tlongII
03-18-2011, 09:34 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2011/03/high-flying_trail_blazers_lead.html
http://media.oregonlive.com/blazers_impact/photo/alleyoopjpg-220b5150d3007657.jpg
Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge leads the NBA in alley-oop dunks.
LaMarcus Aldridge is enjoying one of the best individual seasons in Trail Blazers history, but an All-Star berth isn't the only thing that continues to elude the burgeoning star.
He also is looking for a SportsCenter Top 10 highlight.
"They never show any love up here," Aldridge said. "I don't even watch anymore because I know we're not going to be on. We never make the Top 10."
The irony is that Aldridge and the Blazers are providing ESPN with more breathtaking highlights than at any other time in Aldridge's five-year NBA career. The Blazers are playing a more dynamic and exciting brand of basketball than they have in years and one of the catalysts behind the transformation is one of basketball's signature crowd-pleasing plays: the alley-oop.
The Blazers own the NBA's alley-oop trifecta -- they lead the league in alley-oops (132), Andre Miller leads the league in alley-oops assists (59) and Aldridge leads the league in alley-oop finishes (87).
NBA's top alley-oop teams
Portland: 132
L.A. Clippers: 110
Orlando: 81
Oklahoma City: 71
Dallas: 64
New Jersey:64
"It's a high-risk play, but the players like it, the fans like it and if it's executed right, it's an easy way to score," said Miller, who has been one of the NBA's best lob passers for years. "I think that's everybody's favorite play. To see a lob or somebody get dunked on, that makes the game fun."
Two seasons ago, coach Nate McMillan wouldn't even allow the Blazers to work on lob plays in practice -- much less feature them in games -- because the roster didn't possess the personnel to pull it off and lobs too often resulted in turnovers. But the addition of Miller at the start of last season and the acquisition of center Marcus Camby at the 2010 trade deadline bolstered the Blazers' alley-oop potential.
McMillan started implementing lob sets in doses last season, and in this season's training camp the Blazers dedicated time to perfecting the art. Their 132 alley-oops are far and away the most in the league -- the Los Angeles Clippers (110) and Orlando Magic (81) are the closest competitors -- and are significantly more than the Blazers had all of last season (85).
It's not just that the Blazers are tossing alley-oops to each other on two-on-one fast breaks or when a player runs the baseline unabated to the basket in the half court. The playbook features an alley-oop option in multiple sets, typically through a "spin lob" or a "pick-and-roll lob."
Aldridge is the centerpiece in almost all of them. If his defender is guarding him from the side or in front when he's positioned in the low post, Aldridge has the option to spin away toward the basket, elevate in the open space and gather the lob. Hence the name "spin lob." The point guard, typically Miller, reads the play as it's happening, always carrying the knowledge that an alley-oop can surface at any point.
Often, Miller will toss a pass before Aldridge leaps because he anticipated the play before it developed. Sometimes players make eye contact to connect. Occasionally, a player will give an undetectable nod. But most of the time a successful lob occurs through simple instinct and chemistry.
"It's just a feel," Miller said. "A guy tells me to throw it up there with his eyes or I just feel what he's going to do and I just throw it up there. You don't want to make it obvious. At this point, we've worked on it and we've played a lot of basketball, so it's automatic. It's just about how the defense is setting up. All I have to do is try to throw the ball where they can catch it."
One of the most exciting plays the Blazers use is a "pick-and-roll lob" between Rudy Fernandez and Aldridge. The duo ran it to perfection during the pivotal fourth quarter of their 104-101 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night. As Fernandez gathered a pass on the left wing, Aldridge ran toward him in the middle of the court from the opposite side to set a screen.
Fernandez dribbled past the screen before it happened and darted to the middle and inside the key as Aldridge slipped through on the reverse side toward the basket. Fernandez was instantly swarmed by three Dallas defenders who didn't want to allow a wide open layup and, after he took one step past the free throw line, Fernandez blindly floated a high-arcing lob over two Mavericks.
Aldridge grabbed the ball with two hands in midair and hammered a thunderous two-handed dunk as the sellout Rose Garden crowd erupted.
"It's a spectacular play for the fans," Fernandez said. "It's more gorgeous for the people to look at. Sometimes it doesn't matter where you throw the ball, LA just gets it and dunks it."
Part of the reasoning behind the increased use of the lob is to help open up the floor for Aldridge. He's blossomed into the Blazers' offensive focal point and this season and McMillan is constantly searching for ways to counter the multitude of defensive looks Aldridge is seeing. When used effectively, the "spin lob" and "pick-and-roll lob" stops a defense from "fronting" Aldridge near the basket.
"If I do two or three of them, then I have all the room I want because they are going to play behind me and I can get deeper in the post," said Aldridge, who has 20 more alley-oop finishes than All-Star center Dwight Howard, who ranks second. "It keeps the defense honest and it's a way where I can get some easy shots."
Camby, who is one of the Blazers' best passers, become a capable lob passer when he played alongside Miller in Denver from 2002-2008 and he and Aldridge developed an instant rapport when the Blazers traded for Camby last season.
With Camby throwing lobs from the high post, Miller and fellow point guard Patty Mills throwing them from all over the court and Fernandez running the "pick-and-roll lob," the Blazers have a plethora of alley-oop options. In addition to Aldridge, Gerald Wallace and Nicolas Batum are athletic forwards who can finish the plays.
