Aldama transforms Grizzlies' frontcourt instability into a breakout season, quietly dominating with expanded offensive role and crucial versatility.
Santi Aldama’s growth this season has been steady enough to escape headlines but significant enough to reshape the Memphis Grizzlies’ frontcourt identity.
For a team that has spent much of the year managing instability up front, Aldama has quietly become a stabilizer — a player whose expanded role has not only survived increased responsibility but thrived under it. Through 30 games this season, Aldama is averaging 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists, building on a 2024–25 campaign in which he posted career highs across the board with 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 65 games.
The raw numbers tell only part of the story. What stands out most is how seamlessly Aldama has scaled his game. Once viewed as a back-end rotation big, he has evolved into a nightly 25-plus-minute fixture whose offensive volume has risen without sacrificing efficiency. Last season, he shot 48.3 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three, marks that held even as his field-goal attempts climbed to roughly 10 per game. Over the final stretch of that regular season, his production remained steady despite increased defensive attention, reinforcing that the growth was sustainable rather than situational.
Context matters. Memphis’ frontcourt has been repeatedly disrupted by injuries and roster turnover, with Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke all dealing with significant issues that forced the coaching staff to lean heavily on whoever remained available. At various points, Aldama and Jock Landale were effectively the only healthy bigs, pushing Aldama into starting-caliber minutes and higher-usage offensive possessions he had rarely carried before.
Rather than shrinking under that pressure, Aldama expanded his impact. His assist rate climbed to nearly three per game, a notable development for a big man, as Memphis increasingly used him as a dribble-handoff hub and short-roll passer when defenses loaded up on Ja Morant actions. His ability to read coverages and deliver quick decisions helped keep the offense functional even as lineups fluctuated nightly.
That role has also carried defensive value. Aldama’s versatility has allowed him to toggle between the four and small-ball five, defending in space well enough to survive switches while still offering weak-side rim contests and consistent rebounding. That flexibility has been critical for a team trying to maintain spacing for Morant while retaining enough size to compete physically.
The offensive explosion that recently produced a career-high 37-point night offered a snapshot of how far his confidence has come, but Aldama’s perspective afterward underscored a mindset rooted more in process than numbers.
After the win, Aldama was asked if he realized he was approaching 40 points as the night unfolded.
“Hell no,” he said.
When the focus shifted to how Memphis finally closed the game, Aldama emphasized collective execution rather than individual scoring.
“They’re a team that fights,” Aldama said. “You saw what happened at home — they kept fighting and came back. We knew it could happen. We just rebounded the ball. I think we gave them too many second-chance points in the first half, so closing the game out that way was big for us.”
That same theme surfaced when Aldama addressed the Grizzlies’ ball movement after recording 41 assists, one of their best offensive performances of the season.
“I think we’re being more selfless,” Aldama said. “We’re understanding the spacing better, reading the defense better, recognizing when they’re switching and when they’re not. It’s a process. We’re not there yet, but every day I feel like we’re getting closer.”
Even as his scoring rhythm has surged — with multiple near-40-point outings in a short span — Aldama framed his confidence in terms of balance.
“Better than at first, for sure,” he said. “It feels good to see the ball go through the hoop. I’m just trying to be aggressive but patient — that’s what the coaches always talk about. Sometimes it’ll be me, sometimes it’ll be another teammate. As long as we get the win, that’s what I care about.”
That approach encapsulates Aldama’s season. He is no longer merely a developmental piece or emergency option. He has become a connector big — someone whose shooting, passing and versatility help bridge Memphis’ established core with a reshaped roster navigating constant change.
For the Grizzlies, Aldama’s rise from project to pillar has not been loud, but it has been essential. And in a season defined by uncertainty, his reliability may be one of the most valuable developments Memphis has found.