The latest Aussie Spur: On Landale's rise in San Antonio
Jock Landale is Australia's latest NBA regular, as he cracks Gregg Popovich's rotation in San Antonio.
When Jock Landale signed with the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season, it was a dream come true and the end of a drawn out saga, after restrictive contracts with European clubs had placed his NBA ambitions on hold.
“There's a filthy taste in my mouth,” Landale told ESPN in 2021, while leading Melbourne United’s charge towards the 2021 NBL title. “I'm p---ed off how things went and how they all got so messed up. Things out of my control, based on advice I was given by people that should be giving the right advice, affecting my career, is ... what else can I do?”
After winning the 2021 NBL title and an Olympic bronze medal, Landale joined the San Antonio Spurs, hoping to provide big man depth behind starting centre Jakob Poeltl.
While being in the NBA is an achievement in itself, playing time is a whole different story. Landale only made three appearances throughout November, playing a total of 12 NBA minutes for the entire month.
This lack of game time prompted a G League stint, presumably for match fitness, where Landale unleashed his frustrations and made his case for additional NBA minutes. The big man made 22 of 27 field goals across two G League games, with averages of 27.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
It was quickly apparent that the 26 year old was a class above his G league contemporaries. Landale showcased a remarkable variety in his offensive game, scoring buckets from the paint, three-point line and everywhere in between.
