LaMarcus Aldridge and Portland Trailblazers' Five Best Players
The Portland Trailblazers once again passed many expectations.
This year, they lost both Brandon Roy and Greg Oden to injuries (though Roy came back to play again, but nowhere near his former level), but they somehow found themselves in the playoffs with the sixth seed out West.
Look at it like this, if they played in the East, they would have the fifth seed (or maybe even higher due to playing more games against weaker competition).
Many players rose to the occasion to help Portland get to where they got, and we will recap the five best players representing Rip City.
5. Brandon Roy
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The story of Brandon Roy is a sad, but true, description of how one's career could come to a drastic end so quickly.
Brandon Roy came into this season playing like an All-Star like always, but from Game 1, I could tell something was wrong.
He was hesitant to take it to the rim, wasn't demanding the ball too much, and just looked awkward out there. He was relying on his jump shot too much, indicated by his dwindling field goal percentage.
Later, his condition was revealed, as we all found out he had no meniscus left in his knee. He has basically no athleticism left and lost all his quickness and explosiveness that made him an All-Star.
He soon had double knee surgery and came back to little success (besides a few good games here and there and an amazing showing in Games 3 and 4 in the first round against Dallas).
Because of his giant contract, Portland won't just leave him sitting on the bench, and he can still contribute a little, despite it probably leading to an early retirement as early as maybe next season.
4. Andre Miller
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Andre Miller did what he needed to for Portland this year.
He came in from day one giving it his all and ended the season averaging well over seven assists per game and around 13 points per game.
He contributes in every way possible.
If he can't hit a shot one game, he'll go out there and out rebound the entire opposing team. If that's not happening, he's tossing alley oops to the league's leading converter of alley oops, LaMarcus Aldridge (that accomplishment is thanks in big part to Miller). If he's not doing that, he's playing hard nose defense.
If none of that is happening, he's probably lighting up the other team.
Andre Miller is just always doing something positive out there and is a really well-rounded player.
3. Wesley Matthews
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Wesley Matthews was the biggest surprise for the Blazers this season. Early in the year, he struggled producing off the bench.
After Roy went down, Matthews showed his worth.
He scored 30 points in his first start with the team, and played in every single game this year, making him the most durable Blazer (something to be proud of on a team that's getting hurt all the time). After that, he became the team's second leading scorer, finishing the season with about 16 points per game.
He proved to be deadly from long range, finding the bucket on nearly 41 percent of his three-point shots, even though he was a little inconsistent.
He also showed that he can take it to the rim, using his strength to constantly bug the defense on the drive.
If he improves his one-on-one game and maybe adds a postgame, he could be an All-Star really soon.
Oh, and he's also the team's second-best defender, on top of all that.
2. Gerald Wallace
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Gerald Wallace does what Andre Miller does, basically, but at a much higher rate and at a different position.
He's the team's best defender, both on ball and off ball, and is a consistent scorer, too.
Being the best rebounding small forward in the league doesn't hurt either, as he hustles all the time out there.
One thing that Wallace helped with a lot was helping increase the intensity and urgency the team played with.
He quickly scored a season-high 40 points in his third or fourth week with the team and was always being productive on the court.
Be it crashing the glass (hence his nickname "Crash"), playing lockdown defense, creating fast breaks with his defense, finishing on the drive or hitting the pocket three-pointer.
Wallace will be instrumental to the team moving forward.
1. LaMarcus Aldridge
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Aldridge became a real contender for the MVP award and for good reason.
He was the team's undisputed leader when Roy went down. He became their most consistent scorer and No. 1 option, and he improved his play down tremendously.
He became an efficient defender down low, as well, using his strength and size to his advantage for the first time in his career on the defensive side.
After Roy's injury, his numbers skyrocketed, averaging well over 25 points per game and 10 rebounds per game after the injury.
He was the biggest All-Star snub, but that was made up for (kind of) with his selection to the All-NBA Third Team, being the first Blazer since Roy to be named to one of the All-NBA teams.
Were it not for him, the team would've probably been on ESPN's draft lottery special, hoping to land the top pick.
