Is Tim Duncan the best NBA bank shooter of all time?

[MANUNG-Ginobili]

I can't think of anyone better than him making shots using the board. Is Timmy the best NBA bank shooter of all time?

[exstatic]

Definitely the best of the modern era. He took a shot that had't been popular for probably 30-35 years, and made it vogue again. Lots of guys use the glass now.

[bigfan]

I remember the A Train had a damn consistent short range glass shot.

[Kool Bob Love]

Duncan invented that shot.

[100%duncan]

Yes. When someone mentions bank shot, tim duncan automatically comes to mind.

[Galileo]

Phillip Doom Haynes

Sam Jones

[Chomag]

TD didn't invent it but he did bring it back from extinction as a viable shot.

He was usually money on that shot, im not sure why he has gone almost completely away from it as he has gotten older.

[florige]

Pippen was pretty good at the as well.

[wildbill2u]

There is/was a video on the web at one time (probably caused by Tim's revival of the bank shot) that proved by geometry, physics and math that the bank shot actually had a better statistical chance of scoring. I think I posted it on ST back in the day.

It's strange but most people don't call layups that use the backboard a 'bank shot'. That term is reserved for longer shots.

Tim seems to have lost confidence in the longer bank shot as he has gotten older. Most of his shots now are around or near the rim.

[JWest596]

It's considered boring....but not anymore because of Tim. But you're right it's a money in the bank shot statistically.

[exstatic]

There is/was a video on the web at one time (probably caused by Tim's revival of the bank shot) that proved by geometry, physics and math that the bank shot actually had a better statistical chance of scoring. I think I posted it on ST back in the day.

It's strange but most people don't call layups that use the backboard a 'bank shot'. That term is reserved for longer shots.

Tim seems to have lost confidence in the longer bank shot as he has gotten older. Most of his shots now are around or near the rim.

When he came into the league, he was on the block, and David was at the top of the key. Now Tiago is on the block, and Tim is in the high post. I don't believe he's lost confidence in it, he's just rarely in that position on the block/baseline any more.

[daslicer]

When he came into the league, he was on the block, and David was at the top of the key. Now Tiago is on the block, and Tim is in the high post. I don't believe he's lost confidence in it, he's just rarely in that position on the block/baseline any more.

This and teams make it very difficult for Duncan to get in position to do the bankshot. If you watch the first few years of Duncan's career you can see teams gave him a lot of space to pull it off but overtime they adjusted and closed the gaps which made it much harder. Whenever he gets the chance he does use it but its not given to him often.

[pgardn]

Rudy T.

And it's not even close.

[Solid D]

Lots of guys in the 50s did it. In the 60s, Sam Jones of the Celtics and John McGlocklin from the Bucks both did it from the wing. Pgardn mentioned Tomjanovich, but also Maravich in the 70s. Iceman was an excellent bank-shooter and he shot it fairly frequently.
Duncan is the best big-man to do it from 10-15 feet.

[TheyCallMePro]

Is Timmy the best NBA bank shooter of all time?

No he's the only one.

[Proxy]

Always thought it was odd that it wasn't used by more professional players. As a kid, you grow up and that was one of the shots every coach seemed to teach. From my experience anyways.

[benstanfield]

He's gone away from it as his shot has gotten flatter. I can't think of anyone that was a renowned for it as TD.

[anakha]

Duncan's decrease in bank shots taken has been noticeable over the past couple of seasons.

A lot of it is due to position on the court, as exstatic has pointed out. Duncan has been taking his midrange shots primarily from the elbows now as a result of the pick-and-roll with Parker. Post-ups are now such a rarity than feeding Duncan in the post and clearing out sends the home crowd abuzz.

A big part of it is also age-driven since opponents no longer worry about getting beat by Duncan's sweeping move into the middle of the lane if they crowd him when he faces up out of a post-up move.

[Blue Duck]

Pgardn, you beat me to the punch. Rudy Tomjonovich had the best and most consistent bank shot of all time.

[Old School 44]

No, but like others have mentioned, a lot of older era players used it.
I think it's funny all the TV guys still mention it, but TD rarely shoots it like he used to.
I just think in his later years, TD has become a better outside shooter out front, he has a much better arc on the ball.
Early in his career, when he was shooting the bank shot more often, his shot was flatter, so he needed the backboard to soften the shot.

Although he does it occassionally, that would be a fun shot for TD to bring back consistently.

[littlecoyotecoin]

No, but like others have mentioned, a lot of older era players used it.
I think it's funny all the TV guys still mention it, but TD rarely shoots it like he used to.
I just think in his later years, TD has become a better outside shooter out front, he has a much better arc on the ball.
Early in his career, when he was shooting the bank shot more often, his shot was flatter, so he needed the backboard to soften the shot.

Although he does it occassionally, that would be a fun shot for TD to bring back consistently.

I see the opposite. His jump shooting from in front of the basket, top of the key, left/right of the free throw area has seemed horrific with only some occasional flashes of life. His shot had great arc for some short spurts in his career, but seems to have reverted back to that flat thing it too often has always been. I would enjoy someone with some time to show, statistically, that he has "become a better outside shooter". I'm not buying it. Still hope he plays forever, but no. Not improved.

