Amick: LaMarcus Aldridge's move to San Antonio got an unlikely assist

[TE]

Dat Ime tbh.....

re fans worrying about Aldridge's comments....IIRC, the Spurs were bounced in the 1st round last year by a loser team, I think it's time to shake up the status quo tbh.....

This...Aldridge actually sounds like an alpha tbh. With him and Kawhi leading the team, they won't allow the team to lose.

[AFBlue]

He's spent zero days in the culture of the Spurs, and this does feel at the moment like an arranged marriage. But, that doesn't mean it's not a match that will end up working out. Aldridge will hopefully grow to appreciate the Spurs culture, and hopefully the fans will give him some leeway while he gets acclimated. Spurs fan has been spoiled by one of the greatest players of all time tbqh.

[TheGreatYacht]

Leave it up to Spurfan to find something to about with landing the most coveted FA on the market.

Some of you are morons. I'll leave it up to you to figure out who's who.

[eDizzle20]

LA's comments are on point with what he's supposed to do, be the #1 scorer go-to guy.

[YGWHI]

-LMA doesn't know his own stats
"I've been averaging 23 (points per game) for the last three to four years" 21.7ppg, 21.1ppg, 23.2ppg, 23.4ppg last four seasons.

-Like Ime and Pop, I want this guy gets his shots.
With Tim and Manu aging, the Spurs were still too reliant on Parker's offense last season. Kawhi's emergence, Parker's injuries didn't force Pop to adjust it. They needed a player like LMA to make a drastic move and definitely change the offensive scheme.

[RD2191]

Should of kept Tiago, tbh.

[DPG21920]

I will just never understand things like this tbh...Really, IME riding on a plane home after you've already had meeting after meeting is what sold you? Over the Suns?

How the Suns were a legit choice to being with I have no idea? How could the Suns have answered his questions essentially, but it took the Spurs multiple meetings and a plane ride w/ Ime to really answer all your questions about SA? I mean, it's hard to read into things like this, but I just don't get it.

When it's Spurs vs PHX there really is not a comparison. Not with regards to coaching, teammates, winning or any other thing on this planet. Either your mindset is have some fun and put up as many shots as you want (PHX) or give yourself a shot to win a le (Spurs). Was it really that hard?

[K...]

well if it was all a ploy for his agent to keep getting the Suns to overpay for his future clients, why would he stop the charade? it may be contrived but if it helps his friend in business why not keep it up> And isn't it better to say you wanted a former player/mentor to hold your hand on a long flight that say that for a high level nba player to say to that a specific midlevel team has no chance to compete and has screwed up its future over and over?


I get the feeling LMA says what he thinks people want to hear and in your average small market city this is a heartwarming tale of the extra mile going through.



also i hope everyone agrees with the following statement: you can do whatever you want to in the offseason so long as you don't hurt yourself playing in foreign tournaments when you know your going to get hurt because of preexisting injury. I mean go ahead and torture a tiger on reality TV, get into a bar fight with ty rappers, speculate about your teams real chances of winning, as long as you show up in shape and don't around when the season starts.

[timtonymanu]

Dat Ime tbh.....

re fans worrying about Aldridge's comments....IIRC, the Spurs were bounced in the 1st round last year by a loser team, I think it's time to shake up the status quo tbh.....

has done great things for the Spurs after his horrid stint as a player there. Also was huge in developing the Wing Stop duo IIRC.

[SpurPadre]

Much ado about nothing. Dude is smack dab in his prime and a proven all-star and at his stage in his career, his usage needs to be maximized. He wasn't just thinking about himself, either. He wanted to make sure the fit was right for both parties. Let's move on to something else worth talking about.

[YGWHI]

How the Suns were a legit choice to being with I have no idea? How could the Suns have answered his questions essentially, but it took the Spurs multiple meetings and a plane ride w/ Ime to really answer all your questions about SA? I mean, it's hard to read into things like this, but I just don't get it.

