Deuces88
05-21-2008, 07:47 AM
People keep complaining or chastising the Spurs being too old. The reason the average age on the Spurs is high is because of the role players. They are the ones who are old.
Duncan is 32**.
Ginobili is 30 right now (31 in July).
Parker is 26.
Average is 29 over these 3 players.
That's not that old. Jordan was still doing those high-flying moves in his 30s and the 2nd time he retired (after the 6th ring), he was 35. The reason Jordan's legs are mush now is because of all the jumping he does throughout his career (Wade, LeBron, and Kobe's legs will be mush soon because of this factor as well).
Tim Duncan on the other hand, doesn't even jump 5 inches off the ground. It's not because he can't. It's because he doesn't have to. He's smart. He's not here to impress with explosive dunks. He's here to win. Yes, it's nice to have a crazy dunk or two in the game, but you still get the same points with a layup. Furthermore, layup doesn't shock your legs as bad. This is why Duncan's legs will still be with him even in his late 30s and his skills won't wither away as long as he keeps his fundamentals.
Ginobili and Parker are similar. The only time I see Ginobili jump is when he takes jump-shots and even then, he doesn't jump high. Sometimes he doesn't even look like he jumps when he takes 3's. Also, when he drives for a layup, it also doesn't look like he jumps most of the time. As much as I like Manu as a player, he doesn't really have finesse while finishing. It almost looks like he falls over himself when he goes for a layup. Parker is still young. Leave him alone for now.
As for the rest of the team:
Brent Barry is 36 (37 in Dec.).
Bruce Bowen is 36 (37 in June).
Michael Finley is 34.
Robert Horry is 87..err...37 (38 in August).
Oberto is 33.
Damon Stoudamire is 34 (35 in September).
Kurt Thomas is 35 (36 in October).
Jacque Vaughn is 33.
Udoka is 30 (31 in August).
*Matt Bonner is 28.
*Ian Mahinmi is 21 (22 in November).
Average age is 32 over 11 players
*With these young guys, it's 34 over 9 players.
Now, these guys (maybe not Bowen as much) are all role players. They can be replaced and the team's dynamic will be intact. I think if we get some young guys to surround the big three, then the Spurs won't get the scrutiny, but there are pros and cons with both situations:
Older Role Players
PROS: Experience, maturity, take direction well
CONS: "Washed-up," slower, less endurance and explosiveness
Young Role Players
PROS: Fast, explosive, can last longer, skills can still be molded
CONS: Inexperience, may not be able to fit into Popovich's big picture because he won't take direction as well as the older players
Parker, when he first came on, was inconsistent as anyone can ever be, while older role players, like Kurt Thomas, fit into his role after coming onto the team almost instantly.
Anyway, when we look at age, we should be looking at the star players. As long as the role player can effectively do their role, I don't care if they're 50 years old.
**Edited for mistake
Duncan is 32**.
Ginobili is 30 right now (31 in July).
Parker is 26.
Average is 29 over these 3 players.
That's not that old. Jordan was still doing those high-flying moves in his 30s and the 2nd time he retired (after the 6th ring), he was 35. The reason Jordan's legs are mush now is because of all the jumping he does throughout his career (Wade, LeBron, and Kobe's legs will be mush soon because of this factor as well).
Tim Duncan on the other hand, doesn't even jump 5 inches off the ground. It's not because he can't. It's because he doesn't have to. He's smart. He's not here to impress with explosive dunks. He's here to win. Yes, it's nice to have a crazy dunk or two in the game, but you still get the same points with a layup. Furthermore, layup doesn't shock your legs as bad. This is why Duncan's legs will still be with him even in his late 30s and his skills won't wither away as long as he keeps his fundamentals.
Ginobili and Parker are similar. The only time I see Ginobili jump is when he takes jump-shots and even then, he doesn't jump high. Sometimes he doesn't even look like he jumps when he takes 3's. Also, when he drives for a layup, it also doesn't look like he jumps most of the time. As much as I like Manu as a player, he doesn't really have finesse while finishing. It almost looks like he falls over himself when he goes for a layup. Parker is still young. Leave him alone for now.
As for the rest of the team:
Brent Barry is 36 (37 in Dec.).
Bruce Bowen is 36 (37 in June).
Michael Finley is 34.
Robert Horry is 87..err...37 (38 in August).
Oberto is 33.
Damon Stoudamire is 34 (35 in September).
Kurt Thomas is 35 (36 in October).
Jacque Vaughn is 33.
Udoka is 30 (31 in August).
*Matt Bonner is 28.
*Ian Mahinmi is 21 (22 in November).
Average age is 32 over 11 players
*With these young guys, it's 34 over 9 players.
Now, these guys (maybe not Bowen as much) are all role players. They can be replaced and the team's dynamic will be intact. I think if we get some young guys to surround the big three, then the Spurs won't get the scrutiny, but there are pros and cons with both situations:
Older Role Players
PROS: Experience, maturity, take direction well
CONS: "Washed-up," slower, less endurance and explosiveness
Young Role Players
PROS: Fast, explosive, can last longer, skills can still be molded
CONS: Inexperience, may not be able to fit into Popovich's big picture because he won't take direction as well as the older players
Parker, when he first came on, was inconsistent as anyone can ever be, while older role players, like Kurt Thomas, fit into his role after coming onto the team almost instantly.
Anyway, when we look at age, we should be looking at the star players. As long as the role player can effectively do their role, I don't care if they're 50 years old.
**Edited for mistake