San Antonio Spurs: Does LaMarcus Aldridge Fit The Mold?
By Mark Wilson
The San Antonio Spurs instantly became the paper favorites to win the NBA Championship, but does that guarantee them a real one?
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This is not fantasy sports, NBA 2K16 or the all on-paper league. This is real life where offseason moves can make or break a season, but it can also distort one’s view of reality.
The San Antonio Spurs just landed the biggest free agent of 2o15 in LaMarcus Aldridge and have placed themselves in the hunt for another NBA championship. But in order to win the ultimate prize in the NBA, many factors must fall into place. The Spurs season ended in disappointing fashion last year, as they lost an epic 7-game series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Not because of a lack of talent, but because of a lack of youth at the key positions.
Tony Parker who was once considered the fasted point guard in the league is now 33 years old, and has lost a step when getting to the basket and on the defensive end. He still has the ability to blow past a defender, but he must pick his spots when doing so now. His perimeter game is still intact, if not better than previous seasons, but wear and tear is still a issue for him. His backup Patty Mills displays flashes of being able to run the team, but if Parker were to go down for an extended period the Spurs would take a step back.
Kawhi Leonard has the tools, the experience and now the contract stability that makes him a very dangerous man on the floor. He has quietly stepped in as the Spurs’ feature player and has not disappointed so far, but how will he handle the signing of Aldridge and the decline in touches that is sure to come his way?
Manu Ginobili was the blueprint for the perfect Sixth Man in the NBA, certainly for the San Antonio Spurs. He still has his spurts where you can see why every team hates going against him, but you can also see a decline in his game — to the point where teams aren’t afraid to play off him now.
Tim Duncan can still break a team’s heart, even at the ripe ole age of 39. Last season, he was still able to manage a double-double but the concern for his health was always in the air. With Aldridge now on the low blocks, that will put Duncan in a position where he will have to guard a new breed of centers every night.
The NBA lacks those Duncan-style players that like to play with their backs to the basket, now everyone wants to go small and Duncan, even with his great skill set, might have trouble fronting his defensive assignments.
San Antonio Spurs
Greg Popovich has a task on his hands and the failure or success of the Spurs next season falls on the shoulders and ego of Aldridge.
To be a Spur, you have to forget about numbers and pride and do what it takes for the betterment of the TEAM. I’m not here to knock Aldridge (in my eyes he is the best power forward in the NBA) but he felt slighted in that the Portland Trail Blazers were leaning more towards Damion Lillard as their prime player, and not him. His ego was bruised so he left, but what happens when Popovich calls on Duncan, Parker, Ginobili (if he returns) or Leonard’s number to take the last shot, not the player he hasn’t been in the trenches with, won championships with or doesn’t quite trust yet?
A presentation is a presentation, same way you court your wife in the beginning but yet the marriage still falls apart a few years later. You say all the right things in the beginning but the moment of truth is the moment of truth and you want your head strong players on the floor when stuff gets thick. Not saying that Aldridge isn’t that guy, but he has not played with the kind of pressure he will face once he puts on a San Antonio Spurs uniform.
Life just got real for Aldridge and he and the Spurs are just hoping they both made the right decision.
But think about Parker setting up the halfcourt offense with Duncan and Aldridge down low and Leonard, Ginobili and Green on the wings? Yeah, same thing I’m thinking.
Trouble.