Will Duncan be labeled a center for games now?

[dweaver99027]

Tim was always mostly a C. A C who could play the PF position better than almost anyone who has ever played the PF position. Listings are semantics in this case.

[Spurtacular]

This is silly. Why does he have to be labeled anything? Hakeem is considered a great center, but old time basketball guys will say his true position was PF. What's the difference between a PF and a C in the modern game? Truth is the traditional center position doesn't exist anymore. In the days of Wilt it was easy to label a center because he was the guy who quite literally planted himself right in the center of the court under the basket on both sides of the ball. I think now a center is just code for defensive focused big man with little to no offensive skill.

No, they won't. When Hakeem came to town, the great 7'4" Ralph Sampson had to slide to PF to make way for the 6'10" Akeem Olajuwon to play center.

[T_L_P]

Tim was always mostly a C. A C who could play the PF position better than almost anyone who has ever played the PF position. Listings are semantics in this case.

Almost anyone?

[Obstructed_View]

Exactly, I've posted this multiple times

1997-2003: Robinson
2003-2004: Nesterovic
2004-2006: Mohammed/Nesterovic
2006-2008: Oberto/Elson
2008-2009: Oberto
2009-2010: This was the year Duncan started at Center and McDyess played the 4.
2010-2011: Duncan (McDyess and Blair at 4)
2011-2012: Duncan also started at Center this year with Splitter coming off the bench
2012-2013: Splitter
2013-2014: Splitter
2014-2015: Splitter/Baynes (Total of 52 starts at C)

Yet despite this, people still say he's a center. Duncan came up with a crop of really good, really tall power forwards: Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, Pau Gasol, Rasheed Wallace, Dirk Nowitzki. I'm sure there are others from that era I'm forgetting, but they were all power forwards.

[Texas_Ranger]

Dejuan Blair was a center so no.

[Kikoluna]

Tony Parker is the center tbh

Nice

[dweaver99027]

Almost anyone?

He's undisputably no 1 in the PF rankings, based on skill and accolades. Depending on what each person's definition of 'ability to play the position' is, he gets ranked accordingly. I have him no 1, but I've seen many greats play the PF position, some winning accolades more than others. He's undisputably the 'Top PF ever', but 'Best player to play PF' is not undisputed. I have him at the top because of the 'who would I want to draft to my team' argument.

[NameLess Scrub]

I don't know about that.

IMO Tim is simply a PF/C, because he had the skillset to play both positions and he spent almost his entire prime there, and more than half his career there.

Don't forget he played some SF back in 98/99, which tells you he's definitely not strictly a Center.

Don't forget? Didn't even know

Undeniably a PF/C for me.

The notion that he's either the greatest power forward ever or one of the greatest centers ever is foolish; he's both.


It's like a running joke that he always be listed as a power forward, particularly in box scores, so it'll probably remain. But with not only a legit, but elite power forward now next to him, he'll be referred to as a center.

Agreed..