Yahoo Sports: Tim Duncan Player of the Decade

[mexpurs21]

Tim Duncan has led his team to four championships, three during the decade in question. He scores efficiently on either block, is a monster defender, rebounds like few others, draws huge amounts of attention when he has the ball offensively (something Kobe and KG, for all their gifts and for all the double-teams sent their way, just can't compare to), and he wins games.
Has he had great teams around him? Sure. But he's been better than everyone else.
If you really think about it, if you really deal with the game on the level it deserves, you know he's been the best. Really, it shouldn't even be a question. Tim Duncan's been the best player of the last decade.


Check the rest of the list here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/The-10-best-NBA-players-of-the-last-decade?urn=nba,194287

[GoSpurs99]

The greatest Spur had the greatest decade!!

[peacemaker885]

Amen.

[bresilhac]

Without question.

[polandprzem]

how come KG is better then Shaq and Kobe?

funny

[Samr]

how come KG is better then Shaq and Kobe?

funny

Because he hasn't committed adultery and/or eaten anyone.

[ambchang]

Having Shaq #6, Lebron #5, and Garnett #2 destroys the legitimacy of the whole list.

[Ditty]

laker fan pissed of in 3....2....1

[TheSullyMonster]

laker fan pissed of in 3....2....1

Garnett over Shaq and Kobe is kinda BS.

[lefty]

No surprise here

Duncan just outdecading players he is supposed to outdecade.

[Blackjack]

Has he had great teams around him? Sure.

I really don't get how this is becoming the prevailing wisdom when contemplating Tim's greatness..

Up until '05, the Spurs never acquired the coveted free-agents other teams did -- Fin and Van Exel, which just goes to show coveted doesn't always mean most productive -- and KG's team's were every bit as talented as Tim's up until the departure of Cassell and Spree. --The latter in order to feed his family.--

You gonna tell me that Tim had the luxury of playing with the best perimeter player in the league, or someone like Shaq in his prime?

Tim had Dave at the end of his career and, while he was still a hell of a player for Tim's first couple of years, he wasn't being confused for an All-Star in '03.

The Spurs won with a system that consisted of players that just about any team could have had. They weren't luring players because of a location, overspending for lesser talent, benefitting from questionable trades, churning out All-Star players with late-round picks.

The Spurs won with a system that was made possible by the greatness of Tim Duncan.

Tim's ability to play the pivot from the power-forward position and his willingness to bang in the paint, is the very reason a guy like KG, for all his talents, was getting bounced in the first-round every year.

Tim allowed Pop to fill out a roster with players that had a limited skill set but could fill a particular role. Given Tim's ability, consistency, unselfishness, and the fact that you always knew where he'd be on the floor, he gave Pop the means to build a system that would stand the test of time. Had Tim decided he was content to settle for the jumpshot and float on the perimeter to avoid as much banging as possible, the system never would have had the success it's had.

So, yeah, Tim eventually got his sidekick All-Star in '05, and Tony shortly followed in completing the triumvirate, but none of that would have meant as much or even probably been possible had Tim not turned out to be the type of player he did.

There are guy's who get the moniker of 'franchise player', and than there's someone like Tim Duncan.

The Franchise.

[polandprzem]

Having Shaq #6, Lebron #5, and Garnett #2 destroys the legitimacy of the whole list.

i agree with leBron being lower then kg but shaq had phenomenal begining of the decade

[024]

duncan is well placed at #1. shaq probably should have been number 2 but he has been injured/slowed the latter half of the decade.

[ambchang]

i agree with leBron being lower then kg but shaq had phenomenal begining of the decade

That's why Shaq should have been much much higher. It's Duncan and Shaq at 1 and 2, there shouldn't even be another person at those positions, it's not even debatable.

As for KG, all he proved with the Celtic championship is that he is a fantastic 2nd fiddle. He should be fighting with Dirk Nowitzki as being the 2nd best PF of the decade, not 2nd best player of the decade.

[024]

it's kind of funny to see lakerfan's head explode in the comment section.

[TIMMYD!]

I really don't get how this is becoming the prevailing wisdom when contemplating Tim's greatness..

Up until '05, the Spurs never acquired the coveted free-agents other teams did -- Fin and Van Exel, which just goes to show coveted doesn't always mean most productive -- and KG's team's were every bit as talented as Tim's up until the departure of Cassell and Spree. --The latter in order to feed his family.--

You gonna tell me that Tim had the luxury of playing with the best perimeter player in the league, or someone like Shaq in his prime?

