Is Duncan Over the Hill?

[ezau]

12 Seasons and 100+ games in the post season can really take on anyone's body, even if you're the greatest power forward of all time. At 32 nearing 33, I'd like you to know whether Duncan is washed up or not.

[angelbelow]

hes on the downside of his career age wise, but is still effective and one of the elites.

[Thomas82]

No he IS NOT over the hill, he's just not healthy right now.

[spurspokesman]

No he's not. It's the lack of talent around him that strains him to much at this stage in his career. Put more talent and watch more rings come.

[Drom John]

Age and game, no, he's not over the hill.

Knees and diagnosis. Yes, Tim is over the hill.

[Bruno]

In 01-02 and 02-03 (his back to back mvp years), Tim averaged 24.4/12.8 per 40 min.
This year, before his tendinosis, Tim averaged 23.6/11.9 per 40 min.

[BadOne]

No he's not. It's the lack of talent around him that strains him to much at this stage in his career. Put more talent and watch more rings come.

I have to agree. Duncan is like a better version of Kareem. He could very well play into his 40's if he wanted to.

Not too old, just not 100%. Look, with this team, anything short of a championship is always a dissapointment, but winning the division and then losing to a division rival in the playoffs...that is a loss the fans do not want to experience again.

This may go 7 games, but if the supporting cast can wake up, the Spurs have a chance.


-BADONE

[George Gervin's Afro]

yes.

[vander]

yeah it's that tendonosis thing, He should have shut it down when diagnosis came out, until he healed completely.

[temujin]

He'd still win a championship.

Playing for the Lakers.

[ploto]

Tim is not over the hill but the load he had to carry this year made matters worse for him.

[tmtcsc]

Nah, the skills are there but he's playing injured.

[JoeChalupa]

He has lost a step but he's not over the hill....not yet.......not yet.

[HORNSWOGGLE]

I just got all my food paid for at valero, for still wearing my Duncan jersey after such a shitty loss, by some randon person

[Jace]

No, his FO has just failed to put talent around him. They couldn't get Mahinmi healthy, they couldn't get Splitter, they traded away certain talent.. Is KG over the hill? No, because he has Rondo, Allen and Pierce

[kace]

No, his FO has just failed to put talent around him. They couldn't get Mahinmi healthy, they couldn't get Splitter, they traded away certain talent.. Is KG over the hill? No, because he has Rondo, Allen and Pierce

Rondo, Allen and Pierce < Tony and Manu. the role players sucks though.

and in 2003, Tim didn't need any star to win a championship. Manu wasn't playing a lot, tony was fading in PO by this time, D-Rob was a (useful) old man. we had a great supporting cast but Tim was a beast then.

i think it's safe to say he could have lost a step on both side of the court. Still, he's one of the best big man out there.

[SenorSpur]

"Over the hill" is a strong and inaccurate assessment. He's definitely older and has significant tread wear on his tires. However, he's also not 100% healthy, either.

The fact that he has gotten older and has played a siginificant amount of basketball during his time with the Spurs, emphasizes the fact that he needs significantly more help around him than before.

[Extra Stout]

When Tim Duncan is healthy and feeling good, he will put up numbers in keeping with his career averages,

The problem is that it will be tougher and tougher for him to stay healthy and feeling good late in seasons and into the playoffs as he ages. His tendonosis is probably an artifact of wear-and-tear on his knees from a long NBA career, playing deep into Many and June season after season, and while the symptoms will let up with some rest, they are prone to flare up again when the pounding on his knees starts up again on the court.

[fotan2]

he doesnt even have hill. he is so consistant throughout the career. unlike other players,he is well developed and is on the top level since the first season. so i would say that there is neither a peak nor a bottom for him.

[HarlemHeat37]

before the injury, he was having arguably his best season in a few years..

[timaios]

Rondo, Allen and Pierce < Tony and Manu. the role players sucks though.

and in 2003, Tim didn't need any star to win a championship. Manu wasn't playing a lot, tony was fading in PO by this time, D-Rob was a (useful) old man. we had a great supporting cast but Tim was a beast then.

i think it's safe to say he could have lost a step on both side of the court. Still, he's one of the best big man out there.

Rondo is becoming a great player. He is so underrated.

In 3 games in 2009 playoffs :
22.7 ppg 50 % FG
10.7 rpg
9.7 apg
4.0 steals per game

He leads his team in all these stats !!!
He almost averages a triple double !!!

[turiaf for president]

not over the hill, but i dont think he can carry a team anymore. still am all star player but age and this knees are taking its toll. parker needs to put this team on his shoulders for them to have success in the playoffs.

[Spursmania]

Duncan is not over the Hill. The FO needs to help him out and stop fucking around. We need real role players.

[mrspurs]

Timmy fell of the hill years ago. I used to think it was because he has had no help. But look at him play and its noones fault. He is just to old. He cant move, he cant make easy layups, block shots. This is Tonys team. Not Timmys.

[Drom John]

Just like "can" was a stupid word to use in the poll. "Over the hill" is a phrase that most of the above posters don't understand. Duncan may play many years as a quality starter for the Spurs. But Duncan has already peaked and is on the downhill side of his career. In baseball terms, think Mariano Rivera.

Tendionosis does not heal. Duncan may have many very good knee days, but he will never again have a healthy knee day.

Is the downhill side of Duncan better than the uphill side of Blake Griffin? Maybe.

[ProjectGSX]

hes on the downside of his career age wise, but is still effective and one of the elites.

Agreed. He has started on the decline of his career. Still very effective when healthy. "Over the Hill" doesnt mean your career is over.

[pjjrfan]

Back in November Tim was his old self and giving credence to the belief that any team with Duncan and 4 srubs can win 50 games. He's not healthy but I don't see it as a decline but rather just bad timing and getting worn out from having to do so much earlier in the year.

[jack0fspeed]

Clearly Duncan ain't right.

No way Dampier or Nowitzki can guard him one-on-one if he's healthy ... at this or any age.

[S4Spur21]

Having Matt Bonner as your starting C will make any 10 year vet look over the hill.

[Thomas82]

no he's not. it's the lack of talent around him that strains him to much at this stage in his career. put more talent and watch more rings come.


+100000