Tim Duncan ranked third best player in NBA in 2013 on ESPN segment

[Kidd K]

Dead serious. The list was:

1: LeBron James
2: Kevin Durant
3: Tim Duncan
4: Kobe Bryant
5: Chris Paul (and someone else was tied for 5, I forget. May have been James Harden)

They also name dropped Parker and Rose (if healthy) as being top 10s. Surprisingly no mention of Dwight Howard or Carmelo Anthony though (but I caught the segment halfway through and they didn't replay it).

The list was done by an ex-Spurs guy they have on staff though. So don't get too excited that ESPN has given SA some props for once.

[Darius Bieber]

Chris Paul really shouldn't be in Top 5 in my opinion.

[look_at_g_shred]

It's funny how Chris Paul always gets a pass for being a top 5 player in the league. I find it weird that they can look past that this guy is not good enough to carry his team to a championship much less the WCF. All they see is the numbers during the season. He doesn't turn things up in the playoffs....he chokes!

[kobexxx]

maybe true 5 years ago.... dwight howard or carmelo anthony maybe more appropriate

[Dex]

maybe true 5 years ago.... dwight howard or carmelo anthony maybe more appropriate

You apparently did not see Duncan make Howard his bitch in the first round.

[in2deep]

good stuff and I agree

[HarlemHeat37]

On a per-minute basis, Duncan was easily a top 5 player last year, tbh..the only players that were clearly ahead were Lebron and Durant, actually..

If minutes are factored, he was a top 10 player..

[Darius McCrary]

Chris Paul is so good that he fails every year.

[Kidd K]

I thought Tim Duncan deserved his first DPOY last year tbh. He should've already had one by now. Dude has the second highest career defensive rating of all time (was #1 until a few years ago and is still very close to #1), a ton of all NBA 1st and 2nd defensive teams, and somehow zero DPOYs?

Marc Gasol of all people got it? Duncan had way more boards and blocks per game despite playing less minutes. . and had a much better (league leading) defensive rating while only commiting half the fouls.

Somehow that means Marc Gasol was better defensively though because the Grizzlies TEAM gave up the fewest points per game due to playing at the slowest pace in the NBA. Duncan was flat out robbed of DPOY last year imo. I can't think of many years where an obviously much worse statistically defensive player has gotten that award over a guy who was so much better.

Duncan shut down ZBo in their playoff series too to put the stamp on the argument he deserved the award more.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

To be considered the 3rd best player in the league is remarkable for a guy who some thought was only the 3rd best player on his team a couple of years ago. Awesome stuff.

[phxspurfan]

Hmmm...not sure about this. Duncan is definitely top 10 type material but 3? The guy is 37 years old. I think it should be something like

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Paul
4. Melo
5. Harden
6. Howard
7. Rose
8. Duncan
9. Kobe
10. Wade
10a. Parker

[davidbowie]

how is tony not considered ahead of CP3 by now. stupid.

[look_at_g_shred]

Hmmm...not sure about this. Duncan is definitely top 10 type material but 3? The guy is 37 years old. I think it should be something like

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Paul
4. Melo
5. Harden
6. Howard
7. Rose
8. Duncan
9. Kobe
10. Wade
10a. Parker
:lmao

[Kidd K]

Hmmm...not sure about this. Duncan is definitely top 10 type material but 3? The guy is 37 years old. I think it should be something like

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Paul
4. Melo
5. Harden
6. Howard
7. Rose
8. Duncan
9. Kobe
10. Wade
10a. Parker

I appreciate a full list (most here seem gunshy about posting their takes in fear of negative comments).

I think you have Paul and Melo too high though (Paul only just a little high, not way high). Melo typically only plays one side of the court and imo doesn't belong in the top 5 just because he can volume score. Duncan was better than Dwight last year too, even statistically (and definitely was in funtionality). I think you have Wade a bit high too since he's declined. He can still post a great game but his typical game is not top 10 worthy anymore due to injuries and age. His game was always so heavily reliant on athleticism that his dropoff was going to be pretty sharp.

I agree with most of the names on the list though, just not neccessarily the order, ya know?

[Joseph Kony]

Hmmm...not sure about this. Duncan is definitely top 10 type material but 3? The guy is 37 years old. I think it should be something like

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Paul
4. Melo
5. Harden
6. Howard
7. Rose
8. Duncan
9. Kobe
10. Wade
10a. Parker

Melo is not a top 5 player :lmao dude is barely top 15

[dg7md]

He deserves it. Duncan is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of player. Even as he is out of his prime he is still extremely efficient and reliable in most cases.

I feel like Derek Rose is the real number 3, but I know he didn't play at all last year. Aside from players who were great last year, Duncan is definitely top 10, possibly top 5 material in today's NBA in general.