Tim had Dave at the end of his career and, while he was still a hell of a player for Tim's first couple of years, he wasn't being confused for an All-Star in '03.

The Spurs won with a system that consisted of players that just about any team could have had. They weren't luring players because of a location, overspending for lesser talent, benefitting from questionable trades, churning out All-Star players with late-round picks.

The Spurs won with a system that was made possible by the greatness of Tim Duncan.

Tim's ability to play the pivot from the power-forward position and his willingness to bang in the paint, is the very reason a guy like KG, for all his talents, was getting bounced in the first-round every year.

Tim allowed Pop to fill out a roster with players that had a limited skill set but could fill a particular role. Given Tim's ability, consistency, unselfishness, and the fact that you always knew where he'd be on the floor, he gave Pop the means to build a system that would stand the test of time. Had Tim decided he was content to settle for the jumpshot and float on the perimeter to avoid as much banging as possible, the system never would have had the success it's had.

So, yeah, Tim eventually got his sidekick All-Star in '05, and Tony shortly followed in completing the triumvirate, but none of that would have meant as much or even probably been possible had Tim not turned out to be the type of player he did.

There are guy's who get the moniker of 'franchise player', and than there's someone like Tim Duncan.

The Franchise.
:toast:toast:toast
Best thing I've read from someone here in a while.
If there was a crying smilie I'd put it.

[kamikazi_player]

Shaq shoulda been #2 and KG at #4. LOL Dirk higher than Lebron and Shaq.

[TIMMYD!]

That's why Shaq should have been much much higher. It's Duncan and Shaq at 1 and 2, there shouldn't even be another person at those positions, it's not even debatable.

As for KG, all he proved with the Celtic championship is that he is a fantastic 2nd fiddle. He should be fighting with Dirk Nowitzki as being the 2nd best PF of the decade, not 2nd best player of the decade.

Exactly, KG didn't do shit until two years ago when he was traded to the Celtics.

[duncan228]

If there was a crying smilie I'd put it.

:cry

[#2!]

I hope this becomes the prevailing thought about duncan in the future. KG as #2 is ludicrous. not that he isn't a great player/talent, kobe and shaq should be battling it out for number 2. You can't tell me that KG never had a team w/ equal talent to the Spurs championship team in 2003. Manu was a rookie, Captain Jack was unknown and couldn't resist doing his own thing, tony was still young and (wildly) unreliable, and Mr. Robinson was in his last year, a solid to great role player at best.

Tim Duncan carried that team to a championship, and he's done it twice since. KG got traded to the celtics, marking the start of this "throw money at it" era in basketball, and helped his team win a championship. The next season he got down on all fours and barked at a foreign born point guard playing for the almighty Toronto Raptors, I guess because his game wasn't doing shit to scare anyone. It is an insult to Tim Duncan to compare him to Kevin Garnett.

[redzero]

What's your complaint now, Spurs fans? That Parker isn't on the list, too?

[Chomag]

I think what gave Shaq such a low rating is because his effort wasn't always there for many of those seasons. He has most of the time been someone that just coasted on talent.

[Chillen]

Duncan deserves it, the Spurs have made the playoffs every season this decade. The Lakers with Kobe missed the postseason in 2005, though he had some injurys. Also Duncan has played with talent, but with Robinson the exception, never has never played with the likes of a talented big like Shaq or Gasol like Kobe has. Kobe has been surrounded by tons of talent, Duncan Robinson, Manu and Tony.

I agree with the list except this is how I would place them:

1. Tim Duncan, Spurs
2. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
3. Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers/Heat
4. Kevin Garnett, Wolves/Celtics
5. Lebron James, Cavs
6. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavs
7. Jason Kidd, Nets
8. Dwayne Wade, Heat
9. Allen Iverson, Sixers
10. Tracy McGrady, Orlando

[HarlemHeat37]

There's no possible argument to have Shaq that low though, it just doesn't make sense..he's definitely #2 IMO..Kobe is severely overrated by the media and his obsessed fans, as you can see in the comments..I'd put the rapist at #3, but there's no reason he should be #2 IMO, let alone #1..

Duncan
Shaq
Kobe
Garnett

[duncan228]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/temp%20duncan/lead193.jpg

It’s always nice to see Duncan get his due, but the only list that will matter is the one that will place him Top Ten of all-time.

He’s simply one of the greatest to ever play.

[024]

for some reason, the writer has some kind of obsession with garnett. he's ranked first at PF and then second at the greatest player list. he's good, but he's not a winner.