It isn't that hard. Aldridge made it clear, he wanted his numbers.
He knew he wouldn't win with the Suns but he'd get his ppg in Phoenix, he didn't want to win a le averaging 17 ppg with the Spurs.
If they have to choose, some players want to earn individual accolades rather than win rings if that means they have to sacrifice points and individual stats, it isn't surprising at all.

"That was what I was weighing: Go to Phoenix, be the face and the guy, or go to San Antonio and probably win sooner and be more blended in. That was my issue."

[timtonymanu]

Much ado about nothing. Dude is smack dab in his prime and a proven all-star and at his stage in his career, his usage needs to be maximized. He wasn't just thinking about himself, either. He wanted to make sure the fit was right for both parties. Let's move on to something else worth talking about.

Here's one. Bonner for one more season.

[YGWHI]

also i hope everyone agrees with the following statement: you can do whatever you want to in the offseason so long as you don't hurt yourself playing in foreign tournaments when you know your going to get hurt because of preexisting injury. I mean go ahead and torture a tiger on reality TV, get into a bar fight with ty rappers, speculate about your teams real chances of winning, as long as you show up in shape and don't around when the season starts.

Nah. If you get into a bar fight with ty rappers and suffer an eye injury, it isn't cool. Don't do it again K...Tony.

[Mnky]

It isn't that hard. Aldridge made it clear, he wanted his numbers.
He knew he wouldn't win with the Suns but he'd get his ppg in Phoenix, he didn't want to win a le averaging 17 ppg with the Spurs.
If they have to choose, some players want to earn individual accolades rather than win rings if that means they have to sacrifice points and individual stats, it isn't surprising at all.

"That was what I was weighing: Go to Phoenix, be the face and the guy, or go to San Antonio and probably win sooner and be more blended in. That was my issue."

Not so much individual accolades as it is giving up your image as a top 10 player in the NBA for a "chance" at winning. Hrs not guaranteed anything in San Antonio, it'd only better than Phoenix. For those who say it's way better in San Antonio, Phoenix would have built around him and were definitely a first found exit team Sith him on the squad. That's about as far as the Spurs got. Why wouldn't it be attractive to be the no. 1 franchise player the team builds around instead of tries to change when you have proven you're a top 2 PF in the game? You'd have to question the legitimacy of a front office that wanted to change you with that status.

[CGD]

Good read. Do worry about some of LMA priorities, but in the end think the Spurs culture will win out. That or David West calling him out if we goes Diva.

[hater]

Good read. Do worry about some of LMA priorities, but in the end think the Spurs culture will win out. That or David West calling him out if we goes Diva.

great points

[spursistan]

Looks like Ime has jumped up Messina in the race to be Pop's heir , tbh..He is young and relates better with our two key future guys (LMA/Kawhi)..

[monkeypunk]

Looks like Ime has jumped up Messina in the race to be Pop's heir , tbh..He is young and relates better with our two key future guys (LMA/Kawhi)..

Pop doesn't need to groom Messina for anything. Guy will be an nba head coach within 12 months. Ime on the other hand can use all the help he can get at this stage in his career.

[devindixen]

It isn't that hard. Aldridge made it clear, he wanted his numbers.
He knew he wouldn't win with the Suns but he'd get his ppg in Phoenix, he didn't want to win a le averaging 17 ppg with the Spurs.
If they have to choose, some players want to earn individual accolades rather than win rings if that means they have to sacrifice points and individual stats, it isn't surprising at all.

"That was what I was weighing: Go to Phoenix, be the face and the guy, or go to San Antonio and probably win sooner and be more blended in. That was my issue."

I think this confirms his rift with Lillard being the face of the Blazers' franchise.

For me, this was a huge turn off. I didn't expect him to be averaging only 17 PPG because he's in his prime and he's by far our most potent offensive player, but to hear him talk about wanting to get his stats is just not what I expected. Before this comes out, I could say that he was probably as Spur a player as it gets that's not on our team.. Now I'm just not sure.. That is not a Spursian thing to say.

[hater]

The spursian way would be to go out in the 1st round. Wake up Timmy is about to be done. KWhi is a great 2nd banana.

