Every player who ever won 3 or more championships as the #1 star, no one ever had a weaker supporting cast.
Every player who ever won 3 or more championships as the #1 star, no one ever had a smaller market.
Duncan at age 37 was 28 seconds away from finals MVP, only Kareem had more longevity as he was able to win finals MVP at 38, but he had a loaded roster around him. Individually, with the possible exception of 2003 season, Duncan never stroke me as a dominant player on the level of prime Shaq/MJ. But the leadership, work ethic, chemistry he brings to a team is more than any player I have ever seen. The 2013 Spurs team, had they won le would have been the weakest le team since I don't know when. The 2007 Spurs team would have wiped the floor with it.
Parker is a mediocre defender and easily shut down by bigger defenders (backdoor sweep in 04 vs LA, backdoor sweep in 12 vs Thunder, game 3-7 vs Miami), he is a star produced by the Spurs system both on offense/defense. Ginobili is a great spark off the bench and can probably get decent stats on bad teams, but he was always a high risk high reward player that benefited from Duncan drawing double teams. Now Duncan is no longer the same threat and Manu's body can't keep up with his mind, he becomes high risk low reward. Neither one of them is anywhere near a side kick like Scottie Pippen to MJ, Kobe Bryant to Shaq, Dwayne Wade to Lebron.
Popovich for all the heat he took in game 6, is still a truly amazing coach. Phil Jackson would never, ever be able to work this year's Spurs roster deep into the finals. Popovich is stubborn, but it is also his stubbornness that got the Spurs as far as it did. He honestly has a terrible deck of cards compared to Phil/Spo. Still, what Duncan did here in San Antonio with the trio of GDP was the equivalent of les won by Hakeem in 94, Wade in 06 and Dirk in 11, except he did it FOUR times!
As much as the 28 seconds hurt, it was luck for Spurs to be there in the first place. Miracle comeback vs Golden State in game 1, injuries to Lakers/Thunder (they may not beat Spurs but they would have spent way more energy to keep up and run out of gas against the Heat a lot sooner), Green's lucky streak that inevitably had to end and Parker's miracle 3 pointer with a minute left in game 6. A lot of things went right and the Spurs simply ran out of luck at the very end.
It was fate for Lebron to get his second le. God wanted him to win and have a chance to be better than MJ, Allen's shot was blessed and it saved Lebron's career and Heat's big three. No one will remember "The Decision" once they three-peat. It was easy for MJ/Magic to talk loyalty, had they been drafted to Cleveland, small market without anywhere near the front office of Spurs, they would have done the same thing.
That is why I strongly feel Spurs should trade Duncan to a Thunder or Heat so he can get his 5th ring and the Spurs can start rebuilding, it is a win-win situation for everyone. He clearly wanted the le more than anyone else on this team did and deserves better.
I know it won't happen, but as a Duncan fan, I can only wish.
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