NBA: 5 Things We Learned From Warriors-Spurs Part 2
2. Aldridge Has To Be A Diference-Maker
In the Spurs’ first matchup with the Warriors, LaMarcus Aldridge finished with a grand total of five points on 2-of-9 shooting. Draymond Green completely put the clamps on him, with Aldridge looking lost on both ends of the floor.
In the second matchup, it was like night and day watching Aldridge put his size to good use on the offensive glass, knocking down the open looks San Antonio’s ball movement provided him and not backing down from a defender of Green’s stature. Aldridge finished with a game-high 26 points and also added 13 rebounds.
Getting Aldridge going tonight, huge improvement over 1st game. Parker worked his ass off. Curry played off two plays in a row. Weird.
— Russillo (@ryenarussillo) March 20, 2016
He only went 11-for-25 from the field and missed some pretty easy shots as well, but a more assertive Aldridge is the key to making the Warriors pay for their small-ball lineups.
Things might have been different with a healthy Bogut or Iguodala, especially when it came to keeping LMA off the glass, but in a seven-game playoff series, Aldridge absolutely has to make Green work for it on both ends of the floor. Saturday night, he did that and capitalized on the mismatches that came his way.
Next: No. 1