Each week, Under The Microscope looks at a different NBA player and where they are in the season, how they're perceived on and off the court, and gives you a look at them in detail. On Wednesday night, the Portland Trail Blazers are in Dallas to take on the Mavericks. We'll be keeping an eye on LaMarcus Aldridge, who may be the most underrated player on a playoff team. Join us after the jump to see where Aldridge is and where he might be headed.Name: LaMarcus Nurae Aldridge
Tangibles: 6'11'', 240 lbs., 7' 4.75'' wingspan, 34'' max. standing vertical (measurement stats via Draft Express).
Position: F/C
Born: 7/19/85
Drafted: 2nd Overall, 2006
Key stats: 17.6 ppg, 17.5 ptsper36, 48% FG, 48.5% EFG (according to Basketball-Reference.com), 18.87 PER (Hollinger, natch), 6.9 rpg
Where He's At: The basketball equivalent of a great bass player without a cool name. Solid, consistent (as much as any 23 year old is), with a sense of subtlety and none of the antics of the lead singer or brain damage of the drummer. Aldridge was drafted with mild expectations, always overshadowed by Brandon Roy. Then Greg Oden was drafted, and Aldridge was spoken of as a side-note, a nice touch, a solid backup. Yet in the same season that Oden went down, Aldridge flourished, becoming the second-leading scorer on the Blazers.
Since then, Aldridge has become an acquired taste, preferred by those in Portland and rarely elsewhere. Yet Aldridge is a major reason the Blazers are closing in on the Nuggets for the division lead and have a cushion to make the playoffs. He's a workman, coachable and productive, even if his numbers are never exuberant. Aldridge is the primer for the Blazers' paint job. He's capable of working the perimeter on offense and muscling up against larger opponents on offense. He's a jack of all trades, master of none. He's neither a lockdown one-on-one defender, nor an explosive scorer. But he's got a solid array of post moves, range, fluidity, and athleticism. Aldridge is also still only 23, in his third season with the Blazers. If the Blazers are going to go deep in the playoffs this year, they're going to need the best Aldridge can give them.
Who He Is To Us: Not very much, apparently. Wages of Wins torched him. He's been widely criticized across the internet for not producing enough. And it's certain that he's not putting in enough per minute. But at some point, putting in 17 points per game and making plays should count for something, right?
Aldridge fits in very oddly in the conceptual mindset of the fans. We never really expected much of him, he's surprised us, but he's not flashy or dominant. Even his personality is primed in a way that we don't idolize. His temptation is to defer to Oden, to be satisfied with being overlooked for Roy. He's not the alpha male. And for some reason, that makes me more drawn to him. To be a player that goes out and produces, who pushes himself to work, without gearing for personal accolades or recognition. This isn't to say Aldridge is a blue collar worker capable of doing the dirty work. But he is a talented player with significant skills who hasn't wasted them, and has in fact excelled in a pretty difficult situation.
Oh, and he's been improving steadily through the season, hitting highs in January in points, rebounding, and shooting percentage. The best may be to come.
What To Watch Tonight: Yikes. Matched up against Dirk Nowitzki is not exactly a cakewalk for the kiddo. The good news is that as power forwards go, Aldridge has the kind of game to counter Dirk's range and athleticism. He'll need to accept the fact that Nowitzki's going to get his fair share of elbow jumpers and there's not much he can do. But if he picks his spots and victimizes Nowitzki off Roy's driving ability, he could have a pretty good game. On offense, it'll be interesting to see how he reacts to McMillan's rotations in response to Dallas' frontcourt depth. Should be a great game, and it has opportunities for Aldridge to make a statement.
