Duncan looked disinterested

[ElNono]

Am I the only one who wasn't too impressed with Splitter? He just seemed to much of a finesse player, which really doesn't complement well with Duncan at this stage in his career. Spurs need a tough, big body down in the low post who can scruffle and muscle his way to boxing out/rebounding and who has the size/length to defend the paint. Splitter only has the size, not sure if he has the toughness.

Marc Gasol was like that too when he came into the league... then he bulked up a bit. We just lost a full season of development on Tiago to see the turd towers run around... I agree we need another bulky big... doesn't need to score much or anything, just be a big body that can bang up...

Tiago will come around though, but you need to play him...

[1Parker1]

Oh and @ anyone who thinks Duncan looked "disinterested"...this is what happens when you age. And more so than age, this is what you get when you are manning the paint by yourself for 35 minutes in the playoffs against a tougher, younger, more athletic front court. If he had some help, and a tough defender beside him, Duncan could have helped more in this series I think.

[1Parker1]

Marc Gasol was like that too when he came into the league... then he bulked up a bit. We just lost a full season of development on Tiago to see the turd towers run around... I agree we need another bulky big... doesn't need to score much or anything, just be a big body that can bang up...

Tiago will come around though, but you need to play him...

I don't see Tiago bulking up and being that big bodied defender in the middle. I think part of the reason he looked so great to Spurs fans is that he really didn't have much compe ion: McDyess showed his age, Blair showed his lack of size, and Bonner showed his lack of balls. Basically anyone can look good compared to those options.

Like I said, not sure I think at this stage in Duncan's career, Splitter would be a great sidekick in the paint that he needs.

[duncan228]

I was looking at the interview in NBA.com, and he said it was probably one of the toughest loses for him...

For anyone that missed it, Duncan's post-game interview.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/video/110429_duncan.html

[ElNono]

I don't see Tiago bulking up and being that big bodied defender in the middle. I think part of the reason he looked so great to Spurs fans is that he really didn't have much compe ion: McDyess showed his age, Blair showed his lack of size, and Bonner showed his lack of balls. Basically anyone can look good compared to those options.

Like I said, not sure I think at this stage in Duncan's career, Splitter would be a great sidekick in the paint that he needs.

I'm not sure at this stage he would be either but, if anything, he would be a great 3rd big off the bench...

I mean, realistically speaking, this is a guy that got thrown into the fire in the middle of playoffs... he had no time to get any kind of chemistry with anybody on the team. When you look at it that way, I thought he did a very good job overall, and there's some good stuff to work with going forward.

[1Parker1]

For anyone that missed it, Duncan's post-game interview.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/video/110429_duncan.html

Damn you're good. After reading that post I went searching for the video and couldn't find it. Thanks!

[1Parker1]

I'm not sure at this stage he would be either but, if anything, he would be a great 3rd big off the bench...

I mean, realistically speaking, this is a guy that got thrown into the fire in the middle of playoffs... he had no time to get any kind of chemistry with anybody on the team. When you look at it that way, I thought he did a very good job overall, and there's some good stuff to work with going forward.

Agreed. I was just being cautious to those who believe that just having a big man rotation next season of Splitter, Duncan, and Blair/Bonner will be any improvement.

[Hoops Czar]

We needed him more than ever this game and he looked like he didn't care at all. Lazy on the glass and he let himself get pushed around on box outs. Props to Ginobili, Dice, and Memphis for playing like warriors.

Hey clown, Duncan's old. Duncan cares, he just can't carry this team on his back like he used to. He needed help and he got next to none.

[peskypesky]

He didn't look anything other than old. Father Time catches up to EVERYONE. Tim wanted it, but wanting it isn't enough if your body isn't the same anymore.

[duncan228]

Damn you're good. After reading that post I went searching for the video and couldn't find it. Thanks!

The other interviews, if you're interested.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178685

[ElNono]

Agreed. I was just being cautious to those who believe that just having a big man rotation next season of Splitter, Duncan, and Blair/Bonner will be any improvement.

One of those two, or both need to go. We also need one more big... I posted the same on the rebuild thread...

