Wesley HodgesofRipCityProject.comlamentsthat LaMarcus Aldridge still doesn't get enough credit and wonders whether the Portland Trail Blazers All-Star forward could be an MVP candidate in the future.
It never ceases to amaze me how we go into seemingly every NBA season now with the hopes that Aldridge will finally get his due, but it never quite seems to materialize in the way that it should. Kevin Love and Blake Griffin are the flashy up-and-comers whom most NBA fans seem to recognize and heap praise on. And although Aldridge is every bit as good (and probably better) than both of them, he never seems to get the respect he deserves. Maybe that’s due in part to growing up in the NBA with Roy and Oden as far more recognizable teammates, but if so, the time for that is past. Last season, the Blazers cut the cord with their past, and chose to move into a new era that has Aldridge as the central figure.
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Sometimes perception is just as important as numbers when you talk about someone having an MVP-type season. While Griffin and Love may put up bigger numbers, neither guy is as good as Aldridge on defense, and his arsenal of offensive attacks is far more vast than what either of his counterparts has to offer. Part of that is due to having more years in the league to develop, but because of Aldridge’s more well rounded game, the other two guys should not be mentioned before him in MVP talk. Now, I’m not saying he will win an MVP, but wondering if he’s capable of having an MVP-type year.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com |Twitter