LaMarcus Aldridge not worried about playing in Tim Duncan's shadow
The Spurs won't force LaMarcus Aldridge to change his game in their system.
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2 min read
By signing with the San Antonio Spurs this summer, LaMarcus Aldridge made it clear that he wanted to join a team that he could help win a championship right away. Joining the Spurs means Aldridge will not be San Antonio's sole franchise star as players like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker all share that title. But Aldridge doesn't seem to care about this.
Speaking with USA Today's Sam Amick, Aldridge discussed how he is not worried about playing in Duncan's shadow since the Spurs don't expect him to change anything about his game.
Q: You had two very different situations in Phoenix and San Antonio. Was there any part of you that was worried about Tim’s shadow? Going with the Suns obviously would have been different, with you as the main attraction.
A: “No, because I’m not trying to be Tim Duncan. I’m not trying to fill his shoes. No one is going to fill his shoes. First of all, he started there and he ended there. I’m not doing that. I didn’t start there. There’s no pressure, because I didn’t start there and I’m not trying to be him. My game is totally different than his.
I never had any issues with it. I think the media blew it up more, like I’m trying to fill his spot and take his role. I was like, ‘No, I’m trying to be me.’ I feel like me being there with Pop in the system with the guys, I should be ok. That was what I was weighing: Go to Phoenix, be the face and the guy, or go to San Antonio and probably win sooner and be more blended in. That was my issue. And I was like, ‘If y’all want me to come here and average 12 or 13 points, that’s not who I am. I like scoring.’ They were like, ‘No, we want you to play in the system, but your scoring is needed here.’ Once I heard that, I was fine.”
Aldridge will be able to greatly benefit from playing with Duncan as the future Hall-of-Famer can serve as a mentor and can provide defensive support. Aldridge's game is somewhat similar to Duncan's (low post scorers with a solid mid-range game) but he is a different player, which it sounds like the Spurs are fully embracing by not forcing him to change how he plays.
It is interesting to hear that the Spurs told Aldridge that they want him to keep his scoring average the same. The Spurs do need Aldridge's scoring, but will that take shots away from wing players like Danny Green or Leonard? It should be fascinating to watch how the Spurs will play with Aldridge next season, especially since you can always bet on Popovich to figure out how to make everything work like a well-oiled machine.
