The Spurs are four games back of the Warriors in the Western Conference standings, three games clear of the Rockets in third-place, but as is often the case with the regular season Spurs, San Antonio is an afterthought.
Unlike the Warriors, who bring drama and star power into every game, the Spurs offer little in the way of intrigue aside from their very good play on the court. Kawhi Leonard is a dynamic playmaker on both ends of the floor and is one of the league’s best players, but he does so in a workman-like fashion and his most astounding highlights tend to come on the defensive end.
LaMarcus Aldridge is the other quiet star on the Spurs, and while he and Leonard rarely offer much in the way of media fodder, Aldridge opened up to The Vertical’s Michael Lee about his frustrations with the seemingly incongruous praise being heaped on the Warriors in the form of All-Star selections, when the Spurs only have one representative (Leonard) heading to New Orleans.
“I’m older, so I’m not going to come home and be mad or anything,” Aldridge told The Vertical. “But I do think that it was wrong for Golden State to have four [All-Stars] and we’re a few games behind and only have one. It is what it is. I’m in this position and I’m going to enjoy my break and just come back fresh.”
Aldridge is a five-time All-Star and his numbers this season have seen just an ever-so-slight downtick from last year. He’s averaging 17.4 points and 7.4 rebounds on 47.3 percent shooting, down from 18 points and 8.5 rebounds on 51.3 percent shooting a year ago, but still numbers that warrant All-Star consideration.
When discussing All-Star snubs, Aldridge’s name rarely came up.
Maybe that’s another source of frustration for the Spurs big man. Instead, the Western Conference big man that most were upset to see miss out on a trip to New Orleans was Jazz center Rudy Gobert, whose defensive play has been astounding this season.
Aldridge may be frustrated, but his consolation prize isn’t too bad. He gets a week off and plans on going to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to unwind and get ready for the home stretch of the regular season.
