During the past Christmas, while recovering in Memphis from an ankle injury that kept him off the court for two weeks, Santi Aldama finished reading The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey, a book that, using tennis as a metaphor, delves into the athlete's mental relationship with themselves, their fears, and the barriers to overcome. Because challenges are piling up for the only Spanish player in the NBA in his fourth season.
The Canary Islands native, supported by his coach, has adopted a motto: "A man on a mission". A mantra to face the responsibility. The individual responsibility, significant in his final year of contract, and the collective responsibility, with the Grizzlies, who, avoiding injuries and past controversies (like the suspension of their star Ja Morant), are growing to the point that only the modesty of the betting houses slightly distances them from their reality: being one of the favorites to reach the NBA Finals. In the third-best team in the West and fifth in overall standings (27-15) in the league, Santi is a key player.
He is the fourth leading scorer (13.3 points) on a team led by Morant, but with key players like Desmond Bane or Jaren Jackson Jr., and the second-best rebounder (7.1). All this coming off the bench. A role imposed by Jenkins to which, like almost everything in this league, Aldama has adapted without complaint. His performances are so remarkable that, incidentally, he has taken on another goal he never thought of. He has firmly entered the race for an award no Spanish player has ever won: being the NBA's Best Sixth Man. A prestigious award that requires a couple of criteria: to be eligible, a player must play more games coming off the bench than starting, and play at least 65 games.
In the betting odds led by Celtics' guard Payton Pritchard, Santi stands out prominently (De'Andre Hunter, Russell Westbrook, and Amen Thompson are among his competitors), with his performances and the versatility of his game, capable of defending guards, shooting, playing as a center... A role as a catalyst that serves as motivation. And his numbers reflect this, reaching a peak this past Friday against none other than Victor Wembanyama. Facing the towering Frenchman from the Spurs, the Spanish player achieved his highest scoring in the NBA (29 points in 30 minutes): for the first time, two consecutive games with over 20 points. A clear sign of what his season has been like. He scores, rebounds, assists, and steals more than ever. And this despite averaging one minute less per game than last season: Aldama has clearly improved in accuracy. He shoots three-pointers at 39.2%. In the sea of statistics, there is another secret that speaks of the excellent performance of the Spanish international: he is among the top 25 players in the NBA in the difference between points scored and conceded while on the court.
At the start of the season, although the Grizzlies did not consider it appropriate to exercise their option to renew Aldama (due to salary cap issues), Jenkins wanted to challenge him to improve. "I keep telling him to be a man on a mission on the court. He had two fantastic summers in consecutive years. The experience with the national team has really given him a confidence boost." A leap that also projects him towards signing, soon, the first major contract of his career. Although he has recently been surrounded by trade rumors, he will be a restricted free agent next summer. Estimates suggest he will sign for 40 million dollars for the next three seasons (the current one is close to four). There will be no shortage of suitors.