2 12 days later, Leonard returned to the first game, and the Spurs lost 86-95 to the Mavericks at the bottom of the West. In the next game, they will face the top rockets in the league, and both ends will encounter great challenges. Compared with winning or losing a game, Popovich has to solve a more troublesome problem now: gradually increase Leonard's playing time and let him and Aldridge form a linkage as soon as possible. This is what the Spurs should do in the offseason, and it will be a little late to wait until two months after the start of the season.
Aldridge has done very well in the past two months. After two years of offensive struggle, aldridge was criticized by the media and fans for staying out of the Spurs' offensive system, and most importantly, leading the team against the Warriors' weakness in the playoffs last year. This summer, he put down his heart and had a good chat with Popovich, which was not easy for a cancer man who suffered many setbacks when he was young and was seriously insecure inside.
Similar psychological setbacks also occurred in the early stage of his NBA career. I always remember a story about aldridge: After Oden and Roy fell, Larry Miller, the executive chairman of the Trailblazers, told the media: "Because Roy and Oden can't continue to contribute to the team, it's time to improve aldridge's position in the team from the market point of view." What is hidden in these words is unwillingness, just like a man saying to his future wife when he is sworn in to get married, "Because the new Huanyu and Yui Hatano are teachers (eh? ) Don't like me, I fucking married you. "
Returning to the problem of poor running-in between aldridge and the Spurs, Popovich said: "He has been feeling uncomfortable on the court for the past two years. I am responsible for 98.75% of this and I have been trying to change him. " How to change it specifically? To put it simply, it is just a few words: stand deeper, be selfish in attacking, do this fake action, do that step, come on, come on, other players can do it, so can you.
Popovich is a great coach, perhaps one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, but he also has an inevitable defect: he has never been very good at getting foreign monks to chant Buddhist scriptures. At that time, richard jefferson and Steven Jackson were the same. These players have one thing in common: their skills have been shaped by their many years of career, and they have their own comfort zone. Once they are forced out of this area, their status may fluctuate, which will affect others in the team.
So is aldridge.
20 13- 14 season, he averaged 23.2 points, 1 1 rebounds, which was recognized as Aldridge's peak year, when his comfort zone was obvious: on the right side of the basket. As a right-hander, he catches the ball in this area, plays solo with his back, or turns over the jumper directly, or turns left to take a small hook in the middle. These styles made Aldridge look smart and elegant at that time. Even if the defender anticipates his offensive style, his height, wingspan and shooting softness can maintain high scoring efficiency.
15- 16 season, that is, his first year in the Spurs, Aldridge executed a lot of attacks on the left side of the basket, and he was able to jump over the jumper and hit a higher percentage. However, when he habitually turned to the left to break through, he found himself pushed to the bottom line, and his vision was far less open than when attacking from the right. At that time, the area belonged to Leonard, and aldridge had to accept concessions.
We fans have watched football for so many years, and we have also heard many media touting that many superstars in the league have no dead ends in half-court attack and can enter anywhere. In fact, every player has his own offensive preference. For example, James has always liked to shoot three-pointers at a 45-degree angle on the right for so many years, and never goes to the left for middle-distance shooting. Curry prefers to shoot three-pointers at a 45-degree angle on the left, and he prefers to go to the bottom corner instead of surfing the internet when switching to the right.
After aldridge took the initiative to talk to him, Popovich figured it out. Forcing aldridge to change will only make him doubt himself. After all, from a psychological point of view, people with stronger emotional susceptibility are always more likely to doubt themselves under external pressure. So this season, Aldridge got a lot of opportunities to attack from the right side of the basket. After returning to his comfort zone, he is more willing to cooperate with his teammates, integrate into the team's offensive system more quickly, and even have more enthusiasm for rebounding in the frontcourt.
But this was before Leonard came back. What will Popovich do if Leonard's return from injury leads to the overlap of their offensive positions again? Last season, Popovich was already making changes. He asked Leonard to attack more on the left and even give up the low post on the right. After all, Leonard proposed it himself. He is younger and more willing to accept change.
You may ask, why didn't aldridge take the initiative to change? It's a novelty for so many years, isn't it annoying? Only one person in the NBA can improve his skills day after day and keep improving every season. His name is lebron james (Leonard may be one). If more players find a skill, it will maximize its role. What they can't do naturally has teammates to make up for it. This is called team basketball.
Aldridge is 32 years old. Objectively speaking, his peak is only a few years away. The reason why the Spurs renewed his contract for three years this season is also because of his introverted and steady personality (I want to repeat what the Spurs boss Holt said: "The way we build the team is: character first, technology second, and third, we understand that we are in a small market." ) Off the court, Aldridge may be a high-quality locker room leader, and he can also establish good friendships with Gasol, Leonard and Popovich, which may be what the Spurs management really values relative to the way he plays on the court.
A technical draft finally returned to a routine of boasting about how good the atmosphere of the Spurs is, which may be the reason why many people, including me, like the Spurs. So it can be predicted that when Leonard's playing time is smooth, he will make more attacks on the left side of the basket. As for what kind of linkage can be formed between the two, and how effective it is, let's wait for the record of Popovich and the Spurs to give the answer.