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Portland Trail Blazers were stuck in something of a rut and needed the change that came when Portland released Nate McMillan and named young, up-and-coming coach Kaleb Canales. The Trail Blazers needed that fresh breath of life.
Even a young All Star like LaMarcus Aldridge looked forward to the change. And certainly one big change to his game.
When Aldridge was drafted, he was envisioned as a dual threat. Someone with the athleticism to face up from almost anywhere on the court and hit the elbow or free throw line jumper and also the strength to go into the post. But McMillan had Aldridge in the post for the most part.
That changed with Canales. In Friday’s game against the Bulls, Aldridge saw more time at the top of the key and the elbow area. This was a new wrinkle from a new coach and a new role for an already successful player.
Aldridge scored 21 points on 9-for-18 shooting in Friday’s win in Chicago. He did come back Sunday against Oklahoma City and struggled to 15 points on 6-for-19 shooting.
This season, Aldridge is shooting 43.6 percent from 16-23 feet 42.0 percent from 10-15 feet, the area around the elbow, according to Basketball-Reference. According to those numbers, 52.7 percent of Aldridge’s shots come from this area of the floor and Aldridge has the most field goal attempts in this area. Last year, for comparison, Aldridge took 40.1 percent of his shots from 10-23 feet.
It seemed like Aldridge was working a lot more on the perimeter than in previous years already. Canales though was giving Aldridge the freedom to do it more.
“I love it at the elbow. I feel comfortable being there and it’s hard for teams to double me there,” Aldridge told Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. “I can take my man if I want to, see the floor, or take the jumper. There’s so may options for me at that spot.
“It’s just a different coach. It’s nothing towards Nate (McMillan). I think I’ve worked with Kaleb more and he’s really seen what I can do at the elbow so I think he might have more confidence in me at the elbow.”
This change of strategy is the kind of fresh air that the Blazers needed after heading into the depths of despair and nose diving in the standings. It seems the Trail Blazers are trying to completely move on and rebuild around Aldridge. And right now, the goal for Canales is to find out everything Aldridge can do and spread the floor around him. He is a better passer and playmaker, he just never has had the opportunity.
Canales is someone who has seen what Aldridge can do in practice more closely than the head coach, who is managing the whole roster. Haynes writes that Canales, because he has worked the players out individually more, knows their individual skills better than McMillan did. If anyone could turn the Blazers around — they are still 3.5 games outo f the final postseason spot — it is the guy that knows his players best.
“I think again I mentioned the sweat equity that kind of developed with these guys the eight years since I’ve been here,” Canales told Haynes. “I think I’ve guarded LaMarcus at the elbow like a thousand times over the course since he’s been here and we’ve been here together.
“So, understanding that that’s one of his strengths and trying to put him in position where he can have different options and play to his strengths.”
Of course, getting individual talent to mesh together, in a short time no less, is a much more difficult challenge. Especially for a first time coach.
It is still too early to determine whether Canales’ adjustments will reach his team. That will bear out over time. And his future in Portland is probably still up in the air as the team moves forward in rebuilding.
