
Blazers' Aldridge: Moving from 'potential' to 'special'
Posted by Joe Freeman, The Oregonian April 17, 2009 15:15PM
As LaMarcus Aldridge's game has improved, so has his confidence. "As you get
more comfortable in this league and as you accomplish more and more, a little
swag comes with it," he says.
A unique, often overlooked hint of progress has emerged during LaMarcus
Aldridge's season of maturation.
Sure, most of his statistics have improved as the Trail Blazers have evolved
from a young team on the rise into a Western Conference contender. And along
the way, Aldridge has become a more powerful and dominant inside force,
better defender and more consistent player.
But this particular development has less to do with basketball ability and
more to do with attitude.
When Aldridge cruises past a defender on the low block and crams an
authoritative one-handed dunk, he tilts his upper torso back and flexes his
arms and chest. When he meets someone face-to-face on defense and swats their
shot, he glares into the crowd with a scowl, as if to say, "Not anymore."
When he completes a fast break with a breathtaking two-handed jam, he rattles
the standard, lands on the floor and lets out a booming scream.
"That's just confidence showing," Aldridge said. "As you get more comfortable
in this league and as you accomplish more and more, a little swag comes with
it. And I've gotten a little swag because my confidence has grown and I feel
like I can dominate games and do more things now. So that's why you're seeing
that more."
Meet the new LaMarcus Aldridge. Self assured, full of bravado and on the cusp
of dominance.
As the Blazers embark on their first postseason berth since 2003, fans and
pundits will gush over the smooth and clutch play of two-time All-Star
Brandon Roy. National media will inevitably investigate the progress of
former No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden. The Blazers' strengths -- depth,
three-point shooting and rebounding -- will be dissected relentlessly.
But quietly, in opposing locker rooms -- just as he has most of this season
-- Aldridge will be the focus as opposing coaches scout the second-youngest
team in the NBA and create a game plan to stop the momentum of this surging
franchise. Aldridge, who often seems to get lost in the mix on this
talent-rich Blazers team, will continue to draw the respect of his peers.
"With coaches, that's the one guy they like," Blazers coach Nate McMillan
said of Aldridge. "They talk about all of our guys, but they like LaMarcus'
game because they know that you don't see that very often. You don't see a
big guy that can run, shoot, who's athletic. You find a big guy that can do
all of that and you've got something special."
This season, particularly since the All-Star break, Aldridge has steadily
replaced his "potential" label with "special."
Aldridge labored through what he called "the worst funk" of his life during
the first 15 games of the season. Though he was averaging 15 points per game,
his scoring had dropped nearly three points from last season, and he was
shooting just 42 percent from the field and 65 percent from the free throw
line.
The slow start was a mix of self-induced pressure and an adjustment to
newfound respect. He entered the season saying he wanted to be an All-Star
and, as a known commodity for the first time in his career, opposing teams
treated Aldridge like one, using double teams and other defensive tactics to
slow him down.
"I kind of caught teams off guard last year," Aldridge said. "This year ...
teams came at me with double teams and other stuff, so I think it kind of
took me a while to figure out how to deal with all the attention on the court
and remain efficient. I think that's why I had a slow start."
But he steadily adjusted and over the next 30 games, he averaged 18.9 points
and significantly increased his field goal shooting (53 percent) and free
throw shooting (78 percent). Aldridge became especially dominant during a
15-game run after the All-Star break, when Oden did not play because of a
chipped kneecap, averaging 19.7 points and 8.6 rebounds. For the first time
in his career, he registered at least 10 rebounds in four consecutive games.
He enters the playoffs averaging a career-high 18.1 points, along with 7.5
rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field.
The success largely comes from his determination to become an inside force,
something McMillan has been prodding Aldridge to do since he arrived in
Portland. Aldridge's bread and butter remains his midrange jumper, but he has
dramatically increased his arsenal of post moves in recent months to feature
a running hook shot, a pump-fake up-and-under and a drop step, among others.
Since the All-Star break, he's been more comfortable, more rugged and more
successful in the low post, which sets up his pretty outside jumper, sends
him to the free throw line more frequently -- and, most importantly, opens up
the floor for his teammates.
"He's done a great job of being a low-post presence," Roy said. "I think
that's why we've taken that next step as a team. We have that guy down low
who's able to take advantage of opposing teams' power forwards. All the big
games we've played, I think he's won that battle. And I think that's the
reason why we are in the position we're in."
Despite all the strides Aldridge has made, McMillan said he is only
scratching the surface of his potential. He envisions a defensive player
better than Kevin Garnett. He sees an offensive player with the one-on-one
offensive potential of Dirk Nowitzki. And, what's more, McMillan imagines
Aldridge mixing all of that into a package that includes better athleticism,
better shooting, better low-post ability and better rebounding.
All-Star? The common thread among Garnett and Nowitzki is MVP awards.
"I think he's done a really nice job for us, a great job, but there is so
much more he can do," McMillan said. "I see it. I see a 7-footer that can
run, a 7-footer that can shoot, a 7-footer that's athletic and coordinated.
He can do it all. Once he puts it all together and gets comfortable ..."
McMillan paused, opened his eyes wide and continued:
"I don't think there will be a way to guard him. He has the potential to be
dominant. I'm talking dominant."
That's what Blazers fans have waited for over the better part of three
seasons. Aldridge arrived in Portland with a maniacal work ethic and that
"potential" label. He became a full-time starter in his second season and
entered this season saying he wanted to step out of the shadows cast by Roy
and Oden and blossom into an All-Star.
Along the way, Aldridge stopped caring what other people thought and decided
to let his game speak for itself. Respect has come, slowly but surely, and it
will only increase if the Blazers continue their rise among the NBA's elite.
"I think he is starting to get his due," Roy said. "But you can't chase those
types of things. I think he's done a good job of finally putting that behind
him and not chasing that. I think he's just going out and dominating. And
he's starting to see that he'll get that attention regardless, because he's
that good.
"I see him being more comfortable, understanding that every night when he
steps on the floor he's one of the best players. It's just a matter of him
knowing that. I just look at LaMarcus like, 'The only person that can guard
you is you. There's nothing anybody can do to stop you. You're too talented.'
He's starting to understand that, and I think that's why he's only going to
continue to get better and better."
As this realization sinks in more, Aldridge's demeanor and swagger will only
become more demonstrative.
"That scream, flexing his muscles, that's just part of his personality,"
Blazers forward Travis Outlaw said. "He can come off kind of quiet, but he's
got a strong personality. I love it."
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