David Robinson or Tim Duncan....Best Spur Ever?

[mattyc]

On the court, Tim. No-brainer, and that's not a slight.

Off the court, David. Again, no-brainer, and again, not a slight.

Correct. If it wasn't for DRob, we wouldn't have a team.

[YODA]

Seems alot of people think David didnt play with any good players on his teams. I looked up 1990-91. the players
DR
Terry mings
Sean Elliott
Willie Anderson
Rod Strickland

To include a bench of
Avery Johnson
Paul PRessley
David Greenwood
David Wingate
Reggie Williams

DRobinson- best Center Spurs ever had
mings- 2nd best PW after TD
Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Lu ck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_- best SF spurs ever had
Willie anderson -top 5 shooting gaurds spurs ever had
Rod Strickland- best point gaurd spurs ever had

Seems David played with some of the best Spurs players in history and he still got his stats. Love for both, David better athlete, Tim the smarter one in basketball.

[barbacoataco]

In 1990-91 they had talent but they were young and hadn't played that much together. In 1994-96 when DRob was in his prime, the Spurs had a weak backcourt of Avery and Del Negro. How are you going to win a championship with those two as guards?

[tmtcsc]

Off the court, its David Robison hands down. He's been a tremendous person for this community and saved this franchise a couple of times. Couple that with his Top 50 players of all time ranking, MVP and scoring le, I'd give him a tie with Tim.

Tim was an absolute stud on the court and the best player to ever wear the silver and black. His personality kept him out of the spotlight but when it came to winning jewelry, he was the best thing that ever happened to the Spurs on the court.

Tough call, but I give it a tie......or a slight edge to Tim because when it comes down to it, no one gives a about nice. They just want les.

[barbacoataco]

The tie-breaker might be that Duncan is more clutch. On the other hand, switch Ginobili for Del Negro on the mid 90's Spurs and maybe DRob would have won a championship pre-1999.

[ambchang]

The year Robinson had a competent point guard and PF on his team, when Robinson was a rookie, the team went 7 games with the eventual finalist TrailBlazers.

Was it Robinon's fault that he had Avery Johnson as his starting point guard, and Vinny Del Negro as his starting SG for most of his prime? Outside of Sean Elliott and Robinson, no-one on the Spurs could create a shot, and Elliott wasn't that great at creating his own shot.

I mean, just look at the roster! Antoine Carr? Lloyd Daniels? JR Reid? A 75 year old Dale Ellis and a 67 year old Rifleman? I love those guys, but come on, you can't even put a prime Chamberlain, Kareem, or Russell on that team to make it win. You just can't.

And the coaches! Man! After Larry Brown left, Jerry Tarkanian? Bob Hill? John Lucas? Is it a coincidence that 2 of the other 3 never ever got another head coaching gig, and Lucas never even had another 30-win season after the Spurs? And when Brown was here, the Spurs actually did pretty decently in the playoffs (well, other than 91).

Not saying Robinson > Duncan, but Robinson never was given the credit he was due as a basketball player. He was underrated because of one single series, when the opposite team was triple teaming him throughout, and his PF was jacking up three pointers just for fun in an important playoff series. He was one of the greatest defensive player of all time, he can score any where within 18 feet of the basket, he was quicker than most SF, he was a monster on the court.

[Leonard Curse]

at first it seems like its duncan right away, but when u say "spur" and think about it. its def David Robinson i mean Drob still goes to the games 7yrs after retirement and i really dont think well see 2 much of timmy when he retires. its like saying who was better lincoln or jfk? well one paved the way for the other to follow and succeed. was that lame ? haha

[spursfan1000]

I once got into an argument with a "new school" basketball player on why Tim Duncan was better than LeBron, and in a way I can see where this can come into play in the Robinson vs Duncan argument as well. Basically, when building a player from head to toe to win a championship Tim Duncan has absolutely everything you can possibly need and want- with the exception of excitement. Tim is boring to the casual fan. Now an old school guy like myself could watch Duncan play all day. Sure he doesn't to the eye popping dunks like Robinson could, but the way Duncan finds angles and openings in the defense, works hard to create a shot, plays smart, takes his time and quietly does what he does is insane. I remember just this year at the Timberwolves game in December a buddy of mine went to a game with me. Maybe half way through the second quarter he says to me, "Man, Tim isn't playing that well is he?" I responded that it didn't look like it. I look up at his stats and Tim had something like 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and I knew he had a couple blocks I kept track of on my own. So both me and my buddy were wrong.

