Why the Blazers Must Trade LaMarcus Aldridge
By David MacKay
April 14, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Sacramento Kings power forward Thomas Robinson (41) on the bench against the Houston Rockets in the third quarter at the Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Kings 121-100. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
3) Disposability
It sounds harsh, but it is not intended to. What Aldridge brings to the Blazers is hard to come by. There aren’t many stretch fours out there; much less highly skilled ones, but the Blazers are headed in a new direction. They need aggressive post players.
The arrival of Thomas Robinson may signal the end of the Aldridge era more than anything else. Maybe not yet, but it is only a matter of time before Robinson is sculpted into a starter. When he has carved out his place, it won’t be on the bench.
Robinson is the hard-hitting, high-jumping, rebound machine LaMarcus never was, and he’ll only get better. Their games are polar opposites. Unfortunately, this means that Robinson has a ways to go on offense, but he’s on his way up, whereas Aldridge has crested the hill.
Point being, Portland stands to gain more than they stand to lose in a trade. T-Rob is undeniably a step down, and even a project, but it is a short-term loss for long-term gain. The other improvements that could be made in exchange for Aldridge outweigh Robinson’s deficiencies.