LaMarcus Aldridge is bringing a rejuvenated sense of success to the San Antonio Spurs for the 2015-16 season. For the first time in recent memory the Spurs went out and chased a top flight free agent. They hauled in two big pieces – not only Aldridge but they also signed David West – and made the most out of the summer of 2015, quite possibly the last summer they have to chase big names.
For the Spurs, nothing in the future for this season is promised. Their ‘Big 3’ is aging with Tim Duncan at 39, Manu Ginobili at 38 and Tony Parker, the youngest out of the trio, at 33. They had to do something to help the transition from that era into a new one, centered around their future centerpiece, Kawhi Leonard. Well the questions of Duncan and Ginobili possibly leaving after this season are well warranted, it appears that coach Gregg Popovich won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Coach Pop said the following to ESPN’s Sage Steele during an interview on the worldwide leader.
“Signing LaMarcus [Aldridge], I had to make a commitment,” Popovich said. “I couldn’t say, ‘LaMarcus, we would love to sign you, see you later.’ So I committed to those guys and I committed to LaMarcus. So, I’ve got to fulfill my promise.”
“I will feel very weird walking out onto a court and not seeing Timmy or Manu or Tony out there,” Popovich told ESPN. “[They are] kinda like my safety blanket or my comfort level. I’ll miss them a lot.”
Popovich has four years remaining on a five-year deal that he signed in the summer of 2014. Aldridge’s contract expires at the end of the 2018-2019 season. If Duncan, Manu and even Parker all elected to step away from the game and hang up their sneakers, no one would blame them. They have sacrificed so much over the years and have won four NBA titles as a trio to show for it, with Duncan and Pop having one more alongside David Robinson.
This isn’t Gregg Popovich’s first tour of duty in the rebuilding process and he’s done it before with ‘The Admiral’ when it was his time to go, Duncan filled in very nicely. Now it’s almost Duncan’s time to go and before he leaves, I’m sure ‘The Big Fundamental’ can muster up one more solid push for an NBA Championship.