His bank suffers the same problem, too. When he shoots it now, I expect the same type of miss every time. Not enough arc to get a favorable bounce off the front of the rim, it will careen off with too much horizontal velocity, and usually a little short of the mark, as well.

[Fireball]

Pippen was pretty good at the as well.

Yeah, I remember a Trading Card insert set called "Trademark Moves" or something and Pippen was in it with his bank shot.

[lefty]

Pippen was pretty good at the as well.

[wildbill2u]

Now that I think about it, Larry Kenon was another Spur that used a short bank shot a lot

[Old School 44]

I see the opposite. His jump shooting from in front of the basket, top of the key, left/right of the free throw area has seemed horrific with only some occasional flashes of life. His shot had great arc for some short spurts in his career, but seems to have reverted back to that flat thing it too often has always been. I would enjoy someone with some time to show, statistically, that he has "become a better outside shooter". I'm not buying it. Still hope he plays forever, but no. Not improved.

His bank suffers the same problem, too. When he shoots it now, I expect the same type of miss every time. Not enough arc to get a favorable bounce off the front of the rim, it will careen off with too much horizontal velocity, and usually a little short of the mark, as well.

I didn't analyze it, but here are TDs shot charts. This link is 2013-2014, but you can see other years by selecting them from the left drop down.
http://stats.nba.com/playerShotchart.html#PlayerID=1495&Season=2013-14

[Obstructed_View]

Not even the best Spur of all time. Basketball was played before 1990, and a ton of guys had a bank shot then.

[disciple]

Sam Jones was the best followed closely by JoJo White.

[pjjrfan]

Larry Bird and John Havlicek are two more and the 60's and 70's that shot was used a lot in the pros, college and high schools. Don't know what happened, I think the emergence of the dunk and the 3 point shot took it out of the game for a while. The way we don't see anyone come to a complete two feet stop and then take that extra one step or jump to get their shot off, don't see that anymore either.

[dav4463]

George Gervin was well known for using the glass.

[Sean Cagney]

Phillip Doom Haynes

Sam Jones

I have heard Sam Jones mentioned alot before when they were talking about Tim and the bank shot so glad you brought that name up.
Sam Jones was the best followed closely by JoJo White.

I would have to agree there. Gervin someone mentioned? He was actually named in a column I read there so he is correct Gervin was known on that as well. Elvin Hayes, Bill Walton, Rudy T, Larry Bird, Magic and DR J mentioned as well, Scott Pippen later mentioned for the glass. They mention Tim only modern day there as he carried it on and perfected it.
George Gervin was well known for using the glass.

You are correct he was mentioned on using the glass from what I read as well on players who made due on it.

[Galileo]

I have heard Sam Jones mentioned alot before when they were talking about Tim and the bank shot so glad you brought that name up.



Greatest bank shooter of all-time:

Phillip "Doom" Haynes: Bank Shot
http://www.tripstigers.com/ntr/video/035-DoomHaynesHouston.htm

Second greatest:

Sam Jones banks two shots over Oscar Robertson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DiUAMzOAaI

Third greatest:

Tim Duncan and his fundamental Bank Shot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZLLZU0OzI

Tim Duncans Bank Shot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJMRMADASeM

NBA2K: Tim Duncan signature move [Lil Timmy bank shot]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DIa11klFHc

Nba finals game 6 Tim Duncan bank shot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VSCm7JD4B8

[TVI]

Larry Bird and John Havlicek are two more and the 60's and 70's that shot was used a lot in the pros, college and high schools.
I'm surprised no one's mentioned Eljin Baylor, Elvin Hayes, or Dr. J!

[Galileo]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Eljin Baylor, Elvin Hayes, or Dr. J!

The BIG EEEE!!!!!!

[mkurts]

In the post Jordan era ... Duncan is the best bank shooter but not all time

[exstatic]

In the post Jordan era ... Duncan is the best bank shooter but not all time

I'd actually say post-merger with the ABA, mid 1970s.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

I came into this topic expecting stats, not useless conjecture.

[exstatic]

I came into this topic expecting stats, not useless conjecture.

You're not from around here, are you?

[J.T.]

SnZ68ADCKzk

[jARS mEsH sEt]

You're not from around here, are you?

Hey now Galileo loves posting trivial and inane stats all the time, but at least they're stats. He took a 180 and decided to post useless videos this time around.

Real talk though I'd love to see a stat on bank shot percentages or something. I think it'd be interesting.

[tmtcsc]

I think Maravich and Gervin were both better and more proficient at using it. For a while, players stopped using glass so when Tim came in the league, he revitalized it. I'd say he's decent and still uses it more than most but he wasn't the best. Like someone else said, he wasn't even the best Spur to use it.

Gene Banks used it quite a bit too. No pun intended.

[Galileo]

Hey now Galileo loves posting trivial and inane stats all the time, but at least they're stats. He took a 180 and decided to post useless videos this time around.

Real talk though I'd love to see a stat on bank shot percentages or something. I think it'd be interesting.

DO NOT F WITH DOOM HAYNES!!!

[GoSpurs99]

Mike Mitchell, George Gervin, Pete Maravich, Michael Cooper, Elvin Hayes and Larry Bird were the best bank shooters I ever saw. It's nice to see Tim use it as a kind of homage to his old school Spurs fraternity!