Portland Trail Blazers: How LaMarcus Aldridge Is so Successful in Career Year

LaMarcus Aldridge has cemented his status as one of the league's top players this season.

With the Portland Trail Blazers franchise firmly under his grip for the first time, Aldridge has been the brightest blossom in the Rose Garden.

Ever since Portland stole Aldridge away from Chicago on draft day in 2006, he has lived in the shadow of Brandon Roy. With Roy out of the picture, Aldridge has relished his role as The Guy.

Roy—also stolen by the Blazers on that summer day in '06—went on to become the Rookie of the Year. Then he was selected to three All-Star games. With Roy's success, the team was forced to adapt to his style: slow, deliberate and one-on-one.

That did not play to the strengths of Aldridge, who was drafted four spots ahead of Roy. The style most suited to Aldridge is the type the Blazers are playing now that they are free of Roy. They're doing so with two types of deceptive speed—the lengthy stride of Aldridge and the chubby quickness of point guard Raymond Felton.

There are few power forwards in the league who can run up and down the floor with Aldridge. Without Roy working 20 seconds off the clock in his one-on-one offense, the Blazers can exploit one of Aldridge's greatest strengths.

When Portland is able to get the ball in transition, Aldridge thrives. If he gets a defensive rebound, he is able to barrel through the lane as a trailer. If Marcus Camby pulls down the board, Aldridge can race up court to throw down lob passes.

His other area of expertise is knocking down jumpers from the top of the key. Fans going nuts over a free chalupa is the only thing at the Rose Garden more sure than Aldridge from 20 feet.

Creating more open opportunities for that shot will come with time. The pick-and-pop is an Aldridge staple. He needs to continue creating chemistry with Felton for this to develop. The lockout did not give the two of them a lot of time to work on the intricacies of this play. Once they are more familiar with each other—they've only been playing together two months—both players should see increases in production.

Entering the weekend, Aldridge was among the league leaders in most offensive categories. He ranks in the top 20 in each of the following: field goals made (3rd), field goal attempts (3rd), total points (5th), points per game (7th), minutes played (8th), offensive rebounds (T-10th), free throw attempts (13th), free throws made (14th), minutes per game (17th) and total rebounds (18th).

That's what a franchise player needs to do—carry his team. So far he has shown an ability to do this at times.

He demonstrated his leadership early in the season by backing up his talk. After orchestrating a players-only meeting, he responded with 33 points and 23 rebounds the next night.

When the job needs done, he can do it.

However, he needs to improve his play late in games to become an elite player in the NBA. Portland has played seven games decided by five points or fewer. Portland's record in those games is 0-7.

Aldridge's production drops substantially in the final few minutes of games.

His field-goal percentage—51 percent for the season—drops to 37 percent in the final five minutes of games. That is where Roy was able to make his living—sinking clutch shots.

Again, it is a learning process. During his first five years in the NBA, Aldridge wasn't the primary option for the last-second shot.

Now he is. He needs to learn to make it.

In all other respects, he's made the transition from Robin to Batman as well as anyone else in that situation has.

Portland's up-tempo style highlights his greatest assets. It has helped put him on the map as one of the NBA's best power forwards. And it has established Aldridge as the Blazers' go-to guy for the first time.