Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
LaMarcus Aldridge had a banner season for the Portland Trail Blazers in many ways, and one that might be overlooked is his phenomenal performance on the boards. Aldridge obviously had a productive scoring season for Portland with 21.1 points per game. For the third straight NBA season, he averaged more than 21 points per outing.
But Aldridge’s rebounding was at its very best this season. In the 74 regular-season games he played, Aldridge averaged 6.7 defensive and 2.4 offensive rebounds for 9.1 overall.
His offensive rebounds per game wasn’t at an all-time high. In fact, it was down almost a full rebound from the 2010-11 season. But Aldridge really ruled on the defensive boards more than ever before. His career offensive boards per game is 5.0. It was 6.7 this year.
That would indicate that Aldridge was more aggressive on defense this season. He had almost two blocks per game, but rebounding is something Aldridge especially focused on and he had an incredible season on the boards.
In Portland’s last game against the Golden State Warriors, he scored 30 points but also had 17 defensive and four offensive boards for 21 overall. He also had 16 defensive boards against the Los Angeles Lakers and 13 against the Houston Rockets. He especially dominated on defense with 17 against the Warriors, 12 against the Lakers and 10 vs. the Rockets.
Aldridge was definitely the complete package this season. His scoring was outstanding, but he continues to show that he’s also one of the best rebounders in the NBA. He’s also been consistent season-to-season. Aldridge may even have his best rebounding season next year.
