For years, critics of the San Antonio Spurs have said that once Tim Duncan retired, the team would sink back into being a lottery team.

However, no one counted on them signing a player of LaMarcus Aldridge’s caliber during the final years of Duncan’s career.

Aldridge has reportedly agreed to a four-year, 80-million dollar deal with the Spurs, which means he will leave the Portland Trail Blazers after spending nine seasons there.

While many are already saying that the Spurs are the favorites to win the NBA title, I still believe the Golden State Warriors should be considered the favorites until someone knocks them off. But the Spurs have put themselves in terrific shape to do this given that Aldridge fills a huge need in terms of mid-range shooting. While Duncan is still phenomenal in the post and paint with his array of clever moves, his mid-range jump shot is so-so at this stage of his career. Aldridge’s mid-range shot is almost like Stephen Curry’s three-point shot in the sense that you are shocked when it does not go in.

Aldridge turns 30 in a couple of weeks, and given that his contract runs out the same time as head coach Gregg Popovich’s does, this realistically gives the Spurs at least another four years to add to their dynasty of five championships and 16 straight years of 50+ wins in the regular season.

This acquisition speaks volumes about Popovich’s recruiting power. He has done a fantastic job in the past recruiting role players like Michael Finley, Brent Barry and Boris Diaw, but Aldridge is the biggest “get” of his career. This is by far the best offseason the Spurs have had since 2000 when they somehow convinced Duncan to re-sign with them and not join the Orlando Magic who had just signed Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill. And it appears that they are not done either, as they are rumored to be pursuing David West very heavily right now. For a team located in such a small market, the success they have had over this two-decade run has simply been remarkable, and it looks like it will now probably stretch into a quarter of a century, something that may never be replicated again in sports.

While some might claim that the Spurs are “back” after this signing, they really never went anywhere. Even if they did not sign Aldridge they would still be a contender to win it all. They could have beaten the Warriors this past season if both Tony Parker and Tiago Splitter weren’t playing on one leg during their first-round series loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. But now with Aldridge on board, the combination of shooting, strength, and high basketball IQ they now possess is downright scary.

Aldridge will have to work on becoming a better defensive player, but the Spurs’ player development program is world renowned. The Spurs will eventually become Aldridge’s team when Duncan retires, and it should be Aldridge’s focus to not only embrace this right from the start, but to also help in potentially sending Duncan off into the sunset with his sixth ring this coming season.

Dan Schultz is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.