3 reasons San Antonio Spurs will make the 2019 NBA Playoffs

2. LaMarcus Aldridge is a hidden superstar

For the last few months, all folks have been capable of talking about when it comes to the Spurs are the loss of Leonard and arrival of DeRozan. It’s understandable considering how dramatic of a shift it was, but why has LaMarcus Aldridge been forgotten?

People are glossing over the fact that, in his first season with the Spurs, Aldridge was a stud. The season started with him allegedly demanding a trade, and ended with him becoming the star of the show in San Antonio. When Kawhi was away, the underrated power forward stepped up and put this team on his back.

So why are so many seeming to overlook him now?

Whatever the reason may be, stop it! Aldridge is the real deal. He helped the Spurs make the playoffs last season, and didn’t need Leonard’s help to do so. Now he’s got DeRozan to take some of the pressure off on the offensive end. The return of Rudy Gay helps too, but it’s secondary to anything Aldridge brings to the table.

Yes, Leonard, Parker, Ginobili, Danny Green and Kyle Anderson are all gone. Yes, Murray is probably out for the entire season. It’s not an ideal situation for the Spurs to be in. Still, having Aldridge locking down the frontcourt and giving them a reliable scoring threat will make life much easier when the going gets tough in the coming months.