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Steve Nash on Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge Deals: Nets Did Nothing Illegal
March 30, 2021
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash had no sympathy for those who criticized his decisions to continue building upon a roster that already included three of the league's biggest stars.
"I don't know what we're supposed to do: Not try to add to our roster and just sit pat?" Nash said, per Sam Amick and Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. "That's the idea of this league is to try to put together the best team you can put together. And that doesn't guarantee you anything. It's not like we did anything illegal."
The Nets were already contending for the top seed in the Eastern Conference with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden leading the show, but they weren't satisfied. After landing Blake Griffin following his buyout from the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn signed LaMarcus Aldridge to a one-year veteran minimum deal on Sunday.
Aldridge, a seven-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection, joined the Nets following a buyout by the San Antonio Spurs. But he's not going to immediately contribute to the Nets' superteam, as Nash said he will be held out for the next two to four games to better his conditioning, though he could eventually crack the starting lineup.
Griffin has found his stride with Brooklyn, having gone 5-of-8 from the field to score 17 points against the Detroit Pistons on Friday, his third game with the team.
As for the team's Big Three of Durant, Irving and Harden, they've only played seven games together this season, so the depth has proved to be more important than it seems it would be on paper. And with the team chasing the Philadelphia 76ers for the first seed in the East, the addition of Aldridge could be coming at the right time.