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Tue, Nov 4th 2008, 09:46
Aldridge leads way in aggressiveness
Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan used the bulk of Monday’s practice running drills to inspire his team to be more aggressive on offense, more physical on defense and more active overall.
Little of that, particularly the offensive aggressiveness, applies to LaMarcus Aldridge, who has attacked and been assertive from the opening tip in the Blazers’ past two games.
Four minutes into a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night, Aldridge had attempted five of the Blazers’ eight field goals and made all three of the team’s baskets. The 6-foot-11 forward attempted nine of his 18 shots in the first quarter. He showed similar early aggression in the previous game against the San Antonio Spurs when he took the Blazers’ first three shots and four of their first seven. Nine of his 22 shots came in the first quarter.
There are a variety of reasons for the fast starts, but some of it has to do with Aldridge saying he was too passive in the Blazers’ season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I’m just coming out trying to be aggressive, trying to find my shot,” Aldridge said. “The first game I was really passive and I don’t think I played the way I can really play, so I’ve been trying to get back to that.”
Aldridge said teammate Brandon Roy acknowledged that he was a “kind of tired” at the start of the Suns’ game, so Aldridge said he needed to establish an inside presence to open the court for his teammates. McMillan said he endorses the early shooting by Aldridge and, in fact, it’s part of the Blazers’ game plan.
“We’re going to go through the paint and we are going to try to establish the paint by going inside with a post-up or a penetration, and then play out,” McMillan said. “LaMarcus has been giving us something down in the paint to start the game off, and we’ll continue to go to that until they stop it. We don’t want to play just a perimeter game. Our No.1 option is going inside, playing from inside out.”