It’s not every day you see an NBA team with a seven-time All-Star at the end of the bench. But in an upended season blown to pieces in the middle of the year, that’s where the Nets stand with veteran big man LaMarcus Aldridge.
Aldridge was a force earlier into this season, at times playing the role of the Nets’ third star while Kyrie Irving was ineligible to play due to his vaccination status. But his hip injury, the acquisition of Andre Drummond and the emergence of backup big man Nic Claxton has left Aldridge on the outside of the rotation looking in.
“LaMarcus has had a really good season, minus the injuries,” head coach Steve Nash said ahead of his team’s matchup against the Knicks on Wednesday. “So we have to be able to get him into some sort of rhythm, and our team and our rotations, it’s so late (in the season). It’s hard to say this is what we’re doing.”
Aldridge is a scoring force, one of the most automatic mid-range machines at his position in NBA history. He lacks in speed, mobility and athleticism, at age 36, but thrives in shooting.
In truth, the Nets don’t necessarily need a scoring big man on the floor. They need athletic centers who can run, defend multiple positions, rebound with force and both protect and finish at the rim.
They need big men like Drummond and Claxton, who account for most of the minutes Aldridge no longer sees.
“What our team needs is defense and rim rolling as well, which Nic and Andre provide that,” Nash continued. “They provide the athleticism and rim protection. So we’re trying to find a way to have it all, and that’s not straight forward.”
Like many other players on this Nets roster, Aldridge will never know when his number will be called to play pivotal minutes. He has been the Nets’ third big man in the rotation each of the last two games. He has played at the power forward position alongside Claxton against both the Rockets and the Knicks. Against the Knicks, Aldridge’s minutes were fruitless and resulted in the Knicks going on a scoring run.
The Nets don’t know how this four-man unit of big men is going to work out with only 48 minutes to go around at the five. Blake Griffin can barely get off the bench, and he is one of the league leaders in charges drawn.
“LaMarcus is a player with high IQ, great experience, and has had a great season,” Nash added. “We know how effective he can be when he shoots the ball, but finding the mechanics that allows it to work is really our task here in a very short time frame.””
DRAGIC STILL IN PROTOCOLS
Veteran point guard Goran Dragic is still isolated in Atlanta, where he tested positive for COVID-19, had symptoms and was forced to quarantine while his teammates traveled back to Brooklyn. Nash said Dragic is feeling better but there is no timetable for his return.
CURRY BACK
Seth Curry returned to play on his ailing left ankle against the Knicks on Wednesday. Nash explained why Curry, who is shooting 70% on wide-open threes this season, is so important ot the team’s offense.
“He’s just a really good basketball player,” he said. “Elite shooter, good in pick and roll, high IQ and all those attributes he brings to our team our obviously helpful, but also just spreading minutes out this time of year with Goran out of the lineup, (James Johnson)’s sick other guys, Joe (Harris) and Ben (Simmons) out as well. So it helps to have the minutes as well, but the quality of the player raises the level of our team.”
