Now that the Blazers have locked Brandon Roy into a Blazers jersey until 2015, the next point of order is LaMarcus Aldridge.
We love LA, that’s what the song and the Rose Garden Jumbo-tron tells us every time he sinks that silky smooth Rasheedish jumper of his. LaMarcus knows he is loved here.
But as Barrett Strong reminded us, “The best things in life are free, but you can leave them to the birds and the bees. I want money!” You can be certain that LaMarcus agrees with that and if he doesn’t you know his agent does.
The NBA’s rookie salary structure was designed to minimize financial risks on draft picks. The NFL would do well to follow that example. Does the name Vince Young ring a bell? My ramblings have reason here trust me.
The structure is supposed to also give teams enough time to adequately evaluate a players worth before having to sign him to a long term deal while still looking out for the players themselves making sure that they are not working for peanuts for 5 or 6 years. The thought is that 4 seasons of NBA play as a contributor should be enough time to make the accurate decision.
The problem there in lies, teams don’t get 4 years. You can sign players to extensions after their 3rd season. 3 seasons can be tricky. 95 percent of NBA rookie campaigns are forgetful. The bigger the player the more forgetful it can be.
So really NBA teams have 2 seasons to determine a quality player’s worth, which in my not so humble opinion is not long enough, at least in LA’s case.
LA had a great 3rd season, but he still had a knack of disappearing during crucial moments.
His 4th quarter field goal percentage was significantly lower than the 1st and 3rd quarters.
Defensively he is a work in progress.
His defensive rebounding needs work, though his offensive rebounding is very impressive.
Let us not forget his heart condition. The doctor reports came back fantastic so the concern there is minimal, but still concern is there.
So the question stands. How much is LA worth?
The market for starting, non All-Star caliber Power Forwards took a significant drop this off-season as seen by Paul Milsap’s contract and the MIA contract for David Lee. LA is better than both of them and has a higher ceiling but how much is that worth?
LA is not a max player this year, next year, maybe. After all team USA wants him. It would benefit him to play this season without an extension, but the stress that would put on the organization as well as his camp would make for a long season. Especially knowing that fellow draftee
The team needs to show loyalty and avoid a Paul Milsap situation. Kevin Pritchard is known to value his players more than the rest of the league executives do, so here is a chance to put Paul Allen's wallet where KP's heart is.
Here’s to hoping that the Blazers and LA come to an agreement that is mutually beneficial. The Blazers need to get him a 5 year deal, but they need to do it for less than
After all “We Love LA”!
-Kurt Valentine
Comments