Spurs at Trail Blazers
LaMarcus Aldridge should be in for a bit of a mixed reception when he returns to Portland for the first time since leaving the franchise in free agency over the summer. Aldridge is still working his way into a rhythm with his new teammates and will be looking for a third straight win when the San Antonio Spurs visit the Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Aldridge signed a four-year, $80 million deal with the Spurs in free agency after making the playoffs five times in nine seasons with Portland but never advancing beyond the Western Conference semifinals. Former teammates Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez joined Aldridge on his way out the door over the summer, leaving Damian Lillard to begin the rebuilding process alongside four new starters. Aldridge averaged at least 21 points in each of his final five campaigns with the Trail Blazers, capped by a career-high 23.4 last season, but is at 15.1 points on a career-low 45.7 percent shooting in his first seven games with San Antonio. The Spurs own five wins in those seven games, however, and Aldridge went 7-of-12 from the field in a 106-88 victory at the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE SPURS (5-2): Aldridge shared responsibility for the offense with Lillard in his final two seasons in Portland but is getting used to a more collaborative effort in San Antonio which doesn’t yield as many shot attempts. Kawhi Leonard is the one asked to do the most for the Spurs, and the star forward responded with 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Monday’s triumph. Leonard put up at least 23 points in each of the last three games and is leading the team in scoring at 22.1 points.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (4-4): Portland misses Aldridge’s contribution on the offensive end, but it is defense that kept the team winless in a back-to-back against Detroit and Denver on Sunday and Monday. The Trail Blazers surrendered a total of 228 points in the losses, and Lillard suggested that both the backcourt and frontcourt should shoulder some responsibility. “Right now we just are not playing defense with enough urgency,” Lillard told reporters. “We are doing a better job of keeping the ball in the direction we have on our scouting reports, but sometimes as guards we need to do a better job pursuing. Sometimes the bigs have to give us more time to get back to our man.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Trail Blazers took three of the four meetings last season behind 22.5 points and 12.8 rebounds from Aldridge.
2. Lillard is averaging 30.4 points in the last five games.
3. San Antonio starting G Danny Green is shooting 29.6 percent from the field, including 21.9 percent from 3-point range.