San Antonio Spurs: LaMarcus Aldridge dominates the 2017 preseason

LaMarcus Aldridge was the San Antonio Spurs top performer during preseason play. Can he carry it over to the regular season?

On Friday, the San Antonio Spurs wrapped up their preseason schedule against the Houston Rockets on the road. The Spurs won, 106-97, to finish 3-2 in exhibition play. LaMarcus Aldridge had his best performance in what has been a good preseason for him.

Aldridge got a double-double, finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 57 percent from the floor and has 3 assists along with 2 steals. In addition, he played 35 minutes last night, the most by any Spur. For the preseason, Aldridge will finish averaging 16 points per game, 4 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game.

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So now the question becomes: What does this mean for the Spurs heading into the regular season? Most would say not much, but in the case of Aldridge it could mean a lot. The former Trailblazer is going into his third year in San Antonio and has been in the headlines quite a bit this offseason.

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After a disappointing finish in last year’s playoffs, many questioned if Aldridge was the right fit for this team as Kawhi Leonard has taken center stage. During the offseason, it is believed that Aldridge had a talk with head coach Greg Popovich about expanding his role in the offense and finding his groove.

In this preseason Aldridge looked like himself again. When he got the ball in the post, he backed down to get the shot he wanted especially against shorter players. He also found his stroke from mid-range and even knocked down some three-pointers, something he has been working on this offseason.

Before yesterday’s game, it was revealed that Leonard will not play in the Spurs regular season opener and, as of now, there is no timetable for his return. With Tony Parker out until December and now Leonard out for a period of time, San Antonio will most likely be looking to run the offense through Aldridge. It has worked in the preseason, but now things get serious.

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The Spurs tip-off the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 18 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.