Young Grizzlies forward has shown ‘encouraging’ progress this summer
By Mark Nilon
The Memphis Grizzlies saw a slew of both past and present players partaking in this summer’s FIBA World Cup, with the likes of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks oft taking the bulk of attention from Grind City tabloids.
However, perhaps lost in their shadow was the high-level play put forth by soon-to-be third-year forward Santi Aldama, who played in five games for Team Spain.
And while he and his native country failed to qualify for a medal honor during the tournament, the 22-year-old had himself quite an impressive run on the international stage, with beat writer Damichael Cole noting that his play was quite “encouraging” to see as he gears up for the 2023-24 season.
Grizzlies big man put forth ‘encouraging’ production during the FIBA World Cup
"“He caught passes off screens, got isolations against smaller opponents and stayed engaged on offense. A patented fadeaway shot also should be an encouraging sign for a Grizzlies team hoping to see more players create shots to improve the half-court offense. Aldama has a lot of moves in his offensive bag,” Cole wrote."
https://twitter.com/FIBAWC/status/1698349671343616383
Serving as a focal point option within the rotation for Spain, Aldama finished out his World Cup showing with impressive averages of 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and a block per game while cashing in on a highly efficient 72.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from deep.
As Cole alluded to in his piece, for Grizzlies fans, this type of productivity should be quite exciting to see, especially when considering the strong his second season in the NBA turned out to be.
The former 30 overall selection capped off 2022-23 with career-best efforts, boasting promising averages of 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and just over half a block while shooting 47.0 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from distance.
Seeing his play in the World Cup is a good sign for his incoming third season.
