Underrated Aldama becomes a star: 37 points again!

Santi Aldama It doesn’t have the same mass appeal as it does in Spain. His “sin” that he did not experience balsa Either real madrid In a country where basketball is overshadowed by football, two great basketball players with their own traditions are supported by their fame and reputation for the beautiful game. But while Aldama has long transcended all of that, in recent days he’s been preoccupied with what appears to be his transformation into a star. The Canary Islander rose again to 37 points with last night’s victory. memphis grizzlies on the court for the Utah Jazz (128-137).

It will happen soon 25 yearsAldama had never reached the 30-point mark before, but he broke that barrier in recent days, reaching his career scoring record with 37 points against the Washington Wizards on Saturday. power forward The Palms He added that scoring frenzy to an impressive 13-of-21 points from the field and 7-of-13 on triples, as well as five rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes.

Until the current leader of the Spanish team lost his hair in recent days, his countryman had not been seen reaching such a goal tally since scoring an unforgettable 37 goals. ricky rubio at Madison Square Garden in 2021. Only Pau and Marc Gasol scored more goals in a single game, with 46 and 42 points. Both are icons of the Memphis era, and Santi is following that path, simply because there’s something special about the city of Tennessee with a Spanish player.

When asked on court about how close he had come to reaching that number in recent days, Aldama laughed and joked, “Are you scared of 40? No.”

“It’s definitely a great feeling when you see how the ball goes in. But I just try to be aggressive and patient. That’s what the coach always talks about. Sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s another teammate, but as long as we achieve victory, that’s all that matters to me,” the Canary Islander emphasized in the article. fifth season In the NBA.

Only one person can surpass Aldama.

Pau and Marc Gasol

Gasols is the only team with more points than Santi Aldama and is tied with Ricky Rubio with 37 points. Pau scored 46 points with the Chicago Bulls in 2015, and Marc scored 42 points with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2017.

Growing physically and expanding his range of play, Santi Aldama is an increasingly destructive shooter, accelerating his wrists more and more to give defenders no time to score, but once he picks up the pace, it’s hard to stop him from breaking through. 2.13. The Spanish international also continued to feint with his shots after contact and finish with increasingly dominant small bombs.

Aldama has grown in resources after recently touching on all the suits in terms of position and style, and is something that anyone can strengthen. “7” spent the night between positions 3 and 5 and is now an inside pair. jaren jackson jr. Sometimes “4” and sometimes “5” are collected. Zach Eady.

The Spaniard, now a starter, barely played last year but was able to adapt to the Grizzlies’ different playing philosophy. pick and roll And this year, his presence has increased even more. If a player reads the game and is as versatile as a canary, he is oblivious to what is being played and the positions that Memphis’ chronic injuries have forced him to change frequently. This season, he averaged 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3 assists in 27 minutes, shooting 48 percent from the field, 35 percent from triples, and making five attempts.

without it ja morant Due to his first ankle injury, the Spanish team leader presents himself as a top-level scoring option. As he proved in a game where the Grizzlies couldn’t settle down to celebrate until the end, Aldama, who had Kyle Filipovski and Keyontae George leading the Jazz with 25 and 24 points on Christmas eve, is clear about how he wants to celebrate.

“What would you like for me for Christmas? Two days of plenty of sleep,” Santi said with a laugh. Dreaming of a star like this One more thing.