Entering the 2019-20 season, San Antonio Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge had never made more 37 threes in one campaign. Entering play Wednesday against the Boston Celtics, Aldridge already has 34 to his credit in just 33 games. On top of his average of one make per night, he is shooting 45.9 percent when he lets it fly from long range, far and away the best percentage of his career.
Ask Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and he will tell you there's a reason that Aldridge has altered his game to include the three-point shot:
“He's a smart guy,” Popovich said, via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “He's also figured out you're allowed to beat the shit out of each other on the block, so he's not going to get many calls. If you throw it to the block, first of all, it's a two-point shot and a lot of them are contested and not great shots because you're getting pounded and not going to get the call. It's a lose-lose down there most of the time.”
While Aldridge has wholly embraced the three-point shot, that doesn't mean that his teammates have. After having ranked dead last in the league last season for three-point attempts as a team (25.3), San Antonio is on pace for the cellar again with 27.7 on a nightly basis this year.
Around the league, big men have been stepping beyond the arc in order to both increase their value, while also getting an open look.
Not all have been as successful as Aldridge, who has breathed new life into his career at age 34.
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