It may not be a perfect analogy, far from it even, but Tim Duncan might be turning into the kind of teammate to LaMarcus Aldridge that David Robinson was to him. Big men age faster than other basketball players, so it is miraculous that Duncan is playing the way he is at 39 and nearing the end of his 19th season.
But Duncan is also grooming Aldridge to be the San Antonio Spurs' next primary big man for the foreseeable future the same way Robinson did for him. The biggest difference is that Duncan spent his first six seasons playing with Robinson and Aldridge may only get one or two more seasons with Duncan at most.
Aldridge spent his formative years in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers and would likely have been their franchise player until Damian Lillard came into his own if he stayed. In San Antonio, Aldridge is far more of a contributor, albeit an expensive one. But the Spurs broke character shelling out a lucrative contract to bring him in, which would indicate coach Gregg Popovich, a front office executive or maybe even Duncan saw something in Aldridge.
At the very least, his presence in the Spurs lineup could allow Duncan to extend his career another year. After all, Duncan took a pay cut to free up cap space so the Spurs could sign Aldridge and extend Kawhi Leonard's contract. Duncan discussed his changing role on the team earlier this week, acknowledging he needs more rest during the season but also saying it took getting used to.
"My (playing) time varies, what I'm asked to do varies," he said. "Even at this point, I'm still trying to get comfortable with that."
Aldridge's numbers took a dip early this season, as was to be expected when he transitioned from being the go-to guy to a slightly smaller role. But Aldridge has been playing better of late, and Spurs guard Tony Parker indicated it is because Duncan is "deferring," a term Popovich also used.
Aldridge also seemed to turn a corner when he deleted his Twitter account. He has been gradually improving since then and said he made the decision in order to focus more, a trait that is basically a cornerstone of the Spurs organization.
"I just wanted to lock in on my season right now, it had nothing to do with that game," Aldridge said. "It's not anything about the game. It's a new adventure for me. I've never been in this system, with this team. I've never been on a top-two team in the West."
The Spurs are 57-10 and have won all 33 of their home games, so they do not need Duncan to play at his highest level to make the playoffs. Even with Duncan resting more, they are not out of the question to catch the Golden State Warriors for the Western Conference's top seed.
Aldridge may be more developed as a player when he got to San Antonio than Duncan was when he arrived, so the Robinson comparison may not be totally justified. But there is no question Aldridge is all-in on the Spurs' method and it is not unreasonable to think Duncan had something to do with that.
