LaMarcus Aldridge grew up idolizing Tim Duncan. Growing up in Dallas, and going to the University of Texas, LaMarcus regards Timmy as the best power forward of all time. After becoming a star in his own right in Portland, he made a move to join his hero in his home state. The talent of LaMarcus is so undeniable that the Spurs even got permission to unretire a number just so he could wear it. His numbers aren’t as gaudy as when he was a Blazer, but the coaches recognized his worth, and made him an NBA All-Star. LA finished the season with a top-15 Player Efficiency Rating, in the top-20 in Field Goal percentage, and helped guide the Spurs to a franchise best 67 wins (including a record tying 40-1 at home).
LA is just fun to watch. His ability to play either big position is impressive, especially given that he had stated in the past that he doesn’t really like to bang with opposing centers. He’s a very intelligent defender (7th in the league in Defensive Rating, 9th in Defensive Win Shares), he’s quick to move the ball if the occasion calls for it, but we’re here to watch his pretty post game. It’s not surprising that LaMarcus has the complete offensive package, given that he modelled his game after Duncan, but that takes nothing away from watching his bevy of beautiful pumps, spins, and reverse pivots. Obviously, his jumper is lethal, and any time he can use that, he does, but he’s not afraid to power through contact when the situation necessitates it.
Yes, the Spurs campaign ended much earlier than most thought it would, but Aldridge has proven that when the great Tim Duncan finally hangs em up, there’s a post presence ready for the torch to be passed.
4 сен 2024
