PORTLAND — Inside the home Blazers' locker room, stylishly mounted in individually lettered silver blocks on the wall the players pass each day to get to work, is a definition.
The relevant term they want to explain inside the Moda Center is: trail blazer.
It is both request and reminder of what it takes to stand fearlessly out as a player and a leader at the highest level of basketball, but it's far more hope than faith that anyone has the courage and confidence to meet such a standard.
In retrospect, it's a fair assessment that LaMarcus Aldridge was not the trailblazer Portland hoped for in his nine years with the city's only major sports team.
He checked plenty of other boxes and connected with many people, but he never pushed the group forward in such an inspirational way that he earned trust.
And him feeling self-centered envy when locals sensed more trailblazer in Brandon Roy or Damian Lillard or even Wesley Matthews only furthered the verdict. Aldridge was a great player and a good guy, but he wasn't clutch or winning or their guiding light.
That's the setup for Aldridg ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Kevin Ding
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