LaMarcus Aldridge, Meet Charles Smith

Charles Smith was a 6'10 forward/center who was taken #3 in the 1988 Draft by Philly and then traded immediately to the Clippers. His sweet shooting stroke and ability to run the floor earned him a starting spot as a rookie and he made the most of it, averaging 16/6 with just over a block a game. His second and third seasons were even better, as he topped the 20-point plateau and established himself as a defensive presence. He injured his knee during his fourth season and played only 49 games. Then he was traded to the Knicks, who already had Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason at PF. He was a solid contributor on a tough Knicks team but was most famous for getting four of his weak-sauce layups blocked by the Bulls in the playoffs. He got traded/injured for five more seasons before retiring.

Smith never won a ring or made the All-Star team. He did, however, appear in this fucking awful Hootie & The Blowfish video (thanks, Low Posts). In his defense, Smith seems like a class act.

LaMarcus Aldridge, as you're well aware, is a 6'10 forward/center who was taken #2 in the 2006 Draft by Chicago and traded immediately to the Blazers. His sweet shooting stroke and ability to run the floor earned him 22 starts in his rookie year but he finished the campaign with modest averages of 9/5. He blossomed in his second and third seasons, pushing those numbers up to 18/7. Now many are wondering whether he'll take the leap to All-Star level.

This is also Aldridge's contract year. Teammate Brandon Roy just signed a max deal and the hot topic of the day is whether or not Aldridge deserves one, too.

Like Charles Smith before him, Aldridge also tends to shy away from contact, preferring the fadeaway J to a power move or dunk attempt. He's a finesse player. At power forward. And nobody's bringing it up right now, but I'm sure the fact that he's been diagnosed with a potentially fatal heart condition is still in the minds of Blazer brass.

*It's kind of trivial, but Smith's bday is July 16th, Aldridge's is the 19th. According to this Astrology site, Cancer is 'loving and emotional' but also 'moody and oversensitive.' But I digress...

So, how will this whole thing shake out? Aldridge's people are saying publicly that they're not after the same max deal Brandon Roy just signed. And they shouldn't be. Roy's a team leader who can consistently get (and make) his own shot in the clutch. Roy's an All-Star. LA hasn't proven anything yet- he's a good player with the possibility of a bright future. Or not.

Pictured: Smith rocking the high-top fade

Remembering The X-Man

Xavier McDaniel was a bad motherfucker. After being drafted by the Seattle Sonics, he famously said 'I'll lose a tooth for every rebound' (and me meant it).

He fought Charles Oakley.

He choked Lakers guard Wes Matthews (pictured).


And he had this memorable cameo in 'Singles', reminding Campbell Scott not to bust his nut too early.

X-Man was on some pretty good teams, too. Along with Dale Ellis and Tom Chambers, McDaniel helped Seattle make the playoffs a few times. When he was traded to New York, the Knicks reached the 7th Game of the Eastern Conference Finals before bowing out to Jordan's Bulls.

X-Man was only an All-Star once but he made a name for himself with toughness and intensity.

Charles Oakley: From Enforcer To...Chef???

Charles Oakley built his career on the ability to simultaneously intimidate and entertain. Best known for beating the shit out of anyone who laid a finger on Michael Jordan or Patrick Ewing, Oak was like a hockey player on the hardwood, the Marty McSorley of the NBA.

He wasn't that tall (6'9) and could barely jump but was still consistently one of the top rebounders in the league simply because of hard work and desire. Fans loved him for it. His jersey always outsold other high profile Knicks at the MSG store.

His off the court antics were well documented, too. He was particularly fond of slapping people that disobeyed him. Like Tyrone Hill. Or Jeff McInnis. Or Scottie Pippen.

So what's Oak up to these days? Um, apparently he's hosting a low budget cooking show. And if you believe John Starks (I do), he just might have the chops in the kitchen to pull it off.