Hawks system who you taking: Aldridge or Millsap at 4/80?

[Plainview1981]

Yes.  Put both teams on the floor completely healthy.  We would beat them.

 

The cavs wouldn't have resorted to an all out physical play.  They would have left in soft Love and Horf and Sap would have had a field day.

 

No, they wouldn't.... And we're going to found out next year most likely.

 

This team barely got by Brooklyn when it was somewhat healthy.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Hotlanta1981

[Guest]

So I'm doing some checking up on Aldridge, is this writer just salty he left Portland?

See, inside the Trail Blazers, there is a collective sigh of relief knowing Aldridge is not returning.

Don't get me wrong: Everybody wanted him back in Portland; his talent made the Blazers a better team.

But from the front office to the marketing department to the game-day support staff, there was a general exhaustion with Aldridge. Massaging an ego so often, for so many years, can take its toll.

If there was a nick, a bump, or a bruise, Aldridge always wanted an MRI, prompting one former staffer to quip it was a good thing owner Paul Allen was rich enough to cover the frequent expense.

Until this season, when he postponed a surgery on his non-shooting hand to help the Blazers make a playoff push, Aldridge was constantly looking for a reason to sit out games, particularly if it was after his status as an All-Star had been cemented that season.

He could be a sweet guy. He bought a luxury suite at the Moda Center for the kids at the St. Mary's Home for Boys. And he periodically surprised employees with gifts.

But he was so bitter about perceived slights that happened nine years ago – 9 years! – and so insistent that he was always getting the short end of the stick that the entire organization walked on egg shells around him.

The Blazers were so concerned with Aldridge's sensitivity of feeling overlooked that it sent a memo to the marketing department. All commercial and publicity projects were to first run through Aldridge. When the NBA Cares commercial came through Portland this year, Aldridge turned down the opportunity. So second choice went to Damian Lillard, who did the shoot.

Once it aired nationally throughout NBA broadcasts, Aldridge became chaffed and took it as another example of Lillard being the franchise's darling.

The Aldridge-Lillard tension was real ... and created entirely by Aldridge's insecurity. Lillard is bright and polite, and sensed Aldridge's delicate ego. As a result, he always went out of his way to compliment Aldridge, and to trumpet that the Blazers were Aldridge's team, Aldridge's franchise.

Lillard's public acquiescence was not enough for Aldridge's camp. They felt the kid needed to bow to Aldridge in person. They wanted Lillard to say it to his face.

[RandomFan]

No, they wouldn't.... And we're going to found out next year most likely.

 

This team barely got by Brooklyn when it was somewhat healthy.

 

Thabo already out, Teague with a bad ankle sprain, Millsap with a serious shoulder injury on his shooting arm, and Horford with a dislocated finger on his shooting hand is hardly what I would call "somewhat healthy." But it figures you would ignore that. 

[Flight]

See that is the problem while the Hawks system doesn't require one guy to carry a team you better have a 10 pt lead in the closing minutes of a game or your pretty much sunk with a loss. Their are no dependable scorers when it comes to crunch time. You saw the playoffs players seemed hesitate to shoot.Hawks players kept passing the ball letting the clock to run down and finally chucking up a bad shot at the end. A reliable scorer wants the ball at the end and will get you a basket if you need it. Give me LA all day. Sap can't guard bigger power forwards gets eaten up on the boards.LM can get you a rebound and score when he is needed.

I feel like LMA wasn't as much the Blazers go-to player for a bucket in clutch time. I always felt like that was Damian Lillard. He's deserve the clutch praise over Lamarcus easily to me. So I wouldn't look at that as a reason LA is better than Sap

[thescout5]

Well will agree to disagree I'll take LA. Yes this will be the year we can put to rest were the Hawks as good as their 60 wins. Anyway that is for another thread.

[Johnnybravo4]

LMA has had Brandon Roy and Lillard and hasn't been able to get out of the second round.

