{"id":109671,"date":"2024-11-29T09:13:51","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T14:13:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=109671"},"modified":"2024-11-29T09:15:05","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T14:15:05","slug":"grizzlies-santi-aldama-many-more-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/29\/grizzlies-santi-aldama-many-more-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Grizzlies Big Man Hopes To Stay \u2018For Many More Years\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the strongest groups of big men in the entire NBA. Heading into the season, they already knew that their versatility would be a strength, as they have the personnel to play several different styles. A fifth of the way through the 2024-25 season, and they\u2019ve already demonstrated that.<\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of the season, 7-foot-4 center <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/edeyza01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach Edey<\/a> was the team\u2019s starting center. The initial 2024-25 Rookie of the Year favorite, Edey\u2019s blend of <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/12\/why-zach-edeys-size-can-vault-memphis-to-west-contention\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">size and low-post skill<\/a> has had people <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/16\/nba-rick-carlisle-grizzlies-zach-edey-drafted-too-low\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">wondering how so many overthought<\/a> his capabilities at the NBA level. However, early on, Edey\u2019s had a tendency to get in foul trouble. That\u2019s not an uncommon occurrence for young players or centers and Edey happens to be both.<\/p>\n<p>Because of these issues though, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins has thrown several bigs into the fire.<\/p>\n<h2>Grizzlies Big Man Santi Aldama Hopes To Stay \u2018For Many More Years\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Initially, 6-foot-11 forward-center <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/aldamsa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Santi Aldama<\/a> was the biggest benefactor of Edey\u2019s growing pains. With how well he played in the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments and then the Paris Olympics, he was probably always likely to get the first shot to step up. However, because he and the Grizzlies failed to reach a rookie scale contract extension, it left doubt about whether he would be in Memphis for the long haul.<\/p>\n<p>This season, Aldama\u2019s averaged a career-high 27.6 minutes per game and started in 11 contests. Interestingly, his production doesn\u2019t really change much whether he\u2019s starting or coming off the bench. Nonetheless, he\u2019s averaging career-highs in points (12.5), rebounds (7.7), and assists (3.3).<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"es\">DON SANTI ALDAMA ante los BUCKS \ud83d\ude24\ud83d\udc99<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc3b19 puntos<br \/>\n\ud83d\udc3b9 rebotes<br \/>\n\ud83d\udc3b2 asistencias<br \/>\n\ud83d\udc3b1 recuperaci\u00f3n<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Halloween?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Halloween<\/a> x <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/santialdama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@santialdama<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nheIm1BBMX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/nheIm1BBMX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBASpain (@NBAspain) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBAspain\/status\/1852256803331150152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 1, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The 30th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Aldama was manifesting his worth long before now. Yet, he\u2019s not only still improving but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marca.com\/baloncesto\/nba\/2024\/11\/27\/mejor-aldama-ultimo-ano-contrato-certeza-vaya-ano-viene.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">given himself a high bar<\/a> to clear. Indeed, in an interview with Marca\u2019s Nacho Duque, he says he\u2019s \u201cvery far from where (he feels he) would like to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That being said, Aldama hopes that he can continue growing in Memphis. Not just this season, but far beyond it:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cMemphis is my home. I feel like we have a very good relationship, and I hope it lasts for many more years.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>He doesn\u2019t have \u201ccertainty\u201d that he\u2019ll be with the Grizzlies past this season, and he recognizes that being a contract year \u201ccan be a double-edged sword.\u201d \u201c\u2026You have that extra motivation to do better, but I think that in the end you can also fall into a somewhat selfish spiral,\u201d he says. However, there are more reasons to hold onto Aldama than not, if the price is right.<\/p>\n<h3>Their Best (Backup?) Center<\/h3>\n<p>Currently, 6-foot-8 veteran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/clarkbr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandon Clarke<\/a> is the team\u2019s starting center.<\/p>\n<p>His experience and mobility are useful the defensive end. His ball-movement helps the team play with pace and flow. It also makes it easier for franchise cornerstone <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jacksja02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/a> to play his natural hybrid role as a forward-center.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, there are few areas in which Clarke is superior to Edey as a player, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/10\/giant-grizzlies-draft-pick-saluted-by-dpoy-teammate\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">especially rim-protection<\/a>. His lack of size and often forgettable impact on boards can also put the Grizzlies at a disadvantage. On top of that, he\u2019s a mediocre three-point threat, shooting just 6.3 percent from downtown this season.<\/p>\n<p>So, Memphis\u2019s choice to start him rather than emphasize quicker decisions from Edey is kind of a head-scratching move in a vacuum. With that being said, Aldama has a better case to be part of the Grizzlies\u2019 1-2 punch at center. Though not an elite shot-blocker, he\u2019s a strong rebounder and capable three-point threat. He\u2019s also been a solid playmaker.<\/p>\n<p>Jenkins has played Aldama all over the frontcourt and should continue to do so. Yet, no player on the roster makes as much sense to be Edey\u2019s backup (or Edey his).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the strongest groups of big men in the entire NBA. Heading into the season, they already knew that their versatility would be a strength, as they have the personnel to play several different styles. A fifth of the way through the 2024-25 season, and they\u2019ve already demonstrated that. At [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5008,"featured_media":109693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32,1608,62],"tags":[1842,297,49042,3840,4741],"class_list":["post-109671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grizzlies","category-basketball","category-nba","tag-brandon-clarke","tag-nba-free-agency","tag-santi-aldama","tag-taylor-jenkins","tag-zach-edey"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5008"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109671\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}