Article: Has Tim Duncan become a defensive liability?

[bdictjames]

You're kidding me right? Duncan is not quick enough to go against shooters, quick-step jumpers of Grant Hill. He's more accustomed to guarding the paint, which he has been doing a good job in this series.

[Cane]

Amar'e has always destroyed the Spurs and father time and not having the typical Spurs defense doesn't help. Thing is the Spurs usually were able to contain everybody but the Suns pick and roll in the past.

[HarlemHeat37]

Duncan's defense against Stoudemire has actually been a lot more stellar than I expected TBH..it's like people forget what Stoudemire usually does against the Spurs and the fact that the Spurs couldn't stop it even when Duncan was the best defender in the NBA..

As for his pick and roll D, no, he's no longer good at defending it..he's reached the age where he can't defend it as well due to lack of mobility..

Duncan had a pretty good defensive year though when you look at the stats and the defensive improvement once the team got rolling..he still makes good rotations, block shots and he doesn't get hurt in 1 on 1 post situations very often..

[scottspurs]

Tim Duncan=ALL DEFENSIVE TEAM

[MannyIsGod]

You're oblivious to the point here. You read the thread then go on a tantrum.

The point here isn't that Duncan is a liability defensively. The point here is the Spurs defense as a whole is more vulnerable when Duncan is guarding Amare in the pick and roll.

A tantrum? HA.

You should look at the numbers Amare has put up against the Spurs in the past. I guess Duncan was horrible defending the pick and roll then too.

So yeah, such a stupid ing thread.

[mogrovejo]

Duncan's defense against Stoudemire has actually been a lot more stellar than I expected TBH..it's like people forget what Stoudemire usually does against the Spurs and the fact that the Spurs couldn't stop it even when Duncan was the best defender in the NBA..

As for his pick and roll D, no, he's no longer good at defending it..he's reached the age where he can't defend it as well due to lack of mobility..
Duncan had a pretty good defensive year though when you look at the stats and the defensive improvement once the team got rolling..he still makes good rotations, block shots and he doesn't get hurt in 1 on 1 post situations very often..

Agreed. Still a very good defender but for the rest of his career he needs to be paired with a quicker, more mobile forward, not the slow footed bigs the Spurs have been putting around him for so long - the Spurs have struggled to defend the high-screen pick'n'roll the entire season mostly due to the slowness of their bigs. If he's able to defend 5s, stay in the post, drop down to zone in ballscreens and isn't asked to cover so much ground he's still an excellent defensive contributor (still great defensive instincts, understanding of when the danger is coming and from where, great fundamentals, marquee rebounder). If he's asked to stay with the faster, more athletic opponent bigs in transition, to hedge on hard on the ballscreen and recover to his man without forcing help from his teammates, to rotate side to side multiple times in a possession, to guard the opponent best big even if it's a quick face-up 4 and still be an effective weakside helper on the top of that, the Spurs defense won't be nearly as good as they're used to in the recent past. Not his game any more.

[MaNu4Tres]

A tantrum? HA.

You should look at the numbers Amare has put up against the Spurs in the past. I guess Duncan was horrible defending the pick and roll then too.

So yeah, such a stupid ing thread.

Never said Duncan was horrible defending the pick and roll. All I said was Spurs' defense is put in a more vulnerable position when Duncan is guarding Amare in the pick and roll when Spurs go small. Which leaves the lane open.

If you can't notice how efficient Suns have scored the ball in latter end of the 4th quarters during this scenario you are blind.

Play McDyess, use him on Amare in the pick and roll and put Tim on either Hill or Frye. If they want to pass the ball to Frye for a semi-contested 25 footer so be it.

If they want isolate Hill on Duncan so Hill can employ his hesitation 15-20 foot jump shots so be it.

Those two options are better than Amare living at the line, getting a layup or dunk, or Nash getting a running lay-up.

Let Frye or Hill beat us.

[jermaine]

Anytime a team send everyone at you in a iso, including Grant hill. What do you call it.

[dreamcastrocks]

I'd like to see some video of other teams defending the Suns P&R. It seems like a quick, good shooting, excellent passing PG (Nash) and a tall quick excellent finishing , improving shooter, C/PF (Amare) would be a tough assignment for any team. I also seem to remember New Orleans killing us with that Chris Paul and David West/Chandler. And that was 3 years ago when we TD was younger.

Camby has defended the P&R very well in the past. His long arms and ability to move his feet laterally has been a plus for him. Even he didn't do that well in the first series.