[pimp]

LMA . he gets 10+ rebounds a game and is a more consistent offensive player.

[thescout5]

LMA has had Brandon Roy and Lillard and hasn't been able to get out of the second round.

I highly doubt the Hawks would have got out of the 1st round let alone conference finals if they were in the West this past year. Brooklyn and Washington the Hawks barely made it past those teams.

[Diesel]

No, they wouldn't.... And we're going to found out next year most likely.

 

This team barely got by Brooklyn when it was somewhat healthy.

Basketball is about matchups Hots.   That's why Denver could beat Seattle.  That's why Golden State once beat Houston.  However, we had a matchup advantage on our first two opponents which is why we won both series in 6 games.. not 7.  So, it's not barely.  We disposed of Brooklyn on their home court.   And we beat them on that court twice.  It would have been better to say that we let them win one or two games than to say we barely beat them.

[Diesel]

LMA . he gets 10+ rebounds a game and is a more consistent offensive player.

 

More consistent?  Where?  The only advantage that LMA has is that he's bigger and gets more rebounds.  Sap is the better shooter by FG% and the better defender (by a mile).   Here's the rub... if you put LMA in our offense, where he doesn't get as many touches, Sap easily outscores him because of his FG%.  Now, LMA should have a better low post game.   Remember, he just developed that two years ago.  However, the way that Paul stretches a defense is more important to our offense than if he were a post player.

 

In all actuality, it would be great to have LMA over Horford because of his ability to score in the post, but defensively, we would suffer.

[ATLien_]

LMA at the same money and it's not close. For those banging on Aldridge let's not forget Millsap and Al Jefferson were on the same team in the west and couldn't even make the playoffs, so let's cool it on the LMA couldn't make it out the second round talk. We beat Cleveland with LMA this year because "A" Tristan Thompson doesn't make LMA his personal $@&?! all series and "B" we don't keep going 5 minutes without scoring.

You guys are seriously overrating Paul Millsaps defense; he was known as a undersized average defender before he got here and he still is. His defensive numbers look better because the Hawks play on a string defensively and help the helper. LMA would get the same defensive bump if he played here and just needs to give more effort on D; he has the physical talent and shot blocking instinct to be very good on D. Being the number one option on O for Portland may have made him rest on D a little. He would get plenty of rotation rest here , and Bud would coach him to play hard on both ends.

Ladybird, I'm with you on the diva issues, but unfortunately that seems par the course with star NBA players now. We all bang on Hots for being negative, but he right about one thing these guys are now pampered and spoiled. Look no further than Lebron's antics in the playoffs and this off season refusing to talk to the Cavs before until after they sign Tristan Thompson. You've got guys that average 5 points a game making more than the stars that built this game made in their entire career, so things were going to change. I say all that to say it's the coaches job to deal with egos, and if you can't you shouldn't be coaching an NBA team. The Tim Duncan's of the world are few and far between and the Lebron's and LMA's of the world are the new norm; you can thank AAU and society for the amount of coddling these guys need.

[atlhawks1]

What if they had Wilt Chamberlain for the same money????????? How bout Dennis Rodman for a little less.......wouldve, couldve, shouldve............lmao

[Johnnybravo4]

Ultimately we could never get LMA because we needed him to play center which he hates to do. So at the end of the day replacing Sap it LMA is a slightly better than lateral move.

[AHF]

Aldridge has been overrated. If he can step up his efficiency, he can be a great add for SA. If he doesn't he will get exposed. Still a good player but not in same area as an MVP.

[TheFuzz]

Yep, LMA is really overrated. Offensively, he's like Horford except he forces the issue a lot more. He's got a few more moves but he doesn't pass as well and isn't running the floor or catching oops like Horford can thanks to Horf's (underrated) athleticism. Not even close defensively either.

 

All that is to say we already have a better Aldridge. Millsap and Aldridge are two different beasts, but gimme Sap's defensive ability every day of the week.