[ElNono]

Gasol lost 100 pounds to play in the NBA. He was bigger in Europe than he is now. Splitter is playing at the heaviest he has ever been. Splitter cannot pile on weight and still have the same mobility like Gasol can.

Bulked up is no the same as fat. Gasol has bulked up since he came to the NBA... and he's not really that mobile... Nene, Bynum...lots of bigs that bulked up over the years, some quicker than others...

I'm not saying Tiago will do the same... but he could do it if he wanted to.

[Splits]

Duncan and his self-demoralization should go stick a dildo in his ass

[ElNono]

Manu_Forever This message is hidden because Manu_Forever is greek.

[ElNono]

Wow, this greek weak basketball takes auto-ignore works great! Thanks LJ!

[TJastal]

This board is generally totally delusional about the level of Splitter. He is good on defense but his offense is quite limited.

Splitter is very good in the P&R game which has become pretty much a staple of many offenses in the nba today. Which bodes well for him.

This year would have been the perfect year to introduce him to the starting lineup where he and Ginobili could have perfected their P&R game but Pop was too obsessed with his Ginger getting PT.

[ElNono]

Splitter is very good in the P&R game which has become pretty much a staple of many offenses in the nba today. Which bodes well for him.

This year would have been the perfect year to introduce him to the starting lineup where he and Ginobili could have perfected their P&R game but Pop was too obsessed with his Ginger getting PT.

You know you're talking to a Splitter troll, right?

[TJastal]

You know you're talking to a Splitter troll, right?

I think he really believes the he's saying.

[ElNono]

Manu_Forever This message is hidden because Manu_Forever is greek.

[SenorSpur]

I was looking at the interview in NBA.com, and he said it was probably one of the toughest loses for him...

Tougher than getting swept aside by the Suns last spring?

[ElNono]

Tougher than getting swept aside by the Suns last spring?

I'm just the messenger... the link to the video is a few posts back...

[objective]

Blame the ankle, blame fatigue, but that's just part of aging.

Like it or not, it goes down from here. It's easy to fool yourself into thinking that, "Next year, next year he'll be healthy. And with a real big man next to him, he'll be better".

Sorry, sad as that makes me.

If he keeps playing he's just going to turn into Hakeem Olajuwon with the Toronto Raptors.

Part of me, a big part of me, wants him to opt out and sign an extension for another 2 or even 3 years. Because I'm selfish and nostalgic and want that long goodbye.

But the other part of me knows how that long goodbye is just prolonged torment.

I don't want to see him shambling around like Raptor Hakeem, missing tons of games with wear-and-tear related injuries.

I want to remember him the way he was.

[SA210]

Duncan has always been a cerebral player - and obviously a great one. However, I just can't understand why he lacked passion in this series. He seemed to take it personal, from the beginning, that the Grizz tanked in order to get this matchup. Yet, he allowed himself to be bullied by the Grizz frontline, he allowed opposing bigs to take the ball away from him, and of course, he failed over and over to box out.

I know he's not the player that he once was, but he's still a very skilled and very effective player. He allowed himself to get outplayed, from a physical standpoint, in practically every game this series.

And the constant weak soft missed layups that should have been dunks.

[dbreiden83080]

I hate to say it, but Duncan was a liability in this series.

Uh they would have got swept without him.. My biggest gripe is with him not getting the ball in the 2nd half..

[Kamala]

He's old plain and simple. I was looking at the famous picture of Avery hitting the shot in 99 against the Knicks to win the le. The guys in the picture -Sprewell, Sean Elliott, Avery, Chris Childs, Marcus Camby etc. Most of those guys have been out of the league several years. Duncan is from a different era, a golden one. It rarely happens and will not be duplicated. Pop won't be here for more than a year or two and neither will Tim. It was a good run and they won and lost the right way for 13 years.


Now youngsters it is time for the dark ages for a while for players like Walter Berry, Cadillac Anderson, and Kurt Nimphius while Spurs fans will be happy to be 500 and get into the playoffs. It is the circle of life in the NBA. It is truly rebuilding mode.