The Nets haven’t been able to put together games with their big three on the court at once, and now they will be without one of their pivotal new additions for what they hope to be a championship run.
LaMarcus Aldridge announced that he is retiring after 15 years in the NBA due to an irregular heartbeat, a stunning announcement after Aldridge had impressed in his brief Brooklyn stint after agreeing to a buyout with the Spurs last month. Aldridge represented a crucial frontcourt piece for the Nets, who had been in need of rim protection before acquiring Aldridge and Blake Griffin.
Aldridge only played five games with the Nets, but proved his worth in that time. With the veteran no longer an option, just how much will his absence impact the team’s title hopes?
“I don’t think it’s a five years ago LaMarcus Aldridge, but there’s no question when rested, these older guys can impact a quarter, a half, maybe even a game,” Audacy NBA insider Brian Scalabrine told Moose & Maggie on Thursday. “They’re definitely going to miss him. There’s no doubt about it.”
While the loss of Aldridge is a blow to the Nets, especially after he averaged 12.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field, Scalabrine isn’t ready to consider it a death sentence for Brooklyn’s championship hopes.
“It definitely impacts them, but I still think it all goes back to Kevin Durant,” Scalabrine said. “If he’s healthy, they’re going to be tough. If he’s out, I can’t see them winning without him playing at a high level.”
Still, without Aldridge, who scored 22 points in his last game before experience an irregular heartbeat, the Nets will need a formidable presence in the paint should they run into Joel Embiid and the 76ers in a seven-game series come playoff time.
“Especially to make sure a guy like Joel Embiid, who protects the rim so much, if you could pull him away from the rim, that would be a huge advantage in the playoffs, and that’s what LaMarcus Aldridge has done this year, even just being out in the corner and making corner threes,” Scalabrine said.
The Nets, even without Aldridge, Durant and James Harden, lost to Philadelphia by just six on Wednesday night after trailing by 20, proving that as long as they can get their stars back, the loss of Aldridge shouldn’t be the difference between a championship and an early playoff exit.
“You saw [Wednesday] that the 76ers can be good, when they’re clicking on all cylinders, they’re really good,” Scalabrine said. “Their starting group is really good. And the Bucks, I’m assuming they’re going to figure it out…it’s a shame LaMarcus Aldridge isn’t going to be able to make a run with these guys, but when I look at the nets, I focus all my energy on harden and Durant. If they’re good, the Nets are going to be a tough out.”
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