LaMarcus Aldridge remains an underrated commodity for the San Antonio Spurs

A national audience looks at LaMarcus Aldridge as an ancillary piece to a playoff team, which underrates the San Antonio Spurs big’s impact.

Brace yourself because the offseason has arrived and national media is here to discredit the value that San Antonio Spurs players bring to the table. No single player has been more overlooked than veteran big man LaMarcus Aldridge, whose resume sneakily inserts him to Hall of Fame conversations. If he can win a ring before his career comes to an end, that case will be magnified significantly.

Aldridge played a career-low 53 games in the 2019-20 NBA season as a result of season-ending shoulder surgery. His durability isn’t in question — Aldridge took the corrective surgery in stride. The shortened season and impromptu hiatus changed LaMarcus’ perspective. His operation easily could’ve been postponed for a later date, but with only eight seeding games to turn around an entire season, Aldridge took the safer road and prioritized his longevity.

Not only did he transform his offensive game, but LaMarcus is playing some of his best defense from the center position. He’s taking a page out of Tim Duncan’s book by learning to transition into a full-time center with improved rim protection and physicality under the rim. Through his shortened season, Aldridge blocked 1.6 shots per game and posted his highest blocks per 100 possessions since his rookie year.

Constantly overlooked, Aldridge’s name has been tossed around in trade conversations with various teams. Most of them are unsubstantiated to this point with no official reporting being done, but it’d make sense for the San Antonio Spurs to dangle his name in trade talks.

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