Duncan: I want to play as long as I can
By Mike Monroe
One thing about All-Star Friday media day always has annoying some of us in the print media: Zero exclusivity.
I got to Tim Duncan's table and for 15 minutes asked 90 percent of the questions of the Spurs' 13-time All-Star and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player.
Included among my questions, intended for use in a story to run in Sunday's Express-News print editions, were several about the eventual end of Duncan's great career.
The 33-year-old's responses were interesting, to say the least.
I can't wait for Sunday's editions to get them public, not with the rest of the local media who made the trip to Dallas salivating about Duncan's responses.
Here are the answers the Spurs captain gave to my questions:
Q -- Are you at the point in your career where you can see the finish line?
A - I saw the finish line a while back. I've seen it for a while now.
Q - Do you have an idea how much longer you want to do this?
A -- I have one year, this year, and two more years after this. I think they're going to tell me to go home after that. That's what I'm planning on right now.
Q -- If you feel as good then as you do now would you want to keep going?
A - I'd love to play as long as I can. I want to be as effective on the court. I don't' want to be on the court just to be on the court. I'm a player. I'm a compe or. If I can do it the way I want to do it, yeah, I'll keep doing it."
Q - So the summer regimen that helped you get ready for this season will be the annual summer regimen?
A -- Yeah. Try and keep my body as fresh as possible, starting a little later and hopefully that will extend my season, my health, during the season much better.
Thank you, Tim.
And you're welcome, media colleagues.
*********************
Duncan's interview.
http://www.nba.com/spurs/multimedia/100212_duncan.html
Last edited by duncan228; 02-13-2010 at 02:15 PM.
That's INTERESTING. Duncan keeps adjusting his techniques - say learns to do a Kareem-esque skyhook, he could be strongly effective until he's 40...
With Blair and Splitter to help carry the load, we could see quite a bit more of the best PF of all time.
I don't know about adjusting his techniques.. I'd just be happy if he made more frequent use of his trademark bank shot and his perimeter game which is quite effective. This will do a lot in preserving his body from banging in the slot and extend his career as long as possible.
One thing I'd like to see more of that he showed in the Denver game was an adjustment to his running hook in the lane, with either hand. He usually tries to swish it, and with his compromised lift, he misses short or long off the rim if he gets bumped, and he OFTEN gets bumped. On one attempt, he was going across the lane, using his right hand, and he tossed it off the square on the glass, and it went straight in. For someone who understands that the glass deadens his jumper, he almost never uses it while throwing a running hook, and it would increase his make %.
good call. but using glass on a running hook is a little more difficult than his stationary wing bank shot. might just be a question of taking a solid summer to perfect it.
is he gonna hold the spurs hostage like brett favre?
I wish he'd start putting some touch, some arc on his shots, they're so flat, and with his 3" vertical, makes it extremely hard for him to shoot over anyone, and at his age, he isn't getting around them anymore either. he's got to develop some type of fade/hook shot that he can consistently get off over a solid defender, the stuff he's doing now isn't pretty and isn't working often enough
Doubtful. Brett is a narcissist. Tim shuns the spotlight.
My guess is that he's only leaving doubt so that there's no "farewell tour". He'll quit after this contract is up.
What the what.
Monroe has first-line access to Duncan 7-8 months out of the year. He could have asked him those questions any of multiple times when other media are not around. But he waits until the ASB presser and then brags about dominating the questions and how the other media are coattailing off of him. Comical and sad.
If Duncan is still healthy and productive I see future contenders dangling a lot of deals in front of him.
Not that he doesn't have a lot of rings already but if he can land a deal with a stacked team with a guy like Lebron James...might be hard to turn down good money and a great time.
Personally, I hope Duncan can be effective and play for as long as he wants. D-Rob played 14 years. I wonder if Duncan will get much beyond that? His presence would mean so much as the Spurs start the next "on-the-fly" rebuild.
BTW, I was a bit surprised to hear Tim was doing an autograph signing at one of the local Arlington malls. A bit suprising because that's normally not his style.
"Q - Do you have an idea how much longer you want to do this?
A -- I have one year, this year, and two more years after this. I think they're going to tell me to go home after that. That's what I'm planning on right now."
WOW Timmy is saying he thinks the Spurs may not want him at the end of his deal.. I'd be shocked if that's the case..
Tim has a VERY dry sense of humor. He will play in SA as long as HE wants to.
This situation is kind of frustrating to me because Duncan is a rare superstar that doesn't rely on athleticism or quickness to be effective he's smart and patient. If his knees hold up I can see him still being a great player after his contract expires.
In a way I think Duncan may feel pressure to retire from Pop and the org because it seems like the plan is to go out together. It will be a sad day when one of the greatest players in NBA history calls it quits, I just hope he doesn't do it before he is ready to.
San Antonio will keep Duncan after his deal expires if he wants to keep playing.
The issue is, it's a tightrope to walk between insulting him with a salary offer, and not being able to put a strong team around him by offering him too much to play. I think if he wanted to play after this contract, and was willing to take whatever the equivalent under the new CBA to what Dave took his last two years, they'd want him back in a heartbeat for more years. I've said for years that he could play until his late 30s if he wanted to. He could be a 16/8 player. Whether that would satisfy his compe ive fire would be the determining factor.
I hope Duncan plays as long as he wants to. Even as a spot player like Shaq he would ing rule the court. Passing and size don't diminish when you're in your late 30's.
I saw this interview last night on the links that spursdotcom posted. Timmy looked kind of frustrated with Mike at times. Some of the questions were stupid and he's right at times he wouoldnt shut the up and ended up asking 90% of the questions. But it as good to see a full length 30 minute interview with Timmy even if some of the questions were asked more than once.
Tim Duncan can play ball until he says he doesn't want to anymore. Guaranteed that the Spurs hold the same opinion..
Duncan can still be effective for much longer..not as the player he is today, but he can still be a very effective role player at the end of his career..his great passing ability for a big man + his reliable jump shot that continues to improve will allow him to play the high post very effectively later on in his career..
If I ran the Spurs, contract negotiations with Tim would go like this:
Me: Tim, I want you to write a number down on this piece of paper. Make it a number that you are happy with. (pass piece of paper)
Tim: (Scribble scribble)
Me: Thanks Tim. I'll make sure RC and Peter get this in a contract right now.
One thing about All-Star Friday media day always has annoying some of us in the print media: Zero exclusivity
When Monroe bring some 'exclusivity'?
RC: haha i cannot believe tim signed without a no trade clause. Lets trade him like we were going to with david for lebron james.
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