Had Tim made a few monster dunks and had half the stats with a few turnovers (a bad game aside from the dunks basically) it would only take another big dunk for the fans to think that Tim was dominating the game, when in fact it was all show.

I know I'm going on and on a bit, but basically I see Duncan as a throw back player who is all about the game and not about the show. It's great to see athletic ability put to use by dunking all over someone, but what Tim Duncan does night in and night out since he became a star at Wake is truly more amazing than anything a player like LeBron can do with his crazy athletic ability. And that's the honest truth.

I 100% agree with you

[Leonard Curse]

they are both incredible athletes who were top players at their own positions in their prime however Robinson built the spurs character and timmy reinforced it. timmy is amazing but he never dropped what?!? 72pts or 71? i still remember that game on the against the clipps

[barbacoataco]

The year Robinson had a competent point guard and PF on his team, when Robinson was a rookie, the team went 7 games with the eventual finalist TrailBlazers.

Was it Robinon's fault that he had Avery Johnson as his starting point guard, and Vinny Del Negro as his starting SG for most of his prime? Outside of Sean Elliott and Robinson, no-one on the Spurs could create a shot, and Elliott wasn't that great at creating his own shot.

I mean, just look at the roster! Antoine Carr? Lloyd Daniels? JR Reid? A 75 year old Dale Ellis and a 67 year old Rifleman? I love those guys, but come on, you can't even put a prime Chamberlain, Kareem, or Russell on that team to make it win. You just can't.

And the coaches! Man! After Larry Brown left, Jerry Tarkanian? Bob Hill? John Lucas? Is it a coincidence that 2 of the other 3 never ever got another head coaching gig, and Lucas never even had another 30-win season after the Spurs? And when Brown was here, the Spurs actually did pretty decently in the playoffs (well, other than 91).

Not saying Robinson > Duncan, but Robinson never was given the credit he was due as a basketball player. He was underrated because of one single series, when the opposite team was triple teaming him throughout, and his PF was jacking up three pointers just for fun in an important playoff series. He was one of the greatest defensive player of all time, he can score any where within 18 feet of the basket, he was quicker than most SF, he was a monster on the court.

This. Younger fans who weren't there have put too much weight into the 95 rockets series and see that as the proof that DRob wasn't in Hakeem,Shaq,Duncan's class. But the fact is that they were double and triple teaming Robinson. Houston's 3 pt shooters won that series, and Hakeem was at his peak. But Robinson was a great player who dominated on a superstar level.

Also, as far as Robinson's stats- it is true that player's in his era had higher scoring, rebounding, blocking etc. than today's top players. However, Robinson LED THE LEAGUE in numerous stats such as scoring, rebounding, blocks, PER which means that relative to his league he still was dominant.

[dbreiden83080]

IT's of course Tim

Come on....

[dbreiden83080]

This is not a slight to Robinson (which many always seem to take it as), but it's Duncan hands down. Duncan is widely regarded as one of the ten best players of all-time; Robinson is widely regarded as a fringe top twenty player all-time.

Unfair as it may be most people i feel put Robinson in the same class with guys like Barkley and Ewing. In that they feel he never wins a ring without Duncan (Which is true) but i feel he is a better player than both Ewing and Barkley..

I seem to remember years ago suggesting Ewing and D-Rob were close and the reaction around here was lets just say less then kind..

[Neutral Guy]

My heart says maybe!

[barbacoataco]

Unfair as it may be most people i feel put Robinson in the same class with guys like Barkley and Ewing. In that they feel he never wins a ring without Duncan (Which is true) but i feel he is a better player than both Ewing and Barkley..

I seem to remember years ago suggesting Ewing and D-Rob were close and the reaction around here was lets just say less then kind..

Charles Barkley was way better than Ewing.

[dbreiden83080]

I see Duncan as a throw back player who is all about the game and not about the show. It's great to see athletic ability put to use by dunking all over someone, but what Tim Duncan does night in and night out since he became a star at Wake is truly more amazing than anything a player like LeBron can do with his crazy athletic ability. And that's the honest truth.

Yo this is Sig Worthy man

Kudos to you..

[dbreiden83080]

Charles Barkley was way better than Ewing.

Barkley by his own admission could not defend his own grandma

Ewing was a very good defender..

