His shot was off-kilter, evidenced by his 34.1 field goal percentage in the first five games of the Rodeo Road Trip.
San Antonio was outscored by eight points with Aldridge on the floor in this five-game stretch. While he sat, the Spurs were beating its opponents by 12 points.
Without Aldridge operating at his normal efficiency, Kawhi needed to ascend to the basketball heavens and essentially be Superman in order for the Spurs to compete in games.
The All-Star break couldn’t come soon enough for Aldridge.
But, first, he was the beneficiary of an early All-Star gift.