td4mvp3
03-02-2006, 09:29 AM
LOSING A STEP?
Foot injury slows Duncan, but not the Spurs
By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
SAN ANTONIO -- Tim Duncan, 1999 Edition. Duncan '03. Duncan '05.
Or Duncan '06.
Which model would you rather drive?
"He's lost a little bit," said TNT analyst Steve Kerr, a former teammate of Duncan's. "It's mostly related to his foot injuries. So it could be that he's going to be healthy and return to form next year, but I don't think there's any doubt that this year he's slowed down."
Granted, the latest Duncan isn't exactly on cinder blocks in the front yard, even if one of the wheels is unbalanced. And though the two-time league MVP doesn't drive as smoothly, his San Antonio Spurs continue to speed alongside the Mavericks in the race for the Western Conference's top spot.
That spot is on the line as the Mavs (45-11) and Spurs (44-12) meet for the third time this season, but first since Dec. 1, tonight at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
The Mavs are looking to take a 2-1 series lead, and two-game edge in the Southwest Division, while sustaining a torrid pace in which Avery Johnson's club has won 19 of its past 20.
San Antonio's start is the best in franchise history, bettering the three NBA championship runs (1999, '03 and '05) in the past seven years. The traditionally late-blooming Spurs began the season at a breakneck clip and haven't let up.
While two teams basically refusing to lose make for spirited scoreboard watching, the toll of keeping pace might be catching up with the Spurs' signature star.
Duncan's scoring and shooting numbers are down, while being asked to play more. Duncan's impact has always been predicated on efficiency of movement, not explosiveness, but for a player whose low-post footwork is without parallel, a foot problem could derail San Antonio's bid to repeat.
"He's obviously their main guy, they built everything around him, and if he's not quite right it gives everybody a better shot to beat San Antonio," said Kerr, who is part of tonight's broadcast crew.
Duncan turns 30 next month and is playing more minutes than last season -- 35.5 up from 33.4 -- despite the sore right foot and what was expected to be a deeper San Antonio bench.
The Spurs don't believe the extra minutes increase Duncan's chances for injury before beginning their title defense next month. But it potentially bodes well for the Mavs, whether or not they're the No. 1 seed, for Duncan to play more down the stretch.
"It's a concern for San Antonio," Kerr said.
Despite playing more, Duncan's scoring average is a career-low 19.1. His 47.9 percent field-goal percentage is also the lowest since entering the league -- he has hit at least 49 percent in each of his previous eight seasons and came into 2005-06 as a 50.7-percent shooter.
To say Duncan isn't productive is a stretch no one will make. With the continued improvement of Tony Parker (San Antonio's leading scorer) and Manu Ginobili, Duncan's averages appeared poised for a drop-off.
"Everything with the Spurs always revolves around Tim Duncan," Spurs reserve guard Michael Finley said. "Whether he's having a great game or a subpar game, he's the engine that keeps our team going. He attracts so much attention that he makes the game a lot easier for his teammates."
The Spurs aren't buying into the notion that dents are beginning to show in Duncan's game.
"Everybody is entitled to their own opinion," Spurs forward Bruce Bowen said, incredulously. "I can't tell people what to think."
San Antonio isn't struggling, even when Duncan does. The Spurs have won 80 percent of their games (16-4) when Duncan fails to score more than 16 points and 70 percent (7-3) when he shoots 40 percent or less.
That such stats are even tracked is telling.
"He's a guy that doesn't really care if he scores or not, and they've been winning while he hasn't been scoring much," Kerr said. "Other guys are coming on and taking on more shots."
What can't be disputed is Duncan isn't the same player he was when he made the 1999 playoffs and NBA Finals his personal coming out party.
But again, how many players with 746 combined regular-season and playoffs games are?
"He's older," said Johnson, Duncan's teammate from 1997-2001. "There's more wear and tear on the body. All of us felt differently in our ninth year than we did in our first two, but I don't see any chinks in his armor."
ONLINE: spurs.com, mavs.com
DUNCAN'S DROP-OFF
Tim Duncan's numbers this season compared with his stats from the Spurs' title seasons:
Year PPG RPG MPG FG%
'05-06 19.1 11.7 35.5 47.9
'04-05 20.3 11.1 33.4 49.6
'02-03 23.3 12.9 39.3 51.3
'98-99 21.7 11.4 39.3 49.5
Foot injury slows Duncan, but not the Spurs
By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
SAN ANTONIO -- Tim Duncan, 1999 Edition. Duncan '03. Duncan '05.
