Santi Aldama is ‘struggling’ to learn a lesson

The the broken Memphis Grizzlies reached Christmas week still looking for traction, their recent study of uneven performance, fluctuating availability and tight margins. Those same trends defined most of the news of the season. Of course, there were some unexpected victories along the way. Too many frustrating setbacks have been highlighted in the ongoing defensive lapses and challenges of the recent roster. Although Santi Aldama is hot lately, giving the Washington Wizards a 20-point lead crystallized a recurring theme.

Aldama reflected on the lessons learned from the 130-122 loss that left everyone at the FedEx Forum feeling bitter.

“We’ve learned that when we don’t do what we agreed to do, we don’t win,” Aldama told ClutchPoints. “I think that’s been the theme of the season. When we do things the way we practice them, we win. If we don’t, we lose. It was tough to be up by 20 and lose to a team that struggled. We just handed them the win and they took it.”

The Grizzlies lost Brandon Clark after four minutes; Jaren Jackson Jr. he fouled out at the end of the fourth quarter. However, Aldama’s 37-point, 10-rebound masterpiece was squandered by a collective sloppy effort after halftime.

“We didn’t play any defense. When a team has 21 rebounds on offense, it’s very hard to win like that,” Aldama said. “When you’re out there, you’re just trying to find ways to win. When you don’t have bodies out there, you still have to (do the work).”

Losing to lottery teams now only makes the job exponentially more difficult in April. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies know this through years of experience.

Santi Aldama saves the Grizzlies

The Grizzlies entered Christmas week 3-3 in their previous six games, a record that only tells half the story. It started with a home loss against the Utah Jazz (130-126). Road wins over the LA Clippers (121-103) and Minnesota Timberwolves (116-110) were impressive, helping to keep the momentum going. Tuomas Iisal’s team ran over lottery teams 5-1 before upending the Jazz on Dec. 12. The only loss in that streak was a seven-point thriller against Victor Wembanyama hosting the San Antonio Spurs.

Then the Wizards bullied their way down Beale Street. The depleted Grizzlies absorbed an expected loss on the road to the Oklahoma City Thunder two days later. Fortunately, Aldama and company then closed out the week with a revenge road win over the Jazz, responding with their own most related performance (41 assists).

“We played unselfishly, understood more space, read the defense better, recognized when they changed and when they didn’t,” explained Aldama. “It’s a process. We’re not there yet, but every day I feel like we’re getting closer.”

Aldama dropped another 37 points in the comeback win over the Jazz. The 24-year-old’s career and season are emblematic of that gradual progress. After an uneven start, his confidence and efficiency have improved, reflecting the team’s wider push for stability.

“It’s better than at the beginning, so it’s definitely a good feeling to see the ball go through the hoop,” Aldama said in an on-court interview. “I’m just trying to be aggressive and stay patient. That’s what the coaches always talk about. Sometimes it’s going to be me, sometimes it’s going to be a teammate. As long as we’re winning, that’s all I care about.”

As the Grizzlies try to move into a Western Conference position, the challenge remains less in finding solutions than in maintaining them. For Santi Aldama, the plan is clear, even if consistently following it has proven elusive. There are still lessons for this largely inexperienced team to learn, especially as Ja Morant and Zach Edei heal up.