Canzano: LaMarcus Aldridge needs to forget the All-Star game and focus on what he can improve I stood a few feet from LaMarcus Aldridge during the Trail Blazers' annual September media day when the forward declared it was time to stop talking about being an All-Star and start becoming one. He isn't one. I believed Aldridge then. I believe in him now. But you might argue, with the voting over and Aldridge with no case to be picked as a reserve, that he is further away from being an All-Star than ever. How much of this All-Star disappointment is Aldridge's fault? How much is circumstance? Those are the questions to ask when it comes to a guy averaging 16 points and 8.3 rebounds. Early in the season, with the addition of Andre Miller and the emergence of Greg Oden, Aldridge was given fewer touches. After the Blazers lost centers Oden and Joel Przybilla to injuries, Aldridge, a power forward, found himself playing more minutes out of position, which has undoubtedly affected his production. Halfway, anyway. Even I want to give Aldridge a pass here, and declare he's a victim of circumstance (he's had injured ankles, too), I want to tell him that I know he'll surely someday become an All-Star at his position. But I stop short every time I think about all the occasions in which he disappears when his """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" team needs him most. """"""""""""""""""" If Aldridge really wants to stop talking about being an All-Star and instead become one, he needs to assert himself in crucial situations. He needs to view himself as the Blazers' all-important No. 2 option, behind Roy. We hear all the time that Aldridge is sensitive to what people say about his play. So how's this: Get busy living or get busy dying, kid. I'm not saying a month in the hole at Shawshank prison is what Aldridge needs, but when you look at the list of players who will play in the All-Star Game, you're really making a list of talented, mentally tough players who assert themselves. That's what separates the All-Stars from the wannabes, and right now Aldridge isn't an All-Star. Aldridge is talented but he hasn't developed high-level mental toughness, and he only occasionally asserts himself. His numbers are good, not great. Solid, not spectacular. I love his defense. I love that he can run the floor. I love that when he fails, he cares enough to stay late or show up early and work on his game. But is he working on the right things? It's not enough to improve his strengths. He must commit to a low-post game instead of settling for his """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" trademark fade-away jumper. """"""""""""""""""""""""""" The $65 million contract extension he and his agent lobbied for? Aldridge hasn't earned the contract yet. Still, I believe in the guy. And you should, too. Maybe it's that I've often seen Aldridge carry the Blazers early in games, setting the tone and taking the pressure off Roy. Maybe it's that I've watched him evolve after his so-so starts so many times before. Maybe it's because I'm not ready to discard him as a legitimate All-Star because he's still young, and not playing alongside a true center. The circumstances are rarely ideal in sports. A basketball season is knotted and gnarled, like life. Great athletes overcome playing out of position, and the best in the NBA become so not because they're gifted but because they use their gifts and respond when the challenge is presented to them. And the challenge facing Aldridge is bigger than making an All-Star team. Despite all their injuries, given the right matchup the Blazers still can win a playoff series -- if Aldridge can become a consistent No. 2 scoring option. LaMarcus, you listening? Aldridge has been given the high-dollar contract. He's earned the minutes. He's on a team with Roy, who has demonstrated what it takes to become a repeat All-Star. Aldridge's numbers through a half-season don't merit a selection, but there's still time for him to make this an All-Star-caliber season. I hope Aldridge realizes that. -John Canzano --

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