Mar, 18, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) looks to pass the ball during the first quarter against Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) at Chesapeake Energy Arena Mandatory Credit: Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

ESPN recently released their controversial NBA Rankings, excluding the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony (No. 17) from their Top 5.

Atop the list sat none other than LeBron James with a nearly perfect score of 9.99. Next would be Kevin Durant (9.70), followed by the injured Dwight Howard (shocker, 9.58), Chris Paul (9.52), and Derrick Rose (9.02), who tore his ACL in the first round of the playoffs.

More importantly for Blazers fans, LaMarcus Aldridge’s stock is on the rise. With a score of 7.99, the Blazers’ centerpiece has made a name for himself as a dominant offensive presence. And with the addition of the point-producing mastermind, Terry Stotts, we should continue to see a spike in Aldridge’s net worth over the next few years.

But is No. 20 yet another slap to the face of one of the better PF’s in the game?

Miami PF, Chris Bosh (18.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG), scored an 8.04, and is ranked 18th in the ESPN Rankings. Pau Gasol (17.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG/15th, 8.24), Blake Griffin (20.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG/14th, 8.25), and Dirk Nowitzki (21.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG/11th, 8.64) were also put ahead of L.A., and Kevin Love (26.0 PPG, 13.3 RPG) cracked the Top 10, landing the No. 7 ranking with a score of 8.86

How many of those forwards really belong ahead of LaMarcus Aldridge?

Aldridge’s Stat Line: 21.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 22.73 PER

They’re going to automatically give Bosh the benefit of the doubt because he contributed to Miami’s championship run this season, but L.A. has a more refined post-game, shot a better percentage from the field (.512 vs. .487), and averaged the same amount of blocks and steals as CB4 last season.

One down.

L.A. should be ranked ahead of Gasol, as well.

We know Pau wasn’t the first or second option on offense last season (Kobe and Bynum were), and with Dwight Howard and Steve Nash coming to Los Angeles, he’ll probably drop down even more. But the fact of the matter is that L.A. boasts a higher field goal percentage on more shots, leading to more points per game and a higher player efficiency rating than Gasol.

Two down?

Let’s talk Dirk Nowitzki.

Up until a certain point in the season, Dirk was god-awful. He couldn’t find his stroke, he was extremely turnover prone, and he just didn’t look like the Dirk Nowitzki that had just won the NBA Finals. He turned it around once he was voted an All-Star, but LaMarcus Aldridge was consistent all season long (up until his injury). While Dirk is a far superior shooter, he’s lacking in areas that Aldridge excels in.

L.A. is a better rebounder and defender than Nowitzki, and arguably has a better back-to-the-basket game outside of jump shooting.

It’s very close, but could Aldridge be, at this point in his career, an all-around better power forward than the 2011 Finals MVP?

Let’s call that two-and-a-half down.

I’ll accept the fact that Kevin Love is a better rebounder than Aldridge. I’ll also admit that he’s got more range and is an equal or slightly greater shooter than him as well. But even though L.A. isn’t known as an inside presence, he’s still more of a defender than Love at his best.

Blake Griffin has superior athleticism, but he lacks the skill set to be an elite power forward in the NBA for a long time. (Thishat’s a topic for a later discussion.

Aldridge, Love and Griffin all belong in the same category, but to have Bosh ranked before the Rip City hero is almost disrespectful

So what do you think?

Did ESPN snub LaMarcus Aldridge out of a ranking this year?

On the Wesley Matthews signing:

No, the Blazers don’t do this every year just to mess with Utah. Matthews fits an essential need as a wing defender who can space the floor with his 3-point shooting, something the Blazers need if their defensive skill can catch up to their offense. It’s a bit rich for a role player, but given the need this move filled and Matthews’ youth, it’s tough to criticize too harshly.

On the team’s biggest strength, size:

There’s a good reason for the Blazers to play as slowly as they do — they’re huge. I don’t just mean tall, either; Portland brings the beef. The Blazers have quietly become one of the biggest teams in basketball, and while a likely trade or two may diminish their size a bit during the season, they still can match up sizewise with anybody.

On the team’s biggest weakness, floor spacing:

The Blazers nearly always play with two guys who can’tshoot, and that crowds the floor for everybody else. … The starting lineup will feature Oden and Miller, neither of whom can shoot. When they check out, we’ll have Przybilla or Camby up front … or possibly Oden and Camby together. That’s two nonshooters in the frontcourt. And when Miller checks out, another iffy shooter, Jerryd Bayless, checks in.

On the Blazers’ prospects for this season:

Even if Oden can’t finish the season, Portland has three rising stars in Roy, Aldridge and the rapidly improving Batum. Plus, as last season proved, the Blazers’ depth allows them to survive virtually anything the regular season throws at them. This time I suspect they’ll be thrown a few more hanging sliders, and finally win a playoff series or two.

The entire article is worth reading for Insider subscribers, so check it out. Personally, I find it a little bit refreshing that somebody as mainstream as Hollinger is reminding everybody that Portland won the same amount of games last year as Oklahoma City, the unquestioned media darlings leading into the 2010-11 season, despite having everybody and the coach miss significant time with injuries.

Orlando, where he could team with superstar center Dwight Howard, is the second team on Paul’s list, which includes Dallas and then Portland, according to sources.

If they are not presented with realistic scenarios that convince Paul that New Orleans can build a contender very quickly, he’ll ask the club to begin speaking to the Knicks, Magic, Mavericks and Trail Blazers about possible trades.

Not that it really matters where CP3 wants to go, since he’s not an impending free agent, but it’s noteworthy that the Blazers are on the list with the larger markets nevertheless. Maybe all that “tampering” Kevin Pritchard did the past few years put the right thoughts in Paul’s head. Heck, maybe KP used Inception during a flight to the China Olympics.

While I still wouldn’t count on Paul being moved, much less coming to Portland, I will say this: of not only the teams listed but most teams in the league, the Blazers probably have the most balanced roster — in terms of youth, expiring contracts, talent with both cheap and long-term contracts — from which to package the correct group of assets to please the Hornets. That doesn’t mean Portland can trump any offer, just that they can offer the most appealing combination of talent, youth and financial flexibility.