Or Duncan '06.
Which model would you rather drive?
"He's lost a little bit," said TNT analyst Steve Kerr, a former teammate of Duncan's. "It's mostly related to his foot injuries. So it could be that he's going to be healthy and return to form next year, but I don't think there's any doubt that this year he's slowed down."
Granted, the latest Duncan isn't exactly on cinder blocks in the front yard, even if one of the wheels is unbalanced. And though the two-time league MVP doesn't drive as smoothly, his San Antonio Spurs continue to speed alongside the Mavericks in the race for the Western Conference's top spot.
That spot is on the line as the Mavs (45-11) and Spurs (44-12) meet for the third time this season, but first since Dec. 1, tonight at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
The Mavs are looking to take a 2-1 series lead, and two-game edge in the Southwest Division, while sustaining a torrid pace in which Avery Johnson's club has won 19 of its past 20.
San Antonio's start is the best in franchise history, bettering the three NBA championship runs (1999, '03 and '05) in the past seven years. The traditionally late-blooming Spurs began the season at a breakneck clip and haven't let up.
While two teams basically refusing to lose make for spirited scoreboard watching, the toll of keeping pace might be catching up with the Spurs' signature star.
Duncan's scoring and shooting numbers are down, while being asked to play more. Duncan's impact has always been predicated on efficiency of movement, not explosiveness, but for a player whose low-post footwork is without parallel, a foot problem could derail San Antonio's bid to repeat.
"He's obviously their main guy, they built everything around him, and if he's not quite right it gives everybody a better shot to beat San Antonio," said Kerr, who is part of tonight's broadcast crew.
Duncan turns 30 next month and is playing more minutes than last season -- 35.5 up from 33.4 -- despite the sore right foot and what was expected to be a deeper San Antonio bench.
The Spurs don't believe the extra minutes increase Duncan's chances for injury before beginning their title defense next month. But it potentially bodes well for the Mavs, whether or not they're the No. 1 seed, for Duncan to play more down the stretch.
"It's a concern for San Antonio," Kerr said.
Despite playing more, Duncan's scoring average is a career-low 19.1. His 47.9 percent field-goal percentage is also the lowest since entering the league -- he has hit at least 49 percent in each of his previous eight seasons and came into 2005-06 as a 50.7-percent shooter.
To say Duncan isn't productive is a stretch no one will make. With the continued improvement of Tony Parker (San Antonio's leading scorer) and Manu Ginobili, Duncan's averages appeared poised for a drop-off.
"Everything with the Spurs always revolves around Tim Duncan," Spurs reserve guard Michael Finley said. "Whether he's having a great game or a subpar game, he's the engine that keeps our team going. He attracts so much attention that he makes the game a lot easier for his teammates."
The Spurs aren't buying into the notion that dents are beginning to show in Duncan's game.
"Everybody is entitled to their own opinion," Spurs forward Bruce Bowen said, incredulously. "I can't tell people what to think."
San Antonio isn't struggling, even when Duncan does. The Spurs have won 80 percent of their games (16-4) when Duncan fails to score more than 16 points and 70 percent (7-3) when he shoots 40 percent or less.
That such stats are even tracked is telling.
"He's a guy that doesn't really care if he scores or not, and they've been winning while he hasn't been scoring much," Kerr said. "Other guys are coming on and taking on more shots."
What can't be disputed is Duncan isn't the same player he was when he made the 1999 playoffs and NBA Finals his personal coming out party.
But again, how many players with 746 combined regular-season and playoffs games are?
"He's older," said Johnson, Duncan's teammate from 1997-2001. "There's more wear and tear on the body. All of us felt differently in our ninth year than we did in our first two, but I don't see any chinks in his armor."
ONLINE: spurs.com, mavs.com
DUNCAN'S DROP-OFF
Tim Duncan's numbers this season compared with his stats from the Spurs' title seasons:
Year PPG RPG MPG FG%
'05-06 19.1 11.7 35.5 47.9
'04-05 20.3 11.1 33.4 49.6
'02-03 23.3 12.9 39.3 51.3
'98-99 21.7 11.4 39.3 49.5