Duncan on the Lakers

[DPG21920]

Lakers fans (real ones, not bandwagon or Kobe fanbois) have perspective. Kobe has 5 b ut there are plenty of us that wont put Kobe over Magic or Kareem. Duncan is definitely in MY personal top 10 but top 5? Not even as a Laker. Kobe just barely makes it with 5 ...Duncan with 4 ... nope.

Kobe is not top 5.

[Koolaid_Man]

You're ing re ed. That sly Kobe pickup is one thing, but the Fakers have pulled this for decades. And no, their FO is VERY highly overrated. Yes, LA has a beach, great night life filled with bags, and tons of money grubbing s with fake s. That is the pull their front office uses to get any desperate loser with a huge ego to come to LA. I think it's almost a chicken move by a certain players desperate for a ship that drives this monstrosity.

Duncan is the epicenter of a mega-superstar... Started with immediate success. He could have gone to any place he desired, but his loyalty is unsurpassed. Duncan should have a shrine right next to Robinsons.

Venti I will ignore the trolling but will say this...I really can't stand Duncan. Even though I will respect what he did a little bit...he's still a fake good boy in my opinion.

[Clipper Nation]

Venti I will ignore the trolling

Big of you, B...

[venky]

Kobe 5
Duncan 4

[ambchang]

If Duncan played for the Lakers, Laker fans would put him as the best of all time, with Jordan, Magic, Bird, KAJ and everyone else being distant 2s.

I estimated it based on how Laker fans like to put players who are in the top 10 to 15 range in the top 5.

[namlook]

If Duncan would have played his whole career as a Laker he would probably have 7+ championships right now and a top 5 GOAT spot.

But since he was on the Lakers people would have said he wasn't always the first option on offense and used that against him.

[lmbebo]

So with LA once again becoming the marquee team in the game, it got me thinking how sharp that team could have been if Tim Duncan decided to be selfish for once and had signed with them last month.

They came into the league together, and based on the brief pairing in all-star games I would have thoroughly enjoyed watching Duncan and Bryant playing ball together for a season(s). Their individual games would have meshed perfectly.

Assuming the teams agreed to a sign/trade deal sending Gasol back, how compelling and entertaining would the following lineup had been -
PG Nash
SG Bryant
SF Jamison
PF Duncan
C Howard

4 really class guys and Howard. It would be hard not to root for them against Miami or OKC.

I realize my premise is beyond fac ious now, but do you think if Duncan knew Howard would end up in LA that he wouldn't at least entertain the idea of going there - if for nothing else than to get closer to getting another ring. I think he could have added three more, all the while collecting much due exposure he missed out on in a smaller market. He'd have a familiar coach too.

I think for Duncan fans this would have been an awesome path to see him take.

And you call yourself a spurs fan ....

[Killakobe81]

Kobe is not top 5.

Read the again, I said my personal top 5. I know we are cool DPG but the balls it takes to tell me who is in my personal top 5?! So tell Mr genius since I don't rank players I have never seen who should MY 5 be?
I have:

1. MJ
2. Kareem
3. Magic

To me 4 and 5 are debateable with Kobe, Bird, Shaq, Tim and Dream all close ... Kobe gets the nod . LeBron may pass them all but not.yet

[Kidd K]

If Duncan would have played his whole career as a Laker he would probably have 7+ championships right now and a top 5 GOAT spot.

If by 7 you mean 10+, then sure.

If you're putting him on the same team when Shaq was there, then the Lakers have no compe ion out west as Duncan's Spurs were their compe ion. It's just a big steamroll fest from 1999-2004. Duncan/Shaq probably would've beaten the Bulls in '98 too. What answer would Chicago have had for that? Seriously.

I don't give the Pistons the 2004 le either. But LA didn't have much on it between Shaq and Gasol, so I wouldn't presume they'd be winning in that time span. However, after that, Duncan, Gasol, Kobe, Bynum, Odom, etc? Another steamroll fest from 2008-2015. I don't see just adding Duncan to that team doesn't = auto championships, assuming each player would have the same level of health they did in this reality.

But I don't now who'd be where on any GOAT lists. They'd devalue eachother. But I'd assume Duncan would end up getting the most accolades since he would've won more les with Shaq and been the 1st or 2nd best player on the team for the longest period of time. He also won as many MVPs as both Shaq and Kobe combined. And with easily more les than MJ (in that fake reality), Duncan would probably be GOAT.

Then again, no one can really say how their stats would've been impacted while playing with eachother. They wouldn't have put up the same numbers. Especially Shaq and Kobe.

Read the again, I said my personal top 5. I know we are cool DPG but the balls it takes to tell me who is in my personal top 5?! So tell Mr genius since I don't rank players I have never seen who should MY 5 be?
I have:

1. MJ
2. Kareem
3. Magic

To me 4 and 5 are debateable with Kobe, Bird, Shaq, Tim and Dream all close ... Kobe gets the nod . LeBron may pass them all but not.yet

In typical young NBA fan fashion, no mention of anyone before the 1980s.

Wilt and Russell wonder where they are on your GOAT list.

[DAF86]

Lakers fans (real ones, not bandwagon or Kobe fanbois) have perspective. Kobe has 5 b ut there are plenty of us that wont put Kobe over Magic or Kareem. Duncan is definitely in MY personal top 10 but top 5? Not even as a Laker. Kobe just barely makes it with 5 ...Duncan with 4 ... nope.

I love how he starts with: "Lakers fans have perspective" and then he narrows it down to "Kobe 5, Duncan 4"

BTW, cool username for a non-Kobe fanboy.

[Ashy Larry]

Can't see Bean in the top 5 ...... probably 6-10 is more like it.