Grantland: The Kawhi Leonard Conundrum, and Why Life Is Unfair

[barakz21]

However I disagree with the Duncan part, I think Duncan made Pop, Parker, and Ginobili way more than the other way around. I have no doubt Duncan would've been just as good anywhere he went to.

I kinda disagree with your take bro. I mean, It's like with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Belichick's record before Brady wasn't that impressive. But what changed when he came with the Patriots was that he had the backing and trust of the ownership. He was allowed to implement his plan. That and he had players who allowed him to coach them made Patriots the dynasty that it was. I think it's pretty similar with the spurs. Pop's 1st season sucked, then he got TD. Got the backing and trust of ownership and got TP, Manu and the rest of the role players to buy in. The result? Success.

[Richie]

Shows that Tim Duncan on some ty team might not be a HoFer, and probably NO rings, or even Finals, but with Pop's organization/culture, coaching, and player selection/development around Tim, Tim and Pop achieve legendary success across all professional sports.

This is not what the article is saying at all. The article says teams like Spurs turn possible stars in to stars. They also say that regardless of that, if you luck out in to a great player then you can recover your franchise.

No matter where Timmy went, he would be a star. You get those guys every few years, it was Shaq, then Timmy, then Lebron. If Timmy went to the Wizards, the Wizards would have been a perennial contender just like Lebrons Cavs were.

He might not have won, but the floor would have been a Finals appearance ala Cavaliers in 2007. However, as the article again says, getting that star player will often turn around a franchise and attract that elite coach, like Thibs and the Bulls.

[ShoogarBear]

Poor Wizards fans.

True. But on the plus side, tickets here are easy to get.

[aal04]

"pure ing evil"
i love that

and Tim would have won anywhere.

Tim has done it all with 3 different casts as the main man. Not MJ, not LBJ, not Kobe, no one else has done that.

Ring with Cast of Robinson and Himself - check!
Ring with no one but himself in 2003 - check!
Ring with new cast of TP and Manu - check!