San Antonio Spurs roundup: Reaction to LaMarcus Aldridge’s deal

One day before the 2017-18 season starts for the San Antonio Spurs, let’s look at the latest.

The San Antonio Spurs start the 2017-18 season on Wednesday, Oct. 18, with a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It kicks off the road to the NBA Finals, which the Spurs were four games away from in last spring’s playoffs.

Monday, Oct. 16 was a busy day for San Antonio. LaMarcus Aldridge news filled the day, with the announcement of his contract extension. He will stay in San Antonio for three years, $72 million. His deal was set to expire after the 2018-19 season.

Opinions varied across the sports media landscape on Aldridge contract. From it making sense to impacting the team’s chances in free agency, there was plenty of reaction.

News, notes, and opinions around this development and other Spurs-related items filled Monday’s headlines. Let’s view the Silver and Black landscape.

• Scott Davis of Business Insider felt the Spurs ended their chance at what looked like a genius plan, when Aldridge and Pau Gasol were given their multi-year contracts. Without these extensions, potentially $50 million could have been freed up for free agency.
• The Aldridge contract was also questioned by CBS Sports writer Colin Ward-Henniger. He analyzed San Antonio’s “strange” offseason. Critiques of the team’s summer didn’t start here and won’t end there, either, until the Spurs potentially start the year with a positive record.
• Meanwhile, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report took the Spurs out of the LeBron James sweepstakes. James will be a free agent on July 1, 2018, and hasn’t committed to a future with the Cleveland Cavaliers, yet.
• On a lighter note, ESPN’s Michael C. Wright believed the Spurs and Aldridge benefited from the contract extension. Despite this, he said, “the marriage is far from perfect.” Given the tumultuous offseason between the two sides, that comes with minuscule shock value.
• In an interesting twist, Bill Livingston of Cleveland.com thinks the Spurs, not the Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers, will win the 2018 NBA championship. That’s a take you won’t read everyday.
• Pounding the Rock presented “An ode to basketball, a beautiful game.” It’s a fun piece on the love for the game that’s worth the read.
• The best news of them all? Even though the Spurs don’t play until Wednesday, the NBA season starts tonight. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s not Christmas.

Must Read: 25 forgotten players that were on the Spurs

That sums up the morning links for Tuesday, Oct. 17. Get ready for some basketball, with the Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors. It’s two potential playoff matchups of top teams in both conferences. So, enjoy the evening and get prepped for San Antonio Spurs basketball just 24 hours later.