MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- LaMarcus Aldridge missed his first seven shots in the San Antonio Spurs' 103-83 win Thursday night over the Memphis Grizzlies, but rebounded to hit 7-of-8 down the stretch.

"He’s always been in my ear trying to tell me to be myself, be positive and it’s gonna come," LaMarcus Aldridge said of Tim Duncan. AP Photo/Brandon Dill

But throughout Aldridge’s early struggles, veteran forward Tim Duncan remained an uplifting force.

“He was in my ear the whole first half, just saying, ‘Just stay with it. Don’t start getting passive. Just be patient with your shot. Keep looking for it,’” Aldridge said.

Aldridge heeded that advice, and it paid dividends as he finished with 18 points and three blocked shots.

“I thought LaMarcus did a great job of using variety,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He got jumpers. He got down in the post and played. He ran the floor and sealed. He did a really good job of using variety in different offensive situations. He also played his ass off on defense, which nobody pays attention to. He was trying to block shots, was moving his feet and doing a good job.”

While the team’s implementation of Aldridge hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as expected, the power forward isn’t worried about missing out on personal accolades. Aldridge matched his season-low scoring output Wednesday during the club’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks, contributing just six points on 3-of-10 shooting and his scoring average (14.8) is down from last season (23.4).

“It doesn’t really matter. It’s not about me,” Aldridge said. “It’s about the team, and the team’s been winning. So that’s all that matters, really.

Despite Aldridge’s early struggles, Popovich said “he’s everything we anticipated.”

Aldridge flashed glimpses of that in the second half to overcome a slow start. Once Aldridge caught fire in the second half, he cracked a smile after hitting a bucket off a Tony Parker assist.

“[Tim Duncan] kept staying in my ear, and I wouldn’t smile,” Aldridge explained. “So he was getting frustrated with me. I made a shot. I gave him a smile, and that’s when he got kind of hype. But he’s been nothing but positive for me this whole process. He’s always been in my ear trying to tell me to be myself, be positive and it’s gonna come; just be patient. So tonight, it was evident in the game that he tried to keep me positive. Then when things turned, I think he was more happy that I started playing better than I was.”