ducks
05-24-2007, 09:18 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/c....97582f4d.html
Mike Finger: Decline of Duncan has been grossly exaggerated
Web Posted: 05/23/2007 01:49 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Three months ago, a stunning alley-oop marked what was generally accepted as the Inevitable Decline of Tim Duncan. Orlando's Dwight Howard soared 2 feet above Duncan's outstretched arms for a ferocious last-second, game-winning dunk, one that sent the aging Spurs further into a funk and served Duncan with an ominous dose of humiliation.
Tuesday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, there was another lob pass, and this one wasn't much more flattering. On a Spurs possession late in the second quarter, Manu Ginobili lobbed the ball toward the rim, Duncan stutter-stepped about 2 inches into the air to catch it, then — falling backward — awkwardly flipped it through the rim.
Everyone winced, including the guys on the Spurs bench.
“I turned to James (White),” backup forward Matt Bonner said, “and I told him, ‘That had to be the most ungraceful alley-oop I've ever seen in my life.'.”
The difference this time?
No one's talking about Duncan's decline anymore.
Physically, he's past his prime. His teammates are older than they've ever been. And every night, he's having to grapple with athletic freaks of nature from Howard to Amare Stoudemire (who dunked on him a few times in the second round) to Carlos Boozer (who scored 33 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Utah in Game 2 on Tuesday).
But Duncan is still the best player in the postseason, and he proved it again on Tuesday. When he wasn't making clumsy baskets like the one he scored off Ginobili's pass, he was filling up his stat line with 26-points on 10-of-15 shooting, 14 rebounds, five blocks and four assists.
That this is coming against Utah is appropriate. If the Jazz are the NBA's team of tomorrow — with a young, brilliant point guard in Deron Williams, a blossoming big man in Boozer and a promising supporting cast around them — the Spurs are supposed to be the team of yesterday. When Howard launched over Duncan in March, the Spurs lagged way behind the Mavericks and the Suns in the standings, Bruce Bowen looked finished, and Ginobili appeared to be losing more than just a few strands of hair.
But the Spurs refused to fade away, and Duncan epitomizes that. Just like he almost always has, he is peaking at the right time, and the rest of the NBA has no choice but to notice. Even if he can't dunk like his younger adversaries.
“Duncan's probably the best player to ever play the position the way he plays it,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said.
That's saying something, because that comes from the man who once coached Karl Malone. Sloan now mentors Boozer, who like Stoudemire before him has had some luck attacking Duncan inside and using his explosiveness against him.
But Boozer said before the series he is “not even close” to Duncan as a player, even if he tries to emulate him.
“We may have some similarities, we may have some vast differences,” Boozer said. “The bottom line is we try to be dominant inside presences for our teams.”
Duncan has done that for a long time. One day, maybe next season or a year or two after that, he won't be able to anymore.
But for now? Graceful or not, the Inevitable Decline of Tim Duncan is on hold.
[email protected]
Mike Finger: Decline of Duncan has been grossly exaggerated
Web Posted: 05/23/2007 01:49 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Three months ago, a stunning alley-oop marked what was generally accepted as the Inevitable Decline of Tim Duncan. Orlando's Dwight Howard soared 2 feet above Duncan's outstretched arms for a ferocious last-second, game-winning dunk, one that sent the aging Spurs further into a funk and served Duncan with an ominous dose of humiliation.
Tuesday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, there was another lob pass, and this one wasn't much more flattering. On a Spurs possession late in the second quarter, Manu Ginobili lobbed the ball toward the rim, Duncan stutter-stepped about 2 inches into the air to catch it, then — falling backward — awkwardly flipped it through the rim.
Everyone winced, including the guys on the Spurs bench.
“I turned to James (White),” backup forward Matt Bonner said, “and I told him, ‘That had to be the most ungraceful alley-oop I've ever seen in my life.'.”
The difference this time?
No one's talking about Duncan's decline anymore.
Physically, he's past his prime. His teammates are older than they've ever been. And every night, he's having to grapple with athletic freaks of nature from Howard to Amare Stoudemire (who dunked on him a few times in the second round) to Carlos Boozer (who scored 33 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Utah in Game 2 on Tuesday).
But Duncan is still the best player in the postseason, and he proved it again on Tuesday. When he wasn't making clumsy baskets like the one he scored off Ginobili's pass, he was filling up his stat line with 26-points on 10-of-15 shooting, 14 rebounds, five blocks and four assists.
That this is coming against Utah is appropriate. If the Jazz are the NBA's team of tomorrow — with a young, brilliant point guard in Deron Williams, a blossoming big man in Boozer and a promising supporting cast around them — the Spurs are supposed to be the team of yesterday. When Howard launched over Duncan in March, the Spurs lagged way behind the Mavericks and the Suns in the standings, Bruce Bowen looked finished, and Ginobili appeared to be losing more than just a few strands of hair.
But the Spurs refused to fade away, and Duncan epitomizes that. Just like he almost always has, he is peaking at the right time, and the rest of the NBA has no choice but to notice. Even if he can't dunk like his younger adversaries.
“Duncan's probably the best player to ever play the position the way he plays it,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said.
That's saying something, because that comes from the man who once coached Karl Malone. Sloan now mentors Boozer, who like Stoudemire before him has had some luck attacking Duncan inside and using his explosiveness against him.
But Boozer said before the series he is “not even close” to Duncan as a player, even if he tries to emulate him.
“We may have some similarities, we may have some vast differences,” Boozer said. “The bottom line is we try to be dominant inside presences for our teams.”
Duncan has done that for a long time. One day, maybe next season or a year or two after that, he won't be able to anymore.
But for now? Graceful or not, the Inevitable Decline of Tim Duncan is on hold.
[email protected]