LaMarcus Aldridge post fadeaway: Is it an all-time great move?
The Aldridge turnaround: How do the numbers size up?
For a player who generates as little buzz as LaMarcus Aldridge does, it’s going to be difficult for the casual fan to recognize him as the “best in the league” at anything. Though, in this new NBA — where midrange shots are seen as dead ends — his persistence at least eases him into that conversation.
In looking at the most proficient post-up players in the NBA, Aldridge isn’t the type of player that makes you look too hard to find his name.
In fact, he led the NBA in post-ups this past season with 8.6 possessions per game, joining Joel Embiid as the only players to have eight or more on a nightly basis.
In addition to that, no other player even came close to Aldridge’s post-up frequency (42.7 percent). His sizable margin stretched to over 10 percent higher than the next player (Robin Lopez, 32.2 percent).
The big question always revolves around what a player is doing with that volume. Among players to average at least one post-up situation per quarter — or 4.0 or more per game — only Embiid and Jonas Valanciunas had a higher rate in terms of points per possession.
To put that into average fan terms: Aldridge’s points per possession on post-ups (1.04) were the equivalent to a LeBron James isolation play during his legendary 2018 postseason run.
Anyone whose watched a Spurs (or Blazers) game knows all too well that this isn’t an anomaly. The boat never rocks from season-to-season. Regardless of how his usage fluctuates (note his first two years serving as “Robin” to Kawhi Leonard), the effectiveness remains a steady constant.
2018-19: 9.0 points per game (1st in NBA), 50.6 percent
2017-18: 9.3 points per game (1st in NBA), 46.9 percent
2016-17: 5.8 points per game (5th in NBA), 42.9 percent
2015-16: 5.6 points per game (6th in NBA), 48.5 percent
For Aldridge’s success in leading in the NBA in post-up scoring over the past two years, it’s important to note his efficiency.
Take for example his resurgent season in 2017-18, where he not only paced the entire league, but also had a higher efficiency rate than each of the ten players slotted under him.
To be clear, NBA.com’s post-up statistics take into account every scoring facet, be it fadeaways or hook shots, another shot Aldridge keeps in his toolbox. In order for a shot to be considered an all-time great shot, it should come with counters, and efficient from different locations.
The Texan checks the box here, hitting on an unusually 48.5 percent on turnaround jumpers exclusively in 2018-19. Turnarounds made up such a heavy dose of Aldridge’s offense in his career, though one aspect that gets overlooked is the distance in which he can get his shot off.
Of Aldridge’s shot attempts, 76.6 percent came within 16 feet.
Since entering the league at 235 pounds, he’s bulked up towards the 260-, 270-pound range, which allows him — on film at least — to boulder his way into the post easier, which leads to closer fadeaways. In his younger years, though, it wasn’t out of the ordinary to see him pull his turnaround from further out, or sometimes with extra separation dribbles prior to.