NBA Rumors: San Antonio Spurs Welcome Back LaMarcus Aldridge; Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan Tops Mavericks' Deron Williams, Chandler Parsons

Nov 28, 2015 08:28 PM EST

The San Antonio Spurs delivered a spectacular performance in the game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The said match up saw the return of prized NBA star LaMarcus Aldridge and the notable rise of Kawhi Leonard. Moreover, the San Antonio Spurs managed to snag their third straight victory on the road this NBA season.

"I felt fresh. My body felt good," shared Aldridge following the match against the Deron Williams squad, according to ESPN. The power forward went on to state, "I gained energy, fresh legs. Watching the games, I learned my spots a little bit better. So I gained. I didn't lose anything. I think it's just about playing every game, and just being more comfortable out there. I think I'm getting more comfortable every game. Tonight, I was myself. I think it's a process for me. I think tonight I felt better out there."

While the return of Aldridge apparently boosted the performance of the San Antonio Spurs, Leonard believes that the former Portland Trailblazers star still has room for improvement. He said, "I don't think he's [Aldridge] playing his best basketball yet. It's still early in the season, and he's still trying to get into a flow and learn our plays. I feel like he's gonna get better."

Aldridge's performance against the Dallas Mavericks fueled the team's hope of his growth, though - a fact that did not go unnoticed by head coach Gregg Popovich. "He [Aldridge] did well. He's starting to feel comfortable with what we're doing," he shared.

Apart from Aldridge, the San Antonio Spurs witnessed the continuing progress of Leonard. With the help of the small forward who scored 26 points on Wednesday, the Tim Duncan squad managed to hold down the Chandler Parsons team and finish the night with an 88-83 win. The points from Leonard also included a crucial three-pointer, which sealed the San Antonio Spurs' with only 15 seconds remaining in the game.n

With the promising performance of both Aldridge and Leonard, Popovich is quick to point out that the San Antonio Spurs still need more time to execute their plays. According to the head coach, the offense of the NBA team is still "rickety." He further shared that the implementation of their gameplays is "not very rhythmic or consistent." Moreover, Popovich acknowledged that their defense is impressive which is why they still win games.

"People are still trying to figure out when and where their shots are and what's right and wrong in the offense. So that leads to a little bit of hesitation," explained Duncan earlier this season, according to ESPN

The NBA veteran added, "We're gonna make mistakes, and we're gonna use as we always do, use the 82 [regular season games] to figure those mistakes out and try to minimize them as much as possible. It's very different for us, but it's been wonderful because [the new players have] been great, willing to learn. They're willing to find their roles and play their roles. They're here to win, and that's all they're about. That's what we want people to buy into. That's what we want people to do."