We need someon to sell outr souls to. That one is LMAlpha

[TheGreatYacht]

lamarcus is hungry. feed him the damn ball

[DMX7]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...ist/32211597/?

LAS VEGAS – Should the San Antonio Spurs return to the NBA’s mountaintop this season, maximizing the talents of new big man LaMarcus Aldridge and perhaps winning a sixth le since 1999, they may need to come up with an in-house award to honor the man who made it all possible.

It’s not Gregg Popovich, or Tim Duncan, or any of the usual suspects from their storied group. It’s Ime Udoka, a 38-year-old Spurs assistant and former Spurs player who was the unsung hero in their pursuit of the former Portland Trail Blazers big man.

On the surface, this was the case of a four-time All-Star who has never been past the second round of the playoffs making the wise decision to join the organization that has a habit of hogging the Larry O’Brien trophy. But in those crucial early July days that led up to his decision, when his list of five teams had been whittled down to two and questions lingered in his mind about how he would fit in San Antonio, no voice mattered more than that of Udoka’s.

There was mutual respect, their relationship having began as teammates in 2006 when Aldridge was a rookie in Portland and Udoka was the wise, older veteran. They had kept in touch long after Udoka was gone, too, through his time in San Antonio, Sacramento, and Spain and later when he left his playing days behind in order to join Popovich’s staff in the summer of 2012. The trust that would prove pivotal to Aldridge’s decision was built over time.

When Aldridge’s free agency meetings in Los Angeles had all ended and the time had arrived to clear his head on a flight back to his hometown of Dallas, Udoka – who was part of the Spurs’ Popovich-led contingent on the Hollywood scene played the part of closer and made a final pitch at 30,000 feet. To hear Aldridge tell the story, he may be in Phoenix right about now if not for Udoka’s ability to paint a promising picture about life with the Spurs. Udoka, who was weighing offers to play for Murcia, Gran Canariaand two other European teams during that lockout summer when Popovich gave him the coaching invite he couldn’t refuse, knew what it meant to be a part of their special group.

Last month at Team USA minicamp in Las Vegas, Aldridge's partnership with Udoka continued to prove effective. With Udoka leading the way and Spurs small forward/fellow Team USA participant also on hand, Aldridge – both after Team USA practices and before their exhibition game – took part in three Spurs-only sessions intended to help him learn the very San Antonio system that he wasn’t sure was for him. Udoka, true to the Spurs’ selfless form, declined a request to discuss his part in landing Aldridge.

USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick caught up with Aldridge recently about how Udoka helped him decide to sign with the Spurs.

Q: So I’ve heard that Ime was big in the free agency process for you, but was looking forward to asking you about it. That the case?

A: “He was huge. As you said, I played with him, and when he played with us, him and I were really close. And even when he left to go to the Spurs, when we played against them we still hung out and he would get me into the practice facility so I could get in the cold tub. He has always been really cool with me, and I thought he played a vital part in this. If I had questions, I would call him. And when things weren’t looking as good (during the Spurs’ pursuit), him and I would talk for an hour or two, just going over everything. He would maybe reaffirm some things that I didn’t understand, or I didn’t think were accurate. I told (Spurs general manager) R.C. Buford, I said, ‘Ime got the deal done.’ Pop (indicating that he’d remain the coach in the coming years) was very important to me, but Ime put in a lot of work on that.”

Q: Did I hear it right that he flew back to Dallas with you after your LA meetings were over?

