San Antonio Spurs: Why Duncan-Aldridge Pairing Will Work

The San Antonio Spurs landed what was arguably the biggest coup of the free agency period, signing LaMarcus Aldridge to a four-year deal and ensuring once again that the Spurs will never really “die.”

For years now, observers and analysts have counted out the Spurs due to their old age, only to be proven wrong. Now that Aldridge is part of the roster, it will be hard to justify leaving them out as one of the leading contenders for the title.

More from San Antonio Spurs

But title odds aside, a more interesting point to consider with the new-look Spurs is the Tim Duncan-LaMarcus Aldridge dynamic. Since David Robinson retired from the Spurs (and perhaps even a little bit before that), Duncan has been the Spurs’ premier big man.

Even in the previous years with Duncan nearing the end of his career, he’s been the Spurs’ best big man. But with Aldridge on the team, there’s a chance that Duncan will have to relinquish that title.

That being said, Aldridge taking over Duncan’s position in the pecking order will benefit all parties involved. The Spurs get better with Aldridge on the team, Duncan will have less defensive attention on him, and Aldridge will get a better chance at a title than he ever had with the Portland Trail Blazers.

So what makes this pairing so dangerous?

Firstly, it’s how well the two can mesh with one another. Both players are very similar in their playing style – they both excel in the post and rely on a combination of strength and footwork, both are above-average shooters in the midrange area, and both are capable passers from the high and low post areas. In short, their similarities will make it hard for defenses to deal with them.

With Aldridge in the lineup, it almost forces the Spurs to play Duncan more in the high post. Aldridge is better in the low-post, where he can back smaller defenders down with his size, or pull up against slower defenders. In fact, expect to see Aldridge’s field goal percentage increase next season, as he gets better looks from Duncan’s passing. Duncan will be the best big man partner that Aldridge has played with, and his passing skills are vastly underrated.

Duncan paired well in the past with Tiago Splitter, who played the role of “big man enforcer” that allowed Duncan to take on a more finesse role. Aldridge is a straight up improvement over Splitter, who served a more defensive purpose.

On the other end of the court, the Spurs might find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Aldridge has often been labelled as a sub-par defender – which can be seen as quite harsh. While he isn’t a defensive stopper by any means, he can certainly hold his own on the defensive end. Perhaps on a team like the Spurs, Aldridge will be “encouraged” to try harder defensively.

However, the Spurs will still lack a rim protector with Aldridge and Duncan on the floor at the same time. Neither are real shot blockers, and with Duncan’s increasing age, it seems unrealistic to expect him to be the last line of defense for the Spurs. Their only hope here is that the Spurs’ perimeter defense can continue excelling and decrease the team’s dependency on rim protection.

Make no mistake, the Spurs are a force to be reckoned with with the inclusion of LaMarcus Aldridge. It may take a while for the two parties to familiarize themselves with one another, but the Spurs are definitely stronger after making the move.

Next: NBA Power Rankings: Opening Week

More from Hoops Habit

Home/San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs: Why The Duncan-Aldridge Pairing Will Work

By Greg Chin | Oct 25, 2015

More from Hoops Habit