Outside the Arc

Photo: Sam Forenich/Getty Images

The Trail Blazers have had unfortunate luck when it comes to injuries, especially with their big men and especially with their high draft picks over the last few years. The one guy who seems to have avoided that plague so far in his career is power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who has become Portland’s franchise player after injuries ended the career of fan favorite and former All-Star Brandon Roy. Aldridge took a big statistical leap last year, posting career highs in points and rebounds per game as well as more advanced stats like PER and Win Shares. If the early season returns in 2011-12 are any indication, Aldridge is due for another bump this year. The most impressive part of his game so far has been the pick-and-roll.

Simply put, Aldridge is straight up destroying people in the pick-and-roll this year, as he ranks first in the NBA with 1.21 points per possession (PPP) as the pick-and-roll “roll man” according to Synergy Sports Technology. After already being a dominant pick-and-roll player last season – is 1.11 PPPP ranked 33rd in the NBA – Aldridge has elevated his game in that department.

On Aldridge’s 28 pick-and-roll opportunities through six games so far this season, he is 15-25 from the field with two shooting fouls drawn and one turnover. Considering he started the season 0-5 from the field out of the pick-and-roll, he’s on a pretty unbelievable pace. He’s scored on 60.7% of his pick-and-roll possessions, second only to “cuts” as Aldridge’s most effective play.

What makes Aldridge’s success in the pick-and-roll so crazy is that he rarely ever dives to the basket off his pick. Of the 28 plays he’s finished as a pick-and-roll “roll man,” only five of them have been on dives to the basket. He’s 2-3 from the field with one foul drawn and one turnover on those plays. The thing is, diving to the basket is the best way to create easy shots out of the pick-and-roll. Obviously, shots from closer to the hoop are easier to make. Aldridge’s 61.8% conversion rate on at-rim attempts according to HoopData is slightly below the league average of 63.5%, but he’s never before shot lower than 67.0% at the rim, so that percentage should go up.

However, the fact that he’s not diving to the basket much clearly hasn’t hurt Aldridge’s pick-and-roll effectiveness so far. Again, he’s leading the NBA in pick-and-roll “roll man” points per possession. His pick-and-pop-whenever-possible strategy is working because he’s shooting a blistering 52.0% on shots attempted between 16-23 feet from the basket according to HoopData. This is directly in “Dirk last year territory” as Atique Virani so eloquently put it on Twitter last night.

When you consider that Aldridge is a career 40.0% shooter from 16-23 feet, you may expect that number to come crashing down to Earth, but with the way Portland’s guards are creating extra space for him to get those type of shots, that may not be the case. Out of Aldridge’s 28 pick-and-roll possessions, I counted only seven where he put the ball on the floor before releasing a shot, getting fouled or turning it over. He doesn’t have to, because he’s that open. It’s really unbelievable and I’ve never seen anything like it before.

Portland’s guards, primarily Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford (starting shooting guard Wesley Mathews has yet to finish a possession on a pick-and-roll with Aldridge through six games), are attacking the basket with abandon off the pick nearly every time. Last week I extensively detailed the problems with the ways Toney Douglas and the Knicks were running their pick-and-roll, and it’s safe to say Portland’s guards are doing everything Douglas is not.

Felton and Crawford are making the correct shoot/pass/drive decision nearly every time and they’re doing it without hesitation. They’re so fast that they are often able to get into the lane very quickly, which creates space for a wide open jumper for Aldridge if his defender hedges on the screen even a little bit. If the defense tries to trap the ball-handler, Aldridge is an expert at being able to read that intention and slipping the pick either right to the middle of the lane at the free throw line or to the baseline corner for an even more wide open 15-footer.

If Aldridge does stop hitting from the deep mid-range at such a remarkable rate, he would be wise to start diving to the hoop more often out of pick-and-roll sets. He’s a very good finisher at the basket, so it’s a good way to create easy scoring opportunities and fouls. He’s still right at last season’s average of 5.5 FTA per game despite spending more time outside the lane, so if he starts going to the hoop more often, you can expect that number to rise. For right now though, his outstanding mid-range shooting has opened up a whole new dimension to Portland’s pick-and-roll attack.