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There have been a lot moronic takes by posters around here lately.
but but but he couldn't guard small ball 4's!!!!
There have been a lot moronic takes by posters around here lately.
"To the wheels fall off."
Right...the only thing that has declined is his minutes. Not his lift, not his defense and not his offensive game.
If his minutes weren't kept in check he'd be finished by the All-Star break. If you think the barometer for a player's effectiveness is just his "numbers" then you're the ing moron. The offense still runs through Tim but it shouldn't.
Opposing teams don't need to double or collapse back on Tim because he doesn't have the speed down low to make his moves. He gets his shot blocked much more often now.
This isn't a bash Tim thread. I'm not saying he's done. I'm saying he's on the decline and two years ought to do it. He doesn't have hops (never really did) and the physical ability he once had has diminished. Thankfully he's a smart player and still has GREAT post moves.
He can't consistently be counted on to lead the team offensively. Some nights he's a stud and looks like he's back in his twenties. Other nights he looks absolutely awful.
The guy brings it every night but his effectiveness has fallen and it gets worse as the season wears on. It's age and its old, tired legs. The wheels are flat.
We'll focus on the above part since it pretty much renders the rest of your post moot. You said yourself that he never had much vertical, and the rest of his numbers are consistent with what they've always been, which means defense and offensive game. Big difference being a 4 with David Robinson or Rasho Nesterovic next to you compared to being a 5 having Matt Bonner or Michael Finley next to you. The team has gotten away from defense and has focused on guys that can't penetrate or defend but can shoot a lot of three pointers. Tim's the same peg he's been for a long time, but the hole around him has changed.
Holy ! Lakerfan is scared! This is hilarious.
That first sentence was sarcasm..which renders the rest of my post valid.
"Interesting move for LeBron to go down there..."
Watch out Timmy, you might make LeBron's mental list
We all agree that his physical tools have diminished, he's 34-years-old for goodness sake. Yet, he's still able to play at a high level even with those diminished abilities and two bum knees.
He can still be effective, but he has needed more help in the interior. I'd be more than happy if Duncan's production decreases, hopefully somewhere near where Garnett has produced since arriving in Boston, if that means that Splitter and Blair are doing their thing.
27 days,bring this on!
Agreed 100%.
Or, inadvertently run over a skunk ever again, eh?
I like Duncan's courage, but....
We are done
good news...i hope LA gets to face off with him in the playoffs a couple more times before he rides into the sunset
Even if we don't get another championship, as long as we eliminate the Lakers from the playoffs once or twice more before Duncan retires, I'll be content
if Kobe or Pau goes down w/ an injury, your boys just might have a chance
I understood that it was sarcasm, and dismantled the argument accordingly, but you already know that.
** More Sarcasm coming **
Hallelujah !! Tim Duncan's the same player he's always been - the numbers prove it. Championship. What the was I talking about. Now if we can just get everyone else up to Tim's level, we'll be fine.
Damn, we never should have gotten rid of Oberto, Rasho or Elson. If it wasn't for them, Tim would have never led us to those championships.
** End of Sarcasm
My original post said that his tires were flat and that he didn't have much left. I then followed it by saying 2 years should do it. Tires flat = Inconsistent play due to : no lift, poor lateral movement, poor defense and diminishing offensive threat.
In the twilight of his career, he needs additional help to be more effective. We agree on that. I don't think he can carry this team by being the offensive focal point anymore.
No more Inside-Out. Our 3 point shooters are getting hands in their faces because no one is afraid of Tim anymore. He can be neutralized because he's lost a step.
On the bright side, when Tim's feeling good and the knees aren't bothering him, he can still produce like a stud. But those games are few and far between now. That's what's sad. He still has his skills but his legs aren't cooperating.
You're getting closer to being correct all the time. Is he less consistent than he was? Sure. Can he just dominate a game at will like he used to? Probably not. None of that is remotely what you implied with your first post. He's certainly not physically where he was a decade ago, but his game hasn't relied on athletecism in a long time. And with this team, Duncan's not the problem by any stretch of the imagination. Put last year's Duncan on any one of the 99, 03, 05 or 07 team and the Spurs likely still win. Maybe the '03 team doesn't get that far because they were so lazy, but that's it. That's a far cry from being on his last legs or being washed up. Again, put his numbers up against any big in the league and they hold their own.
The inside out game relied on more than Duncan, which is why people have been complaining about 4 down for ten ing years. Three point shooters are getting hands in their faces because they can't slash to the basket like Mario Elie or Stephen Jackson did. The offense used to be centered around punishing defenses with high-percentage shots, and now it's centered around launching threes. Duncan's been pretty good at passing out of double teams or drawing fouls from them for a long time, so there's very little profit from doubling him, particularly when his teammates can only make you pay when there's nobody defending them. Most opponents have a size advantage over the Spurs, so the mentality is to stay at home, keep Timmy in front of you, keep your bigs out of foul trouble.
For the first time, the Spurs can be beaten by straight up defense because they're so easy to score on at the other end of the floor. Again, something that Duncan has little control over. His defense is much less effective when he's the only shot blocker on the floor.
BTW, it's really nice to be able to argue about basketball for a change. Hallelujah to the coming season. It's been the longest off-season in memory.
The wheels just fell off
Laker fan has his head buried as far in the sand as Spur fan did 2 years ago. Forget that your shaman/witch doctor is retiring after this season. Kobe, in a year or so, will also no longer demand the double team. He'll still be able to score in bunches, but his pts/FGA will decline and the shooters that usually kill us will be covered.if Kobe or Pau goes down w/ an injury, your boys just might have a chance
I have no delusions of grandeur...LA is getting older but we have 2 (maybe 3) great runs left in them. And comparing the Spurs situation of a couple years ago to ours now doesn't exactly make sense. LA is CLEARLY the best team in the conference, and there have been no viable WC threats to LA since 2008. Boston and/or Miami (or injuries) are the only thing standing in LA's way this year...next year maybe different but we'll see
LA is not that above the compe ion. that's ridiculous. this is a team that got taken to seven games by OKC, a team that the Spurs got the better of throughout the whole season. and the Spurs split with LA last year and beat them in Staples w/o Parker. Spurs had holes that they filled over the off-season that will give them an even better chance to beat the Lakers. it's also a team that got taken to 7 by Houston a year before that.
LA has compe ion with OKC, Houston, and SA if they can all stay healthy.
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