Brooklyn Nets: Should Brooklyn worry if LaMarcus Aldridge goes to Boston?

The Brooklyn Nets have already been active before the trade deadline, snagging Blake Griffin away from several other contenders after the Detroit Pistons bought him out.

The Nets might find it difficult to make more moves, however, meaning San Antonio Spurs veteran LaMarcus Aldridge might end up going to a rival.

The seven-time All-Star and 15-year veteran who has split time between the Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers in his career is averaging 13.7 points per game on 46% shooting this season. However, San Antonio seems more interested in letting younger players get some experience

Aldridge and the Spurs will part ways before the deadline, which could help rivals like the Boston Celtics extend some feelers and see if trading for the $24 million big man is a realistic proposition for them.

Aldridge can still be an effective low-post player on offense given his expertise at knocking down mid-range jumpers. While that could scare a porous Nets defense, Aldridge has some serious deficiencies on defense given his age and plodding style of play, which could take some of the teeth out of any potential acquisition.

The Brooklyn Nets shouldn’t fear LaMarcus Aldridge too much.

While Aldridge can still put the ball in the basket at an efficient clip, and his new-and-improved 3-point shot could become a weapon for Brad Stevens’ offense, Aldridge is not the defender he once was, and his inability to move his feet in the paint could help the Nets rip Boston apart inside the paint.

The Spurs, on average, give up 9.5 points more when Aldridge is on the floor, one of the worst marks in the league for a big man. Considering that a defensive stalwart like Daniel Theis might need to be traded in order to even get Aldridge to Boston, the Celtics would be making a huge downgrade on that side of the court.

If the Nets choose to lean on their small-ball lineup, they could force Aldridge into some mismatches by spacing the floor and getting him further away from the basket. If anyone of the Nets’ three superstars gets isolated on Aldridge, they could just save everyone the time and chalk up two easy points.

Aldridge could cause some problems for the Nets’ defense, but his benefits on that end won’t be enough to outweigh the defensive headache he will cause Boston. The Nets should take note of a hypothetical Aldridge acquisition, but they shouldn’t be fearful of it.