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Thanks for posting. Duncan is the Best!
The last paragraph is about the Orlando game but I didn't want to bury this in the preview thread.
http://wakeforest.scout.com/a.z?s=192&p=2&c=740298
Looming Large: Tim Duncan
By Brendan Sonnone
Critics have said San Antonio center Tim Duncan has slowly deteriorated into an above average player, who no longer dominates opponents. While Duncan, who is now 31, has clearly lost a step, he is still one of the game’s best players, averaging 19.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game; numbers that most centers would consider career years.
Dubbed the “Big Fundamental” by Shaquille O’Neal, Duncan has made a career out of not being flashy, which is rare for an NBA superstar. At 6’11”, 260-pounds, Duncan is a big player who relies on thriving at subtle nuances instead of athleticism and has led the Spurs to four NBA championships.
On offense, Duncan excels on playing either facing or with his back to the basket. In the post, he blends phenomenal footwork with a soft touch and because of his big frame, he can rarely be stopped without being double-teamed. Perhaps the trademark of Duncan’s game however, is his frustratingly smooth bank shot. Duncan can easily hit an open 15-foot jump shot, but he can also nail shots off the backboard at the same distance. This go-to move has enabled Duncan to draw defenders away from the paint and open up room for quick guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to operate.
Duncan also is considered an excellent passer for his size, which also adds to his versatility on offense. He is averaging 3 assists per game this season and his ability to pass out of a double team also helps bolster his teammate’s stats.
Defensively, Duncan again relies on size and fundamentals to make up for a lack of athleticism. He does a good job of staying between his man and the basket, and can shut even the most dominant players out. Duncan also excels at weak side help and he will regularly compensate for blown assignments. On the year, Duncan is averaging nearly two blocks per game, and while that is well below his career average (2.4 bpg.), he is still an active defender that must always be accounted for.
Another impressive attribute that Duncan has is his ability to crash the glass. With a career average of 12 rebounds a game, Duncan has established himself as one of the best rebounders in the game. Again, it comes back to the basics, as Duncan uses his large body and text book technique to block out the opposition and control the boards.
With his ability to create easy shots for his teammates, his gaudy repertoire of offensive moves, and his tough presence on defense and on the glass, it’s hard to see why many analysts now discount the Big Fundamental. Maybe it’s because he isn’t flash and doesn’t takeover games like he used to, but Duncan still makes life much easier for his teammates and he consistently leads his squad deep into the playoffs.
On Tuesday night, Orlando will host Duncan and the defending NBA Champion Spurs, which will put old school versus new school. Howard as often said that he would like a game that would resemble Duncan’s, but Howard is much more tenacious down low and has the ap ude and desire for dunking, while Duncan does not. However, the young Howard can learn a lot from the grizzled Duncan, who will be considered one of the best team players of all time when all is said and done. The Magic, who lost to the Spurs earlier this season, will have to find a way to keep Duncan in check while also trying to contain Parker and Ginobili. Howard can get drawn away from the basket a little too easily at times and will bite on pump fakes. Although Howard is definitely more athletic than Duncan, he must find a way to neutralize the crafty veteran’s well balanced arsenal of attacks if Orlando wants to come away victorious.
Thanks for posting. Duncan is the Best!
Ok, where's the Duncanlooms troll...
Ok, where's the Duncanlooms troll...
I don't think we have a Duncanlooms troll.
I wonder if we will now.
I think its total bunk to say Duncan is not athletic. For 31 years old and his size, he's the most athletic player in the league.
The only reason Duncan's stats are down at all from his career peak is that he plays fewer minutes. Adjusted per minute, his stats are about equal to his career peaks and career averages.
In the playoffs, he's even better.
In the most important series last year, vs Phoenix, he totally dominated statistically.
The previous year, vs Dallas, with planter facillitus, he dominated as well. Compare how Duncan did with that injury to Larry Hughes in last years finals.
Duncan is the best player in the NBA, and only Lebron James will pass him in the next two years.
Hmm, has Duncan really lost a step? Regular season Duncan is very different from playoff Duncan. I'd say he probably can't handle being dominant throughout the stretch of 82 games anymore cuz of age, but I don't think he's neccesarily lost a step. His game was never about quickness anyways.While Duncan, who is now 31, has clearly lost a step
Duncan, per 36 minutes, regular season:
Career
Points 20.9
Rebounds 11.5
Blocks 2.3
FG% 50.8
2007/2008
Points 20.4
Rebounds 11.9
Blocks 2.0
FG% 49.7
Playoffs, per 36 minutes
Career
Points 21.4
Rebounds 11.2
Blocks 2.5
FG% 50.7
2007
Points 21.7
Rebounds 11.3
Blocks 3.0
FG% 52.1
(better in all 4 categories for playoffs)
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...duncati01.html
id say he has lost a step form when he was coming of age in the league when he was making commercials with David.
Someone on here has a video montage of him when he was younger and there is a noticeable change in how quick he is vs. how quick he was.
Dont get me wrong, i still think that Tim is the best PF/C in the league right now, hands down. And especially for how long he has played, for being a big man, he still has skills that others would kill for.
Tim had been a blessing for the franchise and IS the franchise.
It is amazing that Duncan can play on a great team with help and not put up 25 and 12 anymore and they say he has "Lost a step", however KG now playing on a great team puts up 19 and 9 and nobody is saying he is slowing down. So i guess come playoff time Timmy will be putting up 24 and 12 and instead of getting credit the media will just not say a thing.
When I watch Spurs games on video from 1999-2003, it does seem as if Duncan was a better, more dominant player back then. But the stats don't necessarily show that, and Duncan doesn't play for stats anyway. At times, Duncan gets outplayed by an opponent, but over the long run he always manages to fight throught it and come out on top. 2005 Finals were a classic example of that, with Duncan clearly frustrated by the Pistons defense. By game 7 he had figured out a way to fight through it and come out with the win. To me, this is different than a player like Jordan, who VERY rarely ever got outplayed by anyone for even a short stretch. But I think Duncan's greatness lies in his ability to keep winning over the years, even though he doesn't always seem as dominant as a Jordan, Kareem, or Olajuwon type player.
Duncan may not be the most athletic player on the planet, but he is one of the best. He is a complete player and he has an incredible basketball IQ. He is a great teammate and he will be in the hall of fame when all is said and done.
Really, the media and everyone can ignore his greatness, but he will be in the history books for eternity as the best power forward to ever play.
Thanks, duncan228 for posting another great article about a great man!
One of the best???? He is the best. His four championships and the Spurs' record for the past decade make that clear.
I know he is the best. Don't question that. Just saying that he belongs in the discussion of the greatest ever, which some people just don't get, in particular the media.
Cool. It just irks me sometimes that people have forgotten that basketball is a game of big men. Aside from Michael Jordan, no other non-big man ever led a team to multiple Championships. So this is a game about big men, and who is the winningest big man currently playing? Tim Duncan. Only Shaq is in the conversation. Forget all those PG's and SG's and SF's. They ain't the best. They're too small.
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