On Thursday, the San Antonio Spurs scored their fifth victory of the new season, as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-112. This game was by no means a blow out, and it required a concerted effort from the Spurs to emerge as the victors in this hotly-contested Western Conference matchup.
However, one man who definitely stood out on the evening was none other than Spurs veteran LaMarcus Aldridge, whose Thursday night performance served as a good reminder to the whole basketball world that the seasoned 34-year-old is still more than capable of getting the ball in the bucket. In what was easily his best game of the young season, Aldridge torched the Thunder for 39 huge points on a highly efficient 19-of-23 shooting (82.6 percent!), along with six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block in 34 minutes of action.
Now with 13 grueling seasons under his belt, there is no question that Father Time is slowly catching up to Aldridge at this point in his career. These type of scoring outbursts now come far and few in between — he had a five-point and an eight-point dud in the past week alone — but it's great to see that Aldridge still has what it takes to drop nearly 40 points on any given night.
Aldridge is now in his fifth year with the Spurs, and while he may no longer be the 23-11 double-double machine he once was with the Portland Trail Blazers, the five-time All-NBA team member has quietly been killing it for San Antonio over the past four seasons. Aldridge has been names to the All-Star squad on seven separate occasions throughout his career, including three out of the past four seasons with the Spurs. That's definitely not bad for a player who many consider to be at the tail end of his prime.
This season, Aldridge is currently averaging 19.0 points (on 51.7 percent shooting), 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.1 blocks in 32.8 minutes per ballgame. There has been a slight dip in his production compared to the past two seasons, but nevertheless, Aldridge has been getting the job done for the Spurs regardless.
Aldridge is currently giving San Antonio exactly what they need from an experienced vet like himself, as the team also looks to develop the younger members of its squad. The results have been outstanding for the Spurs, with the team currently looking like a legitimate threat in the West right now. Needless to say, the conference got even more ruthless following a crazy offseason, but despite the lack of a superstar signing for head coach Gregg Popovich and his men, San Antonio are still looking pretty good at the moment.
It is worth noting that Aldridge currently has two more years on his current deal, which expires at the end of the 2020-21 season. He is looking to pocket $50 million over the next two seasons, and if he is able to maintain his current level of play, then perhaps he will be in store for one final big-money deal in the not so distant future.
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