LaMarcus Aldridge left the Portland Trail Blazers last summer to win a ring with the San Antonio Spurs, but the irony is both teams got knocked out of the playoffs this week.
Aldridge and the Spurs made it a game further against the Oklahoma City Thunder than the Trail Blazers did against the Golden State Warriors, the difference being the Trail Blazers lost four starters from a year ago and the Spurs were loaded.
Aldridge, who gave up $30 million from Portland to go to San Antonio in free agency, had one more playoff win than his former team in 2016. What were the odds of that happening?
On top of that, Aldridge didn’t play his basketball with the Spurs.
He averaged 18 points and 8.5 rebounds during the regular season, both down from a year ago. Aldridge averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds last season with the Trail Blazers.
Aldridge struggled in the playoffs, too.
But in Game 1 and 2 against the Thunder, he was a force to be reckoned with. Aldridge scored 38 points on 18-of-23 shooting in Game 1. Then, in Game 2, he followed up with 41 points on 15-of-21 shooting. Aldridge averaged 39.5 points and was shooting 75 percent from the field in the first two games of the series, but that’s when it all went downhill.
Despite San Antonio winning Game 3 100-96, Aldridge shot 8-of-21 from the floor and finished with 24 points. He would score 20 points in the next two games before wrapping up the series with 18 points in Thursday night’s 113-99 loss. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
LaMarcus Aldridge Games 1/2: 33-of-44 shooting, 79 points
LaMarcus Aldridge Games 3/4/5: 22-of-60 shooting, 64 points— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 11, 2016
LaMarcus Aldridge is shooting like he’s still playing for Portland in a playoff game. SO PAINFULLY COLD. Just keeps opening the OKC door.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 11, 2016
Aldridge essentially disappeared after the first two games, averaging 20.5 points and shooting 39.7 percent from the floor in the final four games of the series.
Seems that decision to take less money and go elsewhere didn’t pay off. That’s not to say Aldridge would have fared better had he stayed with the Trail Blazers, but it makes you wonder what could have been.
