3 Reasons Spurs Had to Give Aldridge A New Contract

3) 2nd in Scoring:

• Yes, Aldridge has room for improvement but he still was the second leading scorer on the Spurs. Who else on the roster deserves an extension? A happy LaMarcus Aldridge could really help the Spurs this season. He was “uncomfortable” in the Spurs’ system but was still able to average 17 ppg. What will he do with a few more touches? The Spurs likely want him to average over 20 and hit the boards harder--now he he has the motivation to do so.

2) Big-Man:

• The traditional big man is pretty much extinct in the league today and while Aldridge isn’t exactly “traditional” his size in today’s small league can be very useful. If motivated and playing well he could give the Warriors fits on the inside, a big if ,but the only possibility the Spurs can hope for. There is no magical player out there that can act as savior for the Spurs, they have to make due with what they have. A revived Aldridge is their best bet to compete against a long list of super teams out West.

1) Free Agents:

• The Spurs do not have a good track record in free agency, they usually do not pick up big free agents in the off season. Aldridge was really the best free agent pick-up that they had in decades; Spurs are usually known for building their teams from the ground up. So if they lose Aldridge, they aren’t a whole lot of players that can immediately replace him. Still, the Spurs have inserted a bit of security in the three year 72 million deal, making only 7 million in the last year guaranteed for Aldridge.