Santiago Aldama talks contract extension, new coach, and more

Santi Aldama: This is the way I like to play. I’m more used to what I used to do back home, just being more myself, engaging with the teammates. So it’s been definitely fun. And I think it’s only going to keep trending that way as I progress and get more experience. But it’s definitely been a nice jump to have.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

SA: I think one part is experience. Like me just having years under the belt, having time during the summers to work on my game. I’m 24. I think there’s going to be a steady progress for the coming years. The time with the National Team and playing a different role gave me confidence and just different looks. So I think just all that put together and fitting it into the Grizzlies basketball has just helped me become a better player and ultimately help the team learn to win.

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

SA: I know it feels weird having a seven-footer to play the three. But for me, it feels like I’m playing in position. I grew up being a point guard, and most of my life I actually played the two, three, four. So it’s kind of natural for me. I want to be out there. So call it the three to 4/5, whatever, positionless – I just want to be out there. So just trying to do the best to fit in the team. And like I said, the team wins, and we’re all good.

SA: Having family members that played, I got a lot of insight, which was good. But I didn’t really need to play. I never got to see them play. So players I actually got to see play—I would say Kobe [Bryant] and Pau [Gasol] were, you know, the first big duo I watched. Pau being Spanish and Kobe being one of the best ever. But then also Marc [Gasol]. A lot of national team basketball players and funny enough, Grizzlies players, too. And then Dirk Nowitzki. He’s just, I don’t know, a guy I’ve always liked—how he played, what he was about. So I think those three, four guys are probably my main references in basketball. Like I said, I don’t know, the game has always been part of my family and natural for me. So just anything—I think the greatest game of basketball is something I enjoy.

Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

SA: Yeah, I spent a decent summer with him. He went out to Spain. Ziaire Williams was there, too. We just spent a ton of time together. Like I said, summers are good for disconnection, but I take it more as just time to work. During the season, we have a bunch of games. We get individual cross-sessions, but I feel like during the summer, you can really tune in to certain things that you don’t have five years time during the season. Work on your body. And I’m lucky enough to be able to play. So those three things really helped me progress every year. And going into the summer, playing with the national team.

SA: Not necessarily change the style, but little tweaks in the rules, tweaks in where you find advantages within the game. So especially my first year with the national team was a little bit harder because I was a little bit more of a basketball fan. I haven’t played European-style basketball in four years. But at the end of the day, it’s just—I see it as added experience. I get to experience something that a lot of my teammates don’t. And I feel less than lucky in a way, but also just trying to take advantage of the opportunity.

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

SA: Yeah, it was great. Playing for your country is something that I don’t think you can really match with anything. Playing basketball for your country is something I have yet to find the words to describe. But for me, it’s just fun. So, playing a different role, having more of that leadership type role, even though I’m pretty young, it’s just putting me in a position to be better and just find ways in which I can translate it here and then translate the NBA basketball there, and just find ways to win. I’m more about winning, and anything that gets in the way of that, I’m not interested in. So I’m just trying to find ways to win.

SA: Yeah, figure it out later. At the end of the day, I want to be somewhere where we’re winning and where we’re fighting for the right stuff. I think here, we got a great thing going. We have a great relationship here, so I would love for it to keep that way. I’m just focusing on taking it day by day, getting better day by day. And that stuff will take care of itself.

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

SA: It’s definitely the first time it’s happened in my career. So, super thankful for Taylor [Jenkins], everything he’s given me. But with Thomas now I feel like we get a little bit of a fresh start. He has great ideas. I’m kind of familiar with what he was doing back in Europe, and it was great stuff. And funny enough he’s mentioned certain coaches that he’s used as reference, and I have friends that play for those coaches. So I actually watch them play basketball, and I see the similarities, but also the differences within, the style of basketball. And it’s fun for me to just see another point of view, be able to talk basketball with somebody that knows it at a high level, and just enjoy—keep enjoying basketball, I guess. And it’s definitely different the way the league is run, the way the teams are run. At the end of the day, basketball is basketball, and you just need players that want to buy in to whatever winning requires. And at the end of the day, if you have that, you will be able to succeed no matter what.

SA: We’re tweaking stuff for sure. No big changes because we really—we’ve had a long practice in like, what, four or five days. So as part of the NBA regular season, I think just us knowing our roles, having a voice and just understanding what are the non-negotiables and just holding each other accountable at a very high level, knowing exactly what we’re supposed to do. And that way, there’s no gray area.

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

SA: Oh, that’s a good question. I think just my general game IQ, knowing time and score, offensively and defensively. I may not be the fastest, tallest, or strongest, but I’m in the right spot at the right time. And I just feel like just me being out there, I help guide the team in a way where it makes winning easier.

SA: I don’t think there’s a single thing where I’m at my peak yet. So, pretty much everything. But I would say just keep growing my body. I can take on more challenges defensively. And offensively, I just want to be more physical. I just want to be able to beat guys to spots offensively. So I can get myself to positions I want to be in—call it get a dunk, layup, or just find the open teammate in a way where it’s easier for me and my teammate gets more time to shoot the shot. Or defensively, where I’m just going to be earlier so they don’t get a layup. I can close out earlier to the guy. So I’m just more of a presence.

THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images

SA: I mean, European basketball, just because, you know, we have a team [Grand Canaria]—a very high-level team—where I’m from. And NBA basketball, having to stay up at two, three AM, that’s a very tough negotiation to have with my mom. So that was not really happening. The only game I actually stayed up late while I had exams was Game 7, Cleveland against Golden State. So I’m actually glad I stayed. My mom did not know until the game happened. It was such a good game that I had to tell her.

SA: Yeah, definitely. Throughout the years, that has smoothed out a little bit both ways. 20 years ago, the American people were like NBA or nothing. And the European people were like EuroLeague or nothing. I think now there’s more of a blend. You see the games getting—it’s globalized. Like, it’s super easy to watch EuroLeague in the US and it’s super easy to watch the NBA in Europe. Just ’cause even if you don’t catch it that day, you can see all the highlights. So it’s pretty cool. But I think it’s different styles, different cultures. I think there are ways in which coaches coach there that would not—would not sit well in the NBA. And that’s just a fact. I had teammates with the national team that—you just tell me stuff, and it’s stuff that is completely normal to me because I grew up with them. And then you ask guys here and they don’t understand why somebody would act that way. But I think it’s cool. It’s just different cultures. And that’s why I feel like I’m blessed to be here just because I see both sides of basketball.

SA: Uh, I’ll get back to you on that.