Mavs<Spurs
07-08-2005, 04:23 AM
Let's keep this one civilized since its mostly in the family. Both players are great players. Both are all stars. Both had a couple of off games and some great games. Some people have already posted on this topic. But a lot of people may feel a need to vent. Make your choice and defend it.
I'll make mine: Timmy. Tim was the only person for either team who averaged a double double. As Pop has said, the Spurs game is inside out. It all starts with Tim Duncan and the attention he attracts. He is the best power forward to ever play the game and the best basketball player in the world. He has been for the for the last several years. Let's remember that Tim was playing on two bum ankles that will not really be healed until the summer and was playing against Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace, probably the toughest defensive front line (with Teyshaun Prince). Tim had two terrible performances in games three and four. However, Manu's stats were nothing to write home about either. Games one, two, five and seven both Manu and Tim had great games. While in game seven, Tim had a dismal shooting second quarter and beginning of the third quarter, his first quarter and from the middle of the third quarter until the end of the game Tim shot 9 for 18. He got us off to a good start while Manu was on the bench. He also brought us back into the game. He opened up the lane for Manu. He forced them to double team. He scored about a point a minute from the middle of the third quarter on. He created open shots for Horry and Parker (both unfortunately missed - for Horry a rarity) as well as for Manu and Bowen. He had 11 rebounds in the game. Other games included 15 rebound games, 17 rebound games and 19 rebound games. Again, nobody else on either team was even remotely close to average a double double. Tim is clearly the leader of the Spurs, witness our struggles especially on the road without Tim.
Or to put it another way, if we absolutely had to trade one of these players who would it be? Or if we were to play game seven all over again and you had to sit one of the two players, who would you chose to sit? I have no doubt that the vast, overwhelming majority of knowledgeable Spurs fans and NBA fans and the NBA players as well as NBA analysts would choose to play Tim and sit Manu, as good as Manu is. None of this is to detract in any way from how well Manu played or how good I think he is. Some people may think that I overrate Manu when I say that I would put him in the top seven players in the league. Manu played an awesome series. I came to clarity and conviction in my conclusion only after watching and rewatching the Finals a lot of times. Of course, every one is free to have their own opinion. Plus, we are blessed to have two star players who play out of their minds. Anyways, that's just my opinion and your opinion is at least as valuable as mine, so feel free to post it! :fro
I'll make mine: Timmy. Tim was the only person for either team who averaged a double double. As Pop has said, the Spurs game is inside out. It all starts with Tim Duncan and the attention he attracts. He is the best power forward to ever play the game and the best basketball player in the world. He has been for the for the last several years. Let's remember that Tim was playing on two bum ankles that will not really be healed until the summer and was playing against Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace, probably the toughest defensive front line (with Teyshaun Prince). Tim had two terrible performances in games three and four. However, Manu's stats were nothing to write home about either. Games one, two, five and seven both Manu and Tim had great games. While in game seven, Tim had a dismal shooting second quarter and beginning of the third quarter, his first quarter and from the middle of the third quarter until the end of the game Tim shot 9 for 18. He got us off to a good start while Manu was on the bench. He also brought us back into the game. He opened up the lane for Manu. He forced them to double team. He scored about a point a minute from the middle of the third quarter on. He created open shots for Horry and Parker (both unfortunately missed - for Horry a rarity) as well as for Manu and Bowen. He had 11 rebounds in the game. Other games included 15 rebound games, 17 rebound games and 19 rebound games. Again, nobody else on either team was even remotely close to average a double double. Tim is clearly the leader of the Spurs, witness our struggles especially on the road without Tim.
Or to put it another way, if we absolutely had to trade one of these players who would it be? Or if we were to play game seven all over again and you had to sit one of the two players, who would you chose to sit? I have no doubt that the vast, overwhelming majority of knowledgeable Spurs fans and NBA fans and the NBA players as well as NBA analysts would choose to play Tim and sit Manu, as good as Manu is. None of this is to detract in any way from how well Manu played or how good I think he is. Some people may think that I overrate Manu when I say that I would put him in the top seven players in the league. Manu played an awesome series. I came to clarity and conviction in my conclusion only after watching and rewatching the Finals a lot of times. Of course, every one is free to have their own opinion. Plus, we are blessed to have two star players who play out of their minds. Anyways, that's just my opinion and your opinion is at least as valuable as mine, so feel free to post it! :fro