A: “It (the meeting process) was done. I was down to two teams, Phoenix and the Spurs. I thought (Udoka) was staying in San Antonio for the summer, so I was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got a jet going to Dallas. You could get a flight from Dallas to San Antonio (to head home).’ So he was like, ‘Cool.’ So he gets on the jet, and I’m like, ‘We’re leaving. You should buy your flight (to San Antonio from Dallas) on the plane. Go buy your flight.’ He was like, ‘I ain’t buying no flight.’ I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He’s like, ‘I live here (in Los Angeles) right now. I’m flying just to answer any questions that you have.’ I was like, ‘Man, you’re crazy.’ I said, ‘Get off the plane.’ He said, ‘No, I’m going to answer any question that you have.’ So I’m like, ‘You don’t have to do this. Don’t do this.’ He’s like, ‘Nah, I’m not getting off.’
“So we rode – and I had my kids with me and my mom – so they sat in the front of the plane and him and I went to the back of the plane and talked the whole flight. It was just conversation, about the system, about me. It wasn’t really a lot of questions. It was just him telling me how I’m going to fit in. Everybody was making this big fuss about how I’m not going to be able to take shots anymore, or be the scorer that I am, and he was just telling me, ‘We need a guy to score down there. Tim (Duncan) is older, and we need a guy to command a double team down there.’ So I was like, ‘Maybe I’m not a Spur, because I’ve been averaging 23 (points per game) for the last three to four years, and maybe I don’t fit into y’all’s system of let’s all average 17 (points per game).’ And he was like, ‘No, we’re not trying to change who you are and make you average 16 or 17. We want you to be you, because you’re going to help us be better and vice versa.’ He kind of reaffirmed that they didn’t want to change me, and that who I am is ok.”

Q: You had two very different situations in Phoenix and San Antonio. Was there any part of you that was worried about Tim’s shadow? Going with the Suns obviously would have been different, with you as the main attraction.

A: “No, because I’m not trying to be Tim Duncan. I’m not trying to fill his shoes. No one is going to fill his shoes. First of all, he started there and he ended there. I’m not doing that. I didn’t start there. There’s no pressure, because I didn’t start there and I’m not trying to be him. My game is totally different than his.
I never had any issues with it. I think the media blew it up more, like I’m trying to fill his spot and take his role. I was like, ‘No, I’m trying to be me.’ I feel like me being there with Pop in the system with the guys, I should be ok. That was what I was weighing: Go to Phoenix, be the face and the guy, or go to San Antonio and probably win sooner and be more blended in. That was my issue. And I was like, ‘If y’all want me to come here and average 12 or 13 points, that’s not who I am. I like scoring.’ They were like, ‘No, we want you to play in the system, but you scoring is needed here.’ Once I heard that, I was fine.”

Your sig.

[aal04]

Kawhi is happy deferring. Infact id imagine he prefers to defer.

I dont mind Parker taking the ball if he can get full healthy form back, but if he doesnt i hope he understands he i just a cog. And im willing to bet Pop pulls him anyways.

I think Pop is man enough to pull anyone, LMA including if they dont listen/perform. Look at SJax, Pop pulled him right before the playoffs and he was one of our best defenders.

[mingus]

Nice work by Udoka, but is Aldridge going to find the shots here to put up 23 ppg again? He's going to definitely be option #1, but Leonard is pretty devastating on the block and an in-shape Parker is a pretty high percentage scorer. And then Green being one of the top shooters in the league is a weapon the Spurs have to use too. I figure Duncan will take more of a David Robinson supporting role offensively now down low with a talent like Aldridge here, but the Spurs have some great offensive weapons you're going to want taking shots too. Not like Portland where you wanted to run the entire offense for Aldridge and Lillard and no one else really mattered.

I think he'll put up 18-20 ppg. I could see him averaging less only if Pop decreases his mins. heavily through the regular season. Which may happen. The Spurs have a stacked team and over the years having one means lower numbers. So there's those things and there's the fact the Kawhi could truly erupt this year as an offense threat and 18-20 ppg scorer and Parker getting healthier/in better shape and seeing his numbers go back to normal at 17-19 ppg. Not to mention the system which promotes ball movement and unselfish play and a plethora of other guys that can put it in the hole.

There'll be nights definitely where he'll go off and score 30+, but I think they'll be countered by the nights he is benched early with 8 points.

I think Ime did a damn good job selling his role numbers wise with the Spurs. I don't think it'll matter if LA isn't averaging what he is accustomed or expects/hopes to if the Spurs are winning.

[SpurPadre]

Here's one. Bonner for one more season.

Damn, dude...I'm trying to repress that reality!