[mingus]

Wasn't old enough to remember robinson in his prime, sadly. from the videos I've seen he looked incredible though.

[Leonard Curse]

I once got into an argument with a "new school" basketball player on why Tim Duncan was better than LeBron, and in a way I can see where this can come into play in the Robinson vs Duncan argument as well. Basically, when building a player from head to toe to win a championship Tim Duncan has absolutely everything you can possibly need and want- with the exception of excitement. Tim is boring to the casual fan. Now an old school guy like myself could watch Duncan play all day. Sure he doesn't to the eye popping dunks like Robinson could, but the way Duncan finds angles and openings in the defense, works hard to create a shot, plays smart, takes his time and quietly does what he does is insane. I remember just this year at the Timberwolves game in December a buddy of mine went to a game with me. Maybe half way through the second quarter he says to me, "Man, Tim isn't playing that well is he?" I responded that it didn't look like it. I look up at his stats and Tim had something like 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and I knew he had a couple blocks I kept track of on my own. So both me and my buddy were wrong.

Had Tim made a few monster dunks and had half the stats with a few turnovers (a bad game aside from the dunks basically) it would only take another big dunk for the fans to think that Tim was dominating the game, when in fact it was all show.

I know I'm going on and on a bit, but basically I see Duncan as a throw back player who is all about the game and not about the show. It's great to see athletic ability put to use by dunking all over someone, but what Tim Duncan does night in and night out since he became a star at Wake is truly more amazing than anything a player like LeBron can do with his crazy athletic ability. And that's the honest truth.

i did the same thing at games i would always say to myself damn whats wrong with timmy then i look up and see his stats and i swear i thought it was wrong because his baskets are so quiet. like u said even to this day hes embarrassing 20yr 1st round draft picks. timmy is the better basketball player but i think D rob shaped our org. its really hard to say because timmy has so many rings and did it w/out d rob but when i think spurs i think David then Timmy. this is too much stress i love em both

[SpurCharger]

David Robinson Is my Favorite Player of All Time..... But I Gotta Give The Nod To Tim Duncan On this one....

[barbacoataco]

Barkley by his own admission could not defend his own grandma

Ewing was a very good defender..

Barkley has become a joke since going on TV. But he was a great player in his prime. His defense was better than you think. He was very strong and hard to back down. Ewing on the other hand was overrated and overhyped because he played for georgetown and then in N.Y.

[dbreiden83080]

Barkley has become a joke since going on TV. But he was a great player in his prime. His defense was better than you think. He was very strong and hard to back down. Ewing on the other hand was overrated and overhyped because he played for georgetown and then in N.Y.

I live in NY so i watched his whole career.. He was a great player that was less than what his hype was coming out of college. But Ewing was a good leader who was very close a couple of times to winning it all. Playing against Jordan Bulls so many years in the playoffs was never easy and they were damn close a few times to getting by them.. The 92,93,94 and 97 Knicks all could have been champs, if a few breaks went their way..

[barbacoataco]

I live in NY so i watched his whole career.. He was a great player that was less than what his hype was coming out of college. But Ewing was a good leader who was very close a couple of times to winning it all. Playing against Jordan Bulls so many years in the playoffs was never easy and they were damn close a few times to getting by them.. The 92,93,94 and 97 Knicks all could have been champs, if a few breaks went their way..

True. In a different time and place those teams easily could have won championships. That is one of the reasons it isn't fair to knock players like Barkley, Ewing, Malone etc. down a notch because they never won championships as the top dog.

[Gutter92]

I feel bad that DR never got to win it as the lead dog.

Though DR does not regret it.

And that's what truly makes him a special player.

Tie IMO.

[silverblackfan]

Great question and one that I hate to answer. First, gut response is David, because of what he has done for the Spurs and then for being just a great human being. After a bit of thought though, I have to say that Tim is the best Spur. The four rings, the 11+ years of franchise dominance, the ability to raise his game and carry the team at this stage of his career, and his simple humbleness.
The Spurs remain one of the best loyalties that I, as a fan, have ever held, and that David and Tim are so awesome make this even better.

[ezau]

This is not a slight to Robinson (which many always seem to take it as), but it's Duncan hands down. Duncan is widely regarded as one of the ten best players of all-time; Robinson is widely regarded as a fringe top twenty player all-time.

Robinson was highly influential in convincing Timmy to stay when he was a free agent.

Robinson 1a
Duncan 1b