"Sometimes plays happen bang-bang and they're difficult to guard," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "It just shows that Portland has a team with a lot of guys that can make plays and a lot of guys that can finish. And that's why they're a damn tough team to play."
http://media.oregonlive.com/blazers_impact/photo/alleyoopjpg-220b5150d3007657.jpg
Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge leads the NBA in alley-oop dunks.
LaMarcus Aldridge is enjoying one of the best individual seasons in Trail Blazers history, but an All-Star berth isn't the only thing that continues to elude the burgeoning star.
He also is looking for a SportsCenter Top 10 highlight.
"They never show any love up here," Aldridge said. "I don't even watch anymore because I know we're not going to be on. We never make the Top 10."
The irony is that Aldridge and the Blazers are providing ESPN with more breathtaking highlights than at any other time in Aldridge's five-year NBA career. The Blazers are playing a more dynamic and exciting brand of basketball than they have in years and one of the catalysts behind the transformation is one of basketball's signature crowd-pleasing plays: the alley-oop.
The Blazers own the NBA's alley-oop trifecta -- they lead the league in alley-oops (132), Andre Miller leads the league in alley-oops assists (59) and Aldridge leads the league in alley-oop finishes (87).
NBA's top alley-oop teams
Portland: 132
L.A. Clippers: 110
Orlando: 81
Oklahoma City: 71
Dallas: 64
New Jersey:64
"It's a high-risk play, but the players like it, the fans like it and if it's executed right, it's an easy way to score," said Miller, who has been one of the NBA's best lob passers for years. "I think that's everybody's favorite play. To see a lob or somebody get dunked on, that makes the game fun."
Two seasons ago, coach Nate McMillan wouldn't even allow the Blazers to work on lob plays in practice -- much less feature them in games -- because the roster didn't possess the personnel to pull it off and lobs too often resulted in turnovers. But the addition of Miller at the start of last season and the acquisition of center Marcus Camby at the 2010 trade deadline bolstered the Blazers' alley-oop potential.
McMillan started implementing lob sets in doses last season, and in this season's training camp the Blazers dedicated time to perfecting the art. Their 132 alley-oops are far and away the most in the league -- the Los Angeles Clippers (110) and Orlando Magic (81) are the closest competitors -- and are significantly more than the Blazers had all of last season (85).
It's not just that the Blazers are tossing alley-oops to each other on two-on-one fast breaks or when a player runs the baseline unabated to the basket in the half court. The playbook features an alley-oop option in multiple sets, typically through a "spin lob" or a "pick-and-roll lob."
Aldridge is the centerpiece in almost all of them. If his defender is guarding him from the side or in front when he's positioned in the low post, Aldridge has the option to spin away toward the basket, elevate in the open space and gather the lob. Hence the name "spin lob." The point guard, typically Miller, reads the play as it's happening, always carrying the knowledge that an alley-oop can surface at any point.
Often, Miller will toss a pass before Aldridge leaps because he anticipated the play before it developed. Sometimes players make eye contact to connect. Occasionally, a player will give an undetectable nod. But most of the time a successful lob occurs through simple instinct and chemistry.
"It's just a feel," Miller said. "A guy tells me to throw it up there with his eyes or I just feel what he's going to do and I just throw it up there. You don't want to make it obvious. At this point, we've worked on it and we've played a lot of basketball, so it's automatic. It's just about how the defense is setting up. All I have to do is try to throw the ball where they can catch it."
One of the most exciting plays the Blazers use is a "pick-and-roll lob" between Rudy Fernandez and Aldridge. The duo ran it to perfection during the pivotal fourth quarter of their 104-101 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night. As Fernandez gathered a pass on the left wing, Aldridge ran toward him in the middle of the court from the opposite side to set a screen.
Fernandez dribbled past the screen before it happened and darted to the middle and inside the key as Aldridge slipped through on the reverse side toward the basket. Fernandez was instantly swarmed by three Dallas defenders who didn't want to allow a wide open layup and, after he took one step past the free throw line, Fernandez blindly floated a high-arcing lob over two Mavericks.
Aldridge grabbed the ball with two hands in midair and hammered a thunderous two-handed dunk as the sellout Rose Garden crowd erupted.
"It's a spectacular play for the fans," Fernandez said. "It's more gorgeous for the people to look at. Sometimes it doesn't matter where you throw the ball, LA just gets it and dunks it."
Part of the reasoning behind the increased use of the lob is to help open up the floor for Aldridge. He's blossomed into the Blazers' offensive focal point and this season and McMillan is constantly searching for ways to counter the multitude of defensive looks Aldridge is seeing. When used effectively, the "spin lob" and "pick-and-roll lob" stops a defense from "fronting" Aldridge near the basket.
"If I do two or three of them, then I have all the room I want because they are going to play behind me and I can get deeper in the post," said Aldridge, who has 20 more alley-oop finishes than All-Star center Dwight Howard, who ranks second. "It keeps the defense honest and it's a way where I can get some easy shots."
Camby, who is one of the Blazers' best passers, become a capable lob passer when he played alongside Miller in Denver from 2002-2008 and he and Aldridge developed an instant rapport when the Blazers traded for Camby last season.
With Camby throwing lobs from the high post, Miller and fellow point guard Patty Mills throwing them from all over the court and Fernandez running the "pick-and-roll lob," the Blazers have a plethora of alley-oop options. In addition to Aldridge, Gerald Wallace and Nicolas Batum are athletic forwards who can finish the plays.
"Sometimes plays happen bang-bang and they're difficult to guard," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "It just shows that Portland has a team with a lot of guys that can make plays and a lot of guys that can finish. And that's why they're a damn tough team to play."