That said, most other teams struggle in guarding the P&R. Teams know it is coming, and can't stop it because of the unique combined abilities of Nash/Amare.

[dreamcastrocks]

Never said Duncan was horrible defending the pick and roll. All I said was Spurs' defense is put in a more vulnerable position when Duncan is guarding Amare in the pick and roll when Spurs go small. Which leaves the lane open.

If you can't notice how efficient Suns have scored the ball in latter end of the 4th quarters during this scenario you are blind.

Play McDyess, use him on Amare in the pick and roll and put Tim on either Hill or Frye. If they want to pass the ball to Frye for a semi-contested 25 footer so be it.

If they want isolate Hill on Duncan so Hill can employ his hesitation 15-20 foot jump shots so be it.

Those two options are better than Amare living at the line, getting a layup or dunk, or Nash getting a running lay-up.

Let Frye or Hill beat us.

I'm telling you..... Duncan defending Hill is a mismatch and a bad strategy. If you are the Spurs, you want Duncan in the lane where he belongs. The Suns would love to keep Duncan 20 feet from the rim while they crash the offensive glass.

You don't even want Duncan to defend the P&R. You want him being the weak side defender that comes in to disrupt and block shots.

[MaNu4Tres]

I'm telling you..... Duncan defending Hill is a mismatch and a bad strategy. If you are the Spurs, you want Duncan in the lane where he belongs. The Suns would love to keep Duncan 20 feet from the rim while they crash the offensive glass.

....Duncan won't be 20 feet from the basket when guarding Hill.

If Suns go to the Nash/Amare P&R Duncan won't be 20 feet from the basket guarding Hill. He will be having one foot in the lane and one foot out of the lane.

Now if Suns go to Hill on an isolation play Duncan does not need to go out to the 3 point line if Hill starts his move from there. Hill is not an effective 3 point shooter.

Even if Hill is 15-20 feet from the basket Tim will try to lure him into shooting the ball instead of playing up close to him.. Tim would still be able to move 10-15 feet to the board.

Tim wouldn't be as far away from the basket as you suggest.

I much rather have Hill take a semi-contested 15-20 foot jump shot than Nash or Amare getting layups or dunks.

[dreamcastrocks]

....Duncan won't be 20 feet from the basket when guarding Hill.

If Suns go to the Nash/Amare P&R Duncan won't be 20 feet from the basket guarding Hill. He will be having one foot in the lane and one foot out of the lane.

Now if Suns go to Hill on an isolation play Duncan does not need to go out to the 3 point line if Hill starts his move from there. Hill is not an effective 3 point shooter.

Even if Hill is 15-20 feet from the basket Tim will try to lure him into shooting the ball instead of playing up close to him.. Tim would still be able to move 10-15 feet to the board.

Tim wouldn't be as far away from the basket as you suggest.

I much rather have Hill take a semi-contested 15-20 foot jump shot than Nash or Amare getting layups or dunks.

20 feet would be the max that they will need to guard him, but a hand in Hill's face shooting a 17' jumpshot leaves him out of position for the defensive rebound and the rest of the Spurs minus Duncan aren't good rebounders.

[TIMMYD!]

Fortunately, the worst from Tim is the best from someone like Stoudemire.

[HarlemHeat37]

Agreed. Still a very good defender but for the rest of his career he needs to be paired with a quicker, more mobile forward, not the slow footed bigs the Spurs have been putting around him for so long - the Spurs have struggled to defend the high-screen pick'n'roll the entire season mostly due to the slowness of their bigs. If he's able to defend 5s, stay in the post, drop down to zone in ballscreens and isn't asked to cover so much ground he's still an excellent defensive contributor (still great defensive instincts, understanding of when the danger is coming and from where, great fundamentals, marquee rebounder). If he's asked to stay with the faster, more athletic opponent bigs in transition, to hedge on hard on the ballscreen and recover to his man without forcing help from his teammates, to rotate side to side multiple times in a possession, to guard the opponent best big even if it's a quick face-up 4 and still be an effective weakside helper on the top of that, the Spurs defense won't be nearly as good as they're used to in the recent past. Not his game any more.

Do you think Splitter is an answer to any of the problems?..I'm not as familiar with him as the international fans here, but how much of an improvement do you think he would be on the defensive end?(I realize he isn't a great defender or anything, but I've heard he's mobile and has decent instincts)..

The Spurs have done a poor job getting Duncan help up front on both ends of the floor, but the defensive side is probably the worst..I guess you could say that drafting Mahinmi was supposed to be a solution, but that obviously hasn't worked out..