Feb 15, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference forward LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers speaks to the media during a press conference at the Hilton Americas. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

LaMarcus Aldridge finished 3^rd among vote receiving players that did not make an All-NBA team; just behind Stephen Curry and just ahead of Chris Bosh. While disappointed, I am not entirely surprised. One can argue for or against LaMarcus being a top 15 player with valid points on either side of the argument. On one hand, he is a spectacular jump shooter, on the other he lacks aggression. On that first hand, he has a fluid post game, on the other his defense isn’t top tier. He is perennially on the cusp.

I do find one thing curious, however. The Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin was voted All-NBA 2^nd team. Let that soak in. The high flying, hard flopping, Lob City leaper not only beat out LaMarcus Aldridge, but he wasn’t even 3^rd team! Never mind his heavy reliance on Chris Paul, or inability to make a free throw, or even his bizarre incompetence outside the paint; Griffin is apparently a top 10 player.

What do you look for in a post player? Someone who can score, rebound, defend the hoop, and not be a liability at the charity stripe. This year, Aldridge bested Griffin in points per game, rebounds per game, blocks per game, and free throw percentage. Granted, Aldridge played more minutes, but battling season-long fatigue should be another point in his column.

It’s not that Griffin is untalented, he’s truly quite impressive, but when it comes to comparison LaMarcus is a no-brainer. It would appear that this year’s voters prefer relative sizzle to proven steak. This is what you get in a small market. It’s the same reason Milwaukee’s Larry Sanders missed both All-Defensive teams this year. Overcoming the comparatively minor exposure is a constant uphill battle.

Perhaps next year the red-headed stepchildren of the NBA will be rewarded for their abilities, but it doesn’t seem likely. Despite years of NBA prominence, LaMarcus Aldridge has just one 3^rd team selection to show for his efforts (2010-2011). I would be less salty over this pseudo-snub if the upper-echelon did not include players beneath his skill set. Although I must say, for the most part, I agree with many of this year’s selections.

All-NBA 1^st Team
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Tim Duncan
Kobe Bryant
Chris Paul

All-NBA 2^nd Team
Carmelo Anthony
Blake Griffin
Marc Gasol
Tony Parker
Russell Westbrook

All-NBA 3^rd Team
David Lee
Paul George
Dwight Howard
Dwyane Wade
James Harden

@davidmackaypdx | @ripcityproject | davidmackaypdx@gmail.com

January 15, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Portland Trailblazers forward Nicolas Batum (88) during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 115-111 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Nicolas Batum. While he has always been an enigma to me, I’ll start by saying, yes, I am glad that he is on the Blazers. As I was sifting through his data, though, I took a look at his contract and was stunned to see that the Blazers paid him approximately $11 million this season, and are on the books for about the same amount each of the next three seasons. I had been aware that he signed a hefty contract during the offseason, but I hadn’t realized it was that hefty.

In my original thought process, I looked at the current salary cap of roughly $58 million, and thought that allotting nearly a fifth of it to Batum this year was far too high.

And if you look at it like that, I think that yes, based on production, Batum was overpaid last year.

According to ESPN’s salary database, Batum was the 11^th highest paid small forward in the league last season. Production wise, John Hollonger’s PER pegged him as the 16^th most productive three who played at least 20 minutes, and with striking consistency, Basketball-Reference estimated that out of all small forwards, he contributed the 16^th highest amount of wins.

We don’t have to rely on statistics though. You can see his consistency struggles with your own eyes. There are nights when you just think “Wow, Batum is awesome!” (Nov. 16th game against the Rockets: 13-19, 35 points, 5 blocks, 6 rebounds), and then there are some games you think about afterwards and realize, “Wait, where was Batum?” (Feb. 4^th against the Timberwolves: 2-4, 4 points, 2 blocks, 3 rebounds).

The disappearing act is concerning – as an example, he made three or less field goals during 21 games this season, or nearly 30% of the games in which he played in. While not everyone can be a superstar, consistency, especially among starters, is necessary.

This is all easy for me to say while merrily sitting here and critiquing someone else’s livelihood. If you look hard enough, you can find flaws in any player. If this was all you focused on, no player would ever seem worthy of signing a contract. A team doesn’t gain anything by saving their cap money. It is meant to be spent, and the Blazers spent it on a player that they felt was worth it. I think it was obvious they were looking towards the future.

This business of working the future is just part of the NBA game. A team has to trust their scouts and judgment, and to get or keep a player they want, sometimes they just have to suck it up and pay a player based on their future potential. Without taking this risk, a team would severely limit their growth opportunities, so I am happy to see the Blazers take the chance, even if it appears that last season they overpaid Batum. This will all be a moot point if in the next three years Batum’s growth and value skyrocket. It’s all part of the unpredictable nature of the league.

Now that I’ve allayed my concerns with the contract itself, the question then becomes can Batum grow, and if so, how?

First, the good: there is a strong precedent for Batum improving in certain areas. Look no further than this season and his assist numbers. From last season to this season, Batum increased his assists by 170% (1.7 to 4.6 per 36 minutes). That’s astounding – an almost unbelievable jump in production. A player can rarely alter a fundamental statistic that drastically, and it says a lot about Batum. Namely, that despite some worrying trends I’ll outline below, he can continue to evolve his game and grow as a player. More than that though, this is an extremely elite skill – his assists per game were the highest out of any non-guard in the NBA other than LeBron James. It is apparent that he was called upon to act as more of a facilitator this season, and he more than answered that call.

