LaMarcus Aldridge shows out in Kawhi Leonard’s absence
Heading into his third year with San Antonio, there were a lot of questions surrounding LaMarcus Aldridge. Can he stay in shape? Is he happy? Is he healthy? Will he re-sign? Can he return to his Allstar form?
This offseason answered at least a few of those questions. After rumors off him growing increasingly upset with his role and pondering the though of leaving the Alamo City, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich sat down with his big man and talked things through.
Whatever they discussed over dinner, it must have worked out. In LA’s season debut against the revamped Minnesota Timberwolves, the sharpshooting power forward hung a 25 point 10 rebound double double on the young squad on the way to a 107-99 W.
Aldridge looked like a lost boy among experienced men in last year’s NBA finals, but that version of him was nowhere to be found Wednesday night. The Spurs looked to him for buckets all night and he delivered again and again on sweet mir range jumpers and his patented turn around j.
San Antonio’s true superstar Kawhi Leonard was missing in action in the Spurs home opener as he continued to nurse a left-quad injury from the offseason. While a disadvantage for the immediate future of the team, his time spent warming the bench could prove to be a blessing in disguise as their young wings will now get a chance to find rhythm and gain invaluable in game experience.
Among those benefitting from a recovering Leonard and an injured Tony Parker was Spurs 2016 first round selection Dejounte Murray. The 21-year-old playmaker took full advantage of his opportunity to grace the starting lineup and showcased his mouthwatering two way potential. Murray missed a single shot on his way to 16 points and played lockdown defense reminiscent of former Defensive Player of the Year and teammate Kawhi Leonard.
As for the opposing Minnesota Timberwolves, the night ended in a loss but should be viewed in a positive light. Despite an almost completely remodeled roster, Minnesota flashed the incredible potential this team has if they can learn to play on the same page.
Jimmy Butler’s T-Wolves debut was underwhelming from a boxscore standpoint, but his leadership and player management out on floor was impossible to overlook. While the talented lineup gave up 107 points to the Kawhiless Spurs, it was an encouraging sign to see the veteran Allstar in the ears of his inexperienced teammates when they missed a defensive rotation of made a boneheaded play.
As entertaining as Wednesday’s matchup between the two Western Conference powerhouses was, fan should be on the edge of their seats for their November 15 rematch when the T-wolves have had a chance to build chemistry and The Claw returns to San Antonio’s starting five.
