LaMarcus Aldridge shooting threes – first impressions
During the offseason, discussion swirled that Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge would start shooting more threes. This was not entirely unexpected, since the NBA as a whole has started to better understand the value of the three-pointer, and Aldridge already had excellent range on his shot.
Often times, it seems as if a player adding the three to his arsenal gets a little over-hyped. These players are professionals who have devoted their entire life to this game, and usually “adding” a three to their existing game simply means stepping out two more feet away from the basket.
Thus, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect heading into the season. Now seven games in, we can start to see how this development is shaping up. On the season, Aldridge has shot 11 threes (1.6 per game), hitting four of them for a 36.4 shooting percentage. His four makes have already eclipsed his three makes from last year, and at face value, 36.4% shooting isn’t half bad for a power forward.
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However, I seemed to recall some of these attempts as desperation heaves at the end of the shot clock, so I went back and watched video footage of all 11 attempts. Of those 11, two (his first against the Kings and his second against the Clippers) were purely desperation heaves at the end of the shot clock. If you took those two attempts out, Aldridge would be shooting 44.4% (4-9).
You can’t actually qualify real life like this, and Aldridge very well may have ended up taking these shots because he was hanging out closer to the three point line than he has been in years past. Either way, it is abundantly clear that Aldridge can be quite deadly when taking threes in rhythm. In fact, some of them looked simply silky, for lack of a better adjective.
Being only seven games in, it is still hard to discern how exactly this will affect the Trail Blazers going forward. In one regard, Aldridge getting an extra point or two a game for the team is always nice. The talent discrepancy between teams in the NBA is razor thin, so quite literally every extra point matters.
Oct 29, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
From another angle, it is apparent that opponents still aren’t sure how to handle Aldridge at the three-point line. Some of his made threes have come as a result of being left open because the opposing big man guarding him didn’t want to step out that far. If Aldridge continues to take and make threes at a high enough rate, though, these open looks will soon dry up as defenders move out farther to guard him.
This could then, in turn, be when the Trail Blazers start seeing even more benefits as a team. Aldridge has been drawing bigs away from the hoop for years with his deadly jump shot, but if they now have to respect him shooting threes, they will be pulled out a few feet further. This would open the lane for other Trail Blazers to get easier attempts near the hoop.
Overall, with Aldridge taking just 1.6 threes a game, it doesn’t look like a huge amount has changed yet. For the most part, the three-points attempts have been smart decisions, and he has shot them with confidence. What remains to be seen is how opponents will adjust to this new wrinkle in his game, and if/when they do, how the Trail Blazers can exploit it even more effectively.