think about this stat for a minute

[SpursRock20]

Anyone remember when Pekovic out played Tim last year? I'm sure that helped to give Duncan extra motivation this season.

[Ice009]

Anyone remember when Pekovic out played Tim last year? I'm sure that helped to give Duncan extra motivation this season.

I really don't think Tim gives a about Pekovic.

[mathbzh]

Maybe this is just and acknowledgement that the "save yourself for the playoffs" strategy failed.

[Kidd K]

No one cares about APG when it comes to big men. It's his PPG, MPG and the perception that he's no longer that caliber of player (because he wasn't the last four seasons), that will do him in.

He definitely won't be a starter (Howard, Durant and Griffin, got that on lock), or make the first team (James, Durant and Howard, got that on lock) and he more than likely won't make the defensive team period. Since these things are largely based on perception and are therefore largely predetermined, he's for sure behind Howard, Chandler, Ibaka, Garnett and Noah, probably behind Hibbert and M. Gasol and with Jordan's much publicized improvement, there's a good chance him, too.

Forward . . . seriously?

I was talking about the stats the NBA usually looks for to determine the MVP. MVPs are almost always just dudes with high PPG, exceptions being guys with both high PPG and APG (Nash, Johnson), then has to be on a winning team, usually a top 2 seed in a conference. Not that they'd only give it to big men with high assist totals. Point being, due to what will be a fairly low PPG stats (by MVP standards), his assists aren't high enough to wow whoever votes into giving him the award anyway (like they did with Nash and Magic).

When Duncan won his MVPs, his PPG stats were very high. The two highest PPG seasons of his career. Due to his stats, MVP history, etc, there's pretty much no chance he'll win the MVP even if he keeps up his current level of performance. It's always been more of an award for "guy with best stats who plays for one of the best teams).

In the end, I'd rather not even concern myself with him possibly getting the MVP Award, because really, there's pretty much no chance of it happening. I'd rather hope for something realistic like All NBA team placements.

Hibbert, Gasol, and Noah aren't locks either. Stop it. Really reaching there. Garnett isn't either, though he's in the consideration.

[therealtruth]

IMO, it looks like he took the keys to the team back from Tony.

I would much rather him have the keys than Tony.

[TDMVPDPOY]

I would much rather him have the keys than Tony.

shouldnt be given to that clown in the first place....

[ChuckD]

Maybe this is just and acknowledgement that the "save yourself for the playoffs" strategy failed.

I was actually thinking that Tim went to Pop and told him "You know, when you went to me for heavy minutes against OKC, I wasn't ready because I only averaged 28 in the regular season and didn't have the wind to go 38. " .

[Raven]

Maybe he finally worked himself down to an optimum weight. He's spent the last few offseasons shedding pounds to take stress off his knees, and now that he weighs less, he feels more comfortable being aggressive.

that's pretty much it... also pop doesn't play him 20min a game

[michaelwcho]

Isn't it interesting that no one thinks of steroids in this case? With Timmy's personality, it just doesn't seem possible, but if it weren't him, it would be a fairly inevitable thought.

[ChuckD]

Isn't it interesting that no one thinks of steroids in this case? With Timmy's personality, it just doesn't seem possible, but if it weren't him, it would be a fairly inevitable thought.

His per 36 are up a bit, but most of it is more minutes. He isn't jumping any higher or running any faster.

[dunkman]

Duncan would have to be around 25 ppg to win the award, and the Spurs would have to be top 2 or 3 team during the RS. Basically, Tim would have to play extra 6-7 mpg. Right now, Tim is the best bigman in the NBA, with Howard from the Lakers. The Spurs should focus on the 5th championship anyways. The west is more open this year since OKC traded Harden and the Lakers have D'Antoni as their coach.

[mathbzh]

His per 36 are up a bit, but most of it is more minutes. He isn't jumping any higher or running any faster.

Not true. Of course the sample size is small and it should be expected that this level of production does not last much longer.
But, per 36 minutes, Duncan is having:
- Career best in rebonds (12.8) and steals (1.1)
- 4th best in points (21.7)
- 2nd best in blocks (2.7)
- Career low in turnover (1.7)
Only his assists are a bit low (2.8 is still more than respectable).

Compared to last year, per 36 min that is + 2 points, +1.3 rebound, +0.8 block, +0.3 steal, -0.1 assist and -0.4 turnover.
That is no small improvement!

And as a consequence a career high in PER (27.4).

[Thomas82]

I would much rather him have the keys than Tony.

+1

[JRHernandez88]

melo is next in line for MVP. it has already been decided.

[Obstructed_View]

I was actually thinking that Tim went to Pop and told him "You know, when you went to me for heavy minutes against OKC, I wasn't ready because I only averaged 28 in the regular season and didn't have the wind to go 38. " .

Good observation. He's run out of gas in the playoffs the last few years.

[SpursRock20]

I really don't think Tim gives a about Pekovic.

I'd figured that it had gotten to him. Duncan is a world-class NBA pro and he was throughly outplayed by Pekovic. I suspect that Tim wanted to show he can still be the real deal (not just because of Pekovic, but because of his slow disappearance from s om). Maybe being left off of the all-star team added some motivation? One can never know with Duncan, he's a closed book.

[TD 21]

Hibbert, Gasol, and Noah aren't locks either. Stop it. Really reaching there. Garnett isn't either, though he's in the consideration.

I didn't say Hibbert and Gasol were "locks" (Noah is, though), nor did I say they should be. I said, since these things are largely based on perception and are therefore largely predetermined, they probably will be.