Revisit: Is LaMarcus Aldridge One Of The 10 Greatest Blazers?

Blazer's Edge Rewind:A year ago, we discussed whether LaMarcus Aldridge ranked as one of the 10 greatest players in Portland Trail Blazers history.Take a few minutes to go back in time, and don't forget to read the very fascinating comments.

It was a rough stretch for both Aldridge and the team. After winning 33 games, Aldridge seemed unhappy, and rumors spread that Cleveland was trying to wrest him from the Blazers' grip.

What a difference a year makes.

Despite lots of 2013 offseason rumors, not only did Aldridge stay put, he further blossomed alongside newly-acquired center Robin Lopez. After a crazy season, Aldridge's national buzz skyrocketed as he led the Blazers (with some help from a clutch Damian Lillard) to their first series victory in 14 years, a six-game classic against the Houston Rockets.

So, it's time for the inevitable question: Is Aldridge now, without a doubt, one of the top ten Blazers in franchise history?

Now, I'm not going to rehash the qualifications for "Greatest" (which is understandably subjective). I spelled this out in detail in my previous article, so if you didn't read it above,here's another chance! One important reminder: We're only discussing players during their time in a Blazers jersey.

Let's update LaMarcus Aldridge's stats, including his position in team history:

Averages:18.9 points, 48.8% FG, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.0 blocks
Career:8 seasons, 10,901 points, 4,708 rebounds, 1,137 assists,
Awards:Three time All-Star, All-NBA Third Team (2014 TBD), All-Rookie First Team
Blazers Top 10:Points (3rd, was 7th), Rebounds (5th, was 6th), Minutes (4th, was 8th), Free Throws (5th, was 9th), Blocks (7th, was 8th), Points Per Game (7th, was 6th)
Advanced Stats:PER (Still 5th), Win Shares (4th, was 5th)
Postseason Success:2014 Conference semifinals, and three-first round exits.

Based on his current averages, Aldridge will surpass Terry Porter to become Portland's No. 2 all-time scorer in his 19th game next season.

His ranking of 5th for overall rebounds is somewhat deceptive. The next few names (fellow Top-10 candidates Buck Williams and Mychal Thompson) are barely above him. Based on a 10 rebounds-per-game average (Aldridge actually averaged 11 this season), he'll pass both of them and move into No. 3 all time after the first 18 games. If he plays more than 65 games during the 2014-15 season, he'll surpass both Jerome Kersey and current leader Clyde Drexler to become the Blazers' all-time leading rebounder.

去年,奥尔德里奇的近乎是:”他's probably one of the 10 best players, but it would be nice if he could get out of the first round." Now his resume includes an immediately-legendary first-round victory, plus a heightening of his position in the rarefied air of the statistically elite Blazers.

复习,假设德雷克斯勒,波特,比尔细胞膜ton, Maurice Lucas and Geoff Petrie are in everyone's top 10 list, here are the likely candidates for the other 5 spots:

- LaMarcus Aldridge
- Buck Williams
- Arvydas Sabonis
- Cliff Robinson
- Sidney Wicks
- Mychal Thompson
- Brandon Roy
- Rasheed Wallace
- Jim Paxson
- Jerome Kersey

Tough call. Remember, though, that it's quite possible that Aldridge will be Portland's No. 2 all-time leading scorer and the franchise's all-time leading rebounder by this time next year.

• Is LaMarcus Aldridge now in your Top 10? And if so, who did he knock out?
• Where does he rank overall? What does he need to do to reach the Top 5?
• How does he compare to Buck Williams and Jerome Kersey, who went on two nearly-magical runs to the NBA Finals, but had the advantage of playing next to Blazer legends Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter?
• Alternatively, how does he compare to Mychal Thompson, who has lesser but somewhat similar numbers, while reaching the second round twice next to fellow Top-10 candidate Jim Paxson?

Debate away in the comments, as we consider what this post might look like a year from now.