Hopefully this can explain some of his other developmental shortcomings.

Other than that statistical assist outburst, Batum’s growth has not looked so rosy. His per minute production this season in points, rebounds, blocks and free throws earned was all lower than the previous season, and turnovers were up. His field goal percentage dipped nearly 2.8%.

For a player’s fifth season, these are bothersome regressions. Normally this is when you’d like to see a player start hitting his peak, not declining. It makes the Blazers’ gamble on the future with him look a bit riskier. Yes, adding facilitating to his skill set is fantastic, but it can’t come at the cost of nearly every other area of production.

We can always play the context game, and note that without a competent bench, Batum’s playing time spiked by almost eight minutes this season. That’s a lot of extra fatigue coming into play, and could be part of the reason he had difficulty maintaining production. Ideally, you would like to see players rise above such obstacles, but for one who is still settling into his changing role on the team, it is reasonable to expect an adjustment period.

When it’s all said and done, Batum still remains a bit of a mystery in my eyes. For the time being, yes, I am happy the Blazers have him. That could really be the bottom line, but where’s the fun in that? I also want him to be more assertive on the offensive end and achieve consistency.

We all want things in life. Will I get my “Batum wishlist”? I might, I might not; he is only 24. There is still plenty of time for him to develop further, and with the new role, new contract, and new point guard, this could happen rather quickly.

@ripcityproject

June 28, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; Meyers Leonard (Illinois) heads up to the stage after being introduced as the number eleven overall pick to the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2012 NBA Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Blazers are slated at the 10^th pick in this year’s draft, and it’s time for them to think long and hard about how they want to use the selection. Many have speculated that Portland should take a center in order to fill the hole J.J. Hickson will leave when/if he departs in free agency. I am going to tell you, flat-out, that this is a bad idea.

First of all, Meyers Leonard is already a capable 5, despite his defensive shortcomings. The Blazers spent last year’s 11^th pick to draft him, which is not a resource to be taken lightly. Putting Leonard’s development on the backburner in favor of a fresh start would be a terrible mistake; especially since he is a strong shooter for a big man.

I am of the camp that believes Meyers could be a starter next season if he focuses on defense and bulking up this summer. If Portland were to choose another man for the job in the draft, they would be back to square one; a brand new project in need of big minutes to develop.

Besides, the Blazers need a veteran presence in the post. I would like to avoid a scenario in which two youngsters assume responsibility for Portland’s paint game, to the tune of Benny Hill. If they are going to acquire a new big man, it should be in free agency or via trade. Someone who can support and teach Leonard, while contributing in-game, that doesn’t need big minutes to become effective.

Even if the Blazers elect to pursue a new starting center, like Pekovic, Gortat, or Varejao, it would be better for Leonard (and the team) than blowing the 10^th pick on a big man. Another year of coming off the bench would be alright for him, as long as it is to back up a polished veteran that he can study under.

Adding a rookie 5 to the starting lineup would stymie Leonard’s development, but adding one to the bench would be just as problematic. Leonard is not yet rounded enough to show a rookie the ropes he needs to be familiar with. The two would cut into each other’s developmental minutes and leave Portland without the big man they desperately need.

This is why the Blazers need to go all-in on Meyers Leonard’s future. The best options for Portland are to: a) start Leonard and bring in a veteran backup, or b) sit Meyers behind a veteran leader. Either way, they cannot toss out all the time they spent improving him last season.

Since the lottery, some mock drafts have been adjusted to match up the Portland Trail Blazers with French Center, Rudy Gobert. Although a genetic jackpot, the 7’2” prospect would take away from what the Blazers already have. Instead, Portland should focus on other areas of improvement.

What Portland should do with the 10^th pick

Option a) Trade up for Victor Oladipo

• Oladipo is a top tier defensive guard out of Indiana. With a quick first step, he is athletically explosive and a strong finisher at the rim. The Blazers would have to trade up to the 3^rd pick to guarantee his availability however, and it is unlikely that Washington is willing to trade away their auspicious position.

Option b) Draft a scoring wing

• The Blazer bench was hands down the worst in the league last year. They desperately need a sixth man who can provide energy and, more importantly, points off the bench. UCLA’s Shabazz Muhammad could be available at 10^th, as could LeHigh’s C.J. McCollum or San Diego State’s Jamaal Franklin, among others. This option creates the most opportunities for Portland.

Option c) Trade for depth

• As mentioned, the lack of talent on the Blazers’ bench is appalling. The 10^th pick could be bundled up and sent away in a deal to bring role players to Portland’s struggling secondary.

Option d) Trade for a center

• Quality veterans don’t just fall out of the sky. In order to bring one to the Rose City, the Blazers would likely have to include their first round pick in some sort of package deal. Addressing their need at center without drafting a green one is an ideal move for Portland.

My point is that the Blazers need to exercise patience with Meyers Leonard and mold him into the player he has potential to become. In recent days, reports of Blazer veterans’ “win now” mentality have surfaced. I believe the Blazers can do that without giving up on Leonard. With the proper training, and perhaps the support of an established vet, Leonard could make the sophomore season leap that is necessary for Portland’s success. Drafting another big man would slow that process more than anything, and the backward step in development would certainly betray the direction they are pushing toward. The Blazers need to bring in a vet down low and focus their draft selection on a position that is already well anchored in the starting lineup.

@davidmackaypdx | @ripcityproject | davidmackaypdx@gmail.com