July 1st, Lamarcus Aldridge will be a free agent on the market. This player has been a franchise player for the Portland Trailblazers for the past 8 seasons. He has gotten 4 NBA All-Star selections in those years for the Trailblazers, which is very impressive in a stacked Western Conference. Aldridge is also the Trailblazers all-time leading rebounder. He has played in at least 69 games in 6 out of those 8 seasons. Durability amongst big men in the NBA is very important to a franchise, especially when Aldridge is just 29 years of age.
In his career, he has averaged 19.4 PPG, 8.4 REB, and 1 BLK per game for the Trailblazers. This past season was arguably his best, as he averaged 23.4 PPG, 10.2 REB, and 1 BLK per game while shooting 84% from the charity stripe. He did this while playing through a torn radial collateral ligament in his left thumb.
Aldridge would be a great fit for the New York Knicks, and someone Phil Jackson needs to have high on his radar. The Knicks desperately missed the presence of Tyson Chandler, as their interior defense suffered tremendously. Night in and night out, opposing teams would feast on points in the paint. Aldridge will help to clog up that middle, and give you a block or two while staying out of foul trouble. In his career he has averaged 35.5 minutes per game.
He also will help big time if the Knicks continue to run the triangle offense. The triangle is effective if you have a big man that can hit the perimeter shot, and that is exactly what Aldridge can do. He has made a living with his midrange shot, which can then open up driving lanes for Carmelo Anthony when he returns next season. He also will take some of the offensive pressure off Anthony, which will keep Anthony fresher in the 4th quarter where he tends to struggle.
The Knicks should really take a good look into signing Aldridge. He will be worth every single penny and strongly increase the Knicks chances of being relevant again in the East.
Barry Holmes/PureSportsNY