Spurs forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge has been a supporting cast player for the 18-14 Spurs this season. And lately, he’s been coming off the bench. Via the San Antonio Express News:
Coach Gregg Popovich seems poised to move forward with a small-ball starting lineup that features Jakob Poeltl at center.
That has shifted Aldridge, a seven-time All-Star, to the bench for the first time since his rookie season in Portland.
Just before the All-Star break, the 35-year-old Aldridge returned from a three-week hiatus due to a hip injury to find himself in a new role.
He played in three games as a reserve, then missed the final two contests before the break with a stomach illness.
As such, the sample size projecting how Aldridge might fit with the second unit is small. He scored 21 points in a victory over New Orleans, which perhaps demonstrated the upside of having one of the top 100 scorers in NBA history around to beat up on opposing second-teamers.
How Aldridge adjusts to life off the bench — or doesn’t — will be a fascinating plot point of the Spurs’ second half.
