2017 NBA Manifesto
LaMarcus Aldridge
PF/C, 6’11, 260lbs, 31 years old, 11 years of experience
His defensive metrics for defence around the basket in the regular season were amongst the best in the league, and while this is anomalous to the rest of his career, it is hard to be anomalous across 2,335 minutes. Elsewhere, Aldridge rebounded at the lowest rate since his third season and shot only a .532% true shooting percentage, down 33 points on the year prior. But the offence was about the same. A lot of points, a lot of jump shots, a lot of big green blobs on the left-hand side of his shot chart. Maybe that’s the problem; Aldridge has stuck to his game rather than diversify it, and for all the arguments about how putting away the three-pointer helped prime Dirk Nowitzki, no one is making them here. He should just take a step back behind the line. But more metaphorically, Aldridge needs to take a step forward. When Kawhi went down, he needed to step up and take the lead. He didn’t.
Player Plan: Two years and circa $43.81 million remaining, and should be in the building blocks column. He is instead listed in this one on account of the fact that he doesn’t seem to want to be.
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PF/C, 6’11, 260lbs, 31 years old, 11 years of experience
His defensive metrics for defence around the basket in the regular season were amongst the best in the league, and while this is anomalous to the rest of his career, it is hard to be anomalous across 2,335 minutes. Elsewhere, Aldridge rebounded at the lowest rate since his third season and shot only a .532% true shooting percentage, down 33 points on the year prior. But the offence was about the same. A lot of points, a lot of jump shots, a lot of big green blobs on the left-hand side of his shot chart. Maybe that’s the problem; Aldridge has stuck to his game rather than diversify it, and for all the arguments about how putting away the three-pointer helped prime Dirk Nowitzki, no one is making them here. He should just take a step back behind the line. But more metaphorically, Aldridge needs to take a step forward. When Kawhi went down, he needed to step up and take the lead. He didn’t.
Player Plan: Two years and circa $43.81 million remaining, and should be in the building blocks column. He is instead listed in this one on account of the fact that he doesn’t seem to want to be.
