Gregg Popovich To LaMarcus Aldridge About Sitting Out Practice: ‘Welcome To The Spurs’

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Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is notorious for resting his stars at various points throughout the NBA season, and not only are there a lot of stats to support that strategy, the longevity of San Antonio’s big three speaks for itself. It’s something that LaMarcus Aldridge will simply have to get used to, as he found out at practice Tuesday when Pop forced him to sit due to a strained muscle in his leg.

Aldridge is 30 now and has logged heavy minutes throughout his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, but if he wants to play in the NBA for another decade like his teammate Tim Duncan, he’ll have to get started immediately on the Spurs’ limited minutes plan. It’s a tactic that should pay dividends for everyone involved as Pop has to find a way to divvy up the playing time between both Aldridge and Duncan.

The idea is to keep both fresh for an extended postseason run and possibly a trip back to the Finals, which is the lofty expectation that came long with the Aldridge signing this summer. But Aldridge will also require considerable on-court time to familiarize himself with the Spurs’ schemes. Thankfully for the Spurs, if anyone can figure out how to accomplish both goals, it’ll definitely be Gregg Popovich.

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