Portland Trail Blazers: 5 Reasons LaMarcus Aldridge Deserves MVP Buzz

Through the early part of the NBA season, the league's usual suspects are performing at exceptionally high levels.

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose are all playing like the superstars that they are, and will likely be considered near the top of the list when the MVP award is handed out at the end of the season. 

But one player who has quietly become one of the league's best players, and should be included in the early season MVP banter, is LaMarcus Aldridge. 

When it comes to his style of play, leadership qualities and value to his team, Aldridge deserves to be not just an All-Star this season, but with the best of the best in the early season discussion for the league's MVP award.

Value

Understanding what the NBA's MVP award means at its most fundamental level is crucial when thinking about who deserves the award.

Statistics are important; no doubt about it. But when thinking about the league's most prestigious individual award, the team must be brought into the discussion.

At 14-10, the Trail Blazers have looked great at times and lackluster at others. But with superstar performances from LaMarcus Aldridge, such as his 33 points and 23 rebounds against Toronto this season, expect the team to be in the playoffs come time for the postseason. 

Now imagine where the team would be without him. 

The Trail Blazers feature a shallow frontcourt that is made up of two of the league's oldest big men in Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas, and seldom-used reserve, Craig Smith.

What do you think the team's record would be if this were the permanent frontcourt? 

The MVP is not the most outstanding player—or even the league's best player. It is someone who makes the biggest difference for his team, and is truly the most valuable player.

Needless to say, Aldridge has value.

Style of Play

Before this season, LaMarcus Aldridge had been playing in a style of basketball that was far more suited for Brandon Roy.

Slow, isolation basketball used up a lot of the shot clock, didn't allow players to get out and run and often times resulted in Roy simply creating shots for himself.

In the new post-Roy era of Blazers basketball, the team is playing fast and aggressively, and that caters right into Aldridge's style.

In this new system, Aldridge has thrived, averaging numbers he's never seen in Portland before. 23.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and a field goal percentage of 51.5 percent are all career highs, and are all  testament to his importance on the roster.

Admittedly, the style of play has a lot do with player personnel and coaching philosophy; but hey, they're all there to help each other, aren't they?

Leadership

When Brandon Roy abruptly retired before the season's start, the Trail Blazers lost a player who was not only a three-time All-Star, but the face of a franchise and someone who helped the team transition away from the ugly days of the infamous "Jail Blazers."

Minus Roy and Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge has not only become the face of the franchise, he's embraced it.

An MVP must be willing to put a team on his shoulders and carry them through adversity the way Aldridge has. While he may not provide the best quotes, or make the national headlines week in and week out, Aldridge has taken the role of the aggressor and begun to lead his team as their go-to guy, 

Skill Set

Whether he goes left, right, to the basket or away from it, LaMarcus Aldridge appears to be adding new moves to his arsenal every season.

It appeared early on in Aldridge's career as if he would be confined to the skill set of a jump shooter; but now that he has expanded his game to new levels, he can take advantage of players from different spots on the court.

Aldridge can also run the floor well—a skill being utilized this season in Portland's new found uptempo offense. 

Having the ability to play from virtually any spot on the court, and keep your opponents always guessing, is something that the best do. Being able to throw different weapons at the defensive can be a valuable tool no matter who is on the other end trying to stop you. 

Improvement

Brandon Roy, Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge were supposed to be the Big Three that lead Portland to multiple championships. Although the Big Three has essentially crumbled down to one over the last two seasons, it has allowed Aldridge to step out of the shadows of his teammates and establish himself as a go-to player in any situation.

There's no doubt that Aldridge still has room to improve, which is why it may be a stretch to consider him winning the MVP award by the end of this season. Averaging less than a block per game, and only 5.6 defensive rebounds, he must improve on the defensive end.  

The Trail Blazers must also become more competitive in the Western Conference. Aldridge needs to show that he not only has the stats in the box scores, but also the drive to get the victories in the schedule.

The improvements he's already made, however, have gotten him to an All-Star level. If he continues to improve and continues to help the Trail Blazers make a push out West, he will escape the MVP buzz and be considered a candidate for the award sooner rather than later. 

While some people still think about what could have been with the Big Three in Portland, it's time to begin thinking about what can become of the team with Aldridge leading the way.