Power Ranking Every Clippers Player: Who’s Their MVP?
By Tom West
9th: Cole Aldrich
With so many athletic monsters in the NBA today, lumbering centers such as Cole Aldrich aren’t always viewed as highly. Yet due to his combination of instincts, timing and intensity, he can deliver on defense in ways that the Clippers really need from their backup center.
Last season, Spencer Hawes just didn’t help out at all. His field goal percentage fell by 7.5 from the previous year, his three point percentage plummeted by 13.5 and to top that off, his defense was almost entirely absent.
With Aldrich, though, the Clippers have a reliable, 6’11”, defensive minded center to support Jordan. He averaged 12.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per 36 minutes last season in the biggest role of his career (started 16 games averaging 16 minutes a night). That production is entirely sound for a backup center, and as you can see in the video above, he can reject his opponents with major emphasis.
Aldrich also recorded a total rebound percentage of 20 last season; almost double that of Hawes, who finished the year with a percentage of just 11.4.
That kind of defensive improvement can go a long way in helping the Clippers’ improve their main weaknesses. As after ranking 15th in defensive efficiency and only 16th in rebounding rate, Cole Aldrich can not only give more rest to Jordan, but address L.A’.s flaws, too.
Next: Austin Rivers