With James Harden and Kevin Durant both out of Thursday night's game against the Hornets, the Nets needed production from one of their newest acquisitions in LaMarcus Aldridge, and the center didn't disappoint after nearly a month of inaction.
Aldridge, who hadn't played in a game since early March while the Spurs worked out a solution for the 35-year-old, scored 11 points, hit his only 3-point attempt and grabbed nine rebounds in Brooklyn's 111-89 victory. Aldridge showed little rust in his 29:30 of playing time, which he said shouldn't surprise anyone despite his lack of game action over the past month.
"I've been working," Aldridge told reporters after the game. "Just because you haven't seen me on TV or on the stat sheet, I wasn't just sitting on my couch. I'm an older guy, I know how to stay ready."
Still, even Aldridge didn't expect to feel that kind of sustained energy after such a long layoff.
"I was surprised at how good my wind was," Aldridge said. "I thought I was going to be more tired, but I felt great."
It showed on the floor, where Aldridge was a +22, the second-best mark on the team behind only Bruce Brown at +28. Aldridge was thrown right into the pit to begin his Nets tenure, which Steve Nash thought would be the best way to get him acclimated with his new teammates, and it paid off.
"This is a guy that has a great pedigree…we thought we got to get him going, so why not throw him in the starting lineup and see if he can get his rhythm," Nash said. "I was impressed with his effectiveness after such a long layoff. That shows his experience…his intelligence."
The Nets have continued to add as they gear up for their title push, with Aldridge coming in after Blake Griffin and Harden, who hopes to be back soon from a hamstring injury, which Durant is also nursing. But even without two of their biggest stars, the team continues to hum, even with a new acquisition in the starting lineup in their first game in nearly a month.
"Offensively, those guys play well," Aldridge said. "I just try to read [Kyrie], go to the block and just play my game on the defensive end. Talking to these guys, just being at the rim and being active. These guys play so well off the ball and moving the ball and just sharing it. It was easy for me. I had fun tonight for sure."
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