Now a 34-year-old power forward, San Antonio Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge will once again lead the heralded Western Conference franchise in 2019-20.
After spending the first seven years of his NBA career as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, Aldridge has since spent the last four seasons in San Antonio with the Spurs.
Although he isn't getting any younger these days, there is no doubt that Aldridge can still play at a high level. With the majority of the workload slated to fall on the shoulders of both Aldridge and former Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan this time around, the latter will surely encounter a slew of double teams paving the way for his veteran counterpart to take over.
With the Spurs currently sporting a decently well-rounded roster ahead of the upcoming 2019-20 campaign, San Antonio should once again be in contention for a playoff spot in the Western Conference — if Aldridge can come through with some big numbers. Because the Spurs are so well-coached under the direction of longtime head coach and future Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich, it is hard to ever really count San Antonio out.
It is also hard to believe that Popovich won't get the absolute most out of Aldridge in 2019-20.
3. Average 20 points & 10 Rebounds
Because of the presence of San Antonio Spurs starting two-guard DeMar DeRozan, it may be tough for LaMarcus Aldridge to reach an average of both 20 points and 10 rebounds per game for an entire season.
However, if DeRozan is forced to create more chances for his teammates due to the overwhelming defense that will inevitably come his way, Aldridge should be the recipient of most of this excess offense.
Showing that these numbers are indeed attainable two times before, Aldridge previously averaged 23.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game back in 2013-14 before averaging 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game the following season.
These are the only two instances in which he has averaged double-digit rebounds over the course of a single season, though, while Aldridge has averaged at least 20 points seven times — including each of the last two campaigns.
2. Appear In All 82 Regular Season Games
If San Antonio Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge is able to appear in all 82 regular season games in 2019-20, it would mark the first time in his illustrious NBA career that he has accomplished such a feat.
However, the former Portland Trail Blazers standout has come very close before — including last season. Aldridge has notably appeared in 81 regular season games three times before with these instances coming in 2008-09, 2010-11 and 2018-19.
It is also worth noting that Aldridge has appeared in many postseason contests over the course of his career while there is certainly enough in the tank to get him to all 82 regular season games in 2019-20.
Because there Spurs are not as deep in terms of superstar-caliber players as the team is used to, it is going to take some serious effort from Aldridge to put San Antonio over the top in what appears to be an insanely talented Western Conference.
Because Aldridge and the Spurs will be forced to compete against the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors — among others — on a nightly basis, San Antonio will be forced to bring it each and every game.
1. Shoot Over 40 Percent From Three-Point Range
When you think of veteran San Antonio Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, you definitely don't think of a talented three-point shooter.
However, with the league trending in the direction that it is, it appears as though everyone is attempting to drain as many three-point shots as possible these days.
For his NBA career, which has spanned 13 seasons between 2006-07 and 2018-19, Aldridge is a 28.3 percent shooter from behind the arc. Shooting just under 50 percent from the floor for his NBA career, Aldridge definitely has what it takes to become a much better three-point shooter. He has appeared in 950 career regular season games as an NBA player while averaging less than one three-point attempt per game in every season outside of two go-rounds in 2014-15 and 2017-18.
In other words, Aldridge doesn't necessarily have to shoot more three-pointers but rather sink the ones that he is attempting.
If he can become an efficient threat from behind the arc, Aldridge will not only add yet another dimension to his already pretty well-rounded game, but it will also help the Spurs keep pace with the rest of the Western Conference, which has become a three-point heaven thanks to the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and many other teams from around the league.
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