Doug gottlieb says Tim Duncan wouldn't be that effective today

[BD24]

Cowherd with Rapist at 7

[midnightpulp]

The sport has changed a lot from even 2014-15. 4-down era Tim Duncan is probably only around a 4ish RPM player today. His great defensive ability was being the best paint anchor of all-time, singularly shutting down penetration. Today, modern teams would spam pick-and-rolls at him. On the offensive side, Duncan would have to develop a three point shot.

It's not about Duncan being necessarily deficient, and more how today's NBA is absolute garbage in the way the league has done everything to marginalize traditional big man play. And again, Duncan is still an All Star level player today, but he doesn't became a top 5 player of all-time if he had to play out his career under the modern style.

[dbreiden83080]

It’s actually staggering to me how stupid this argument actually is. Because I am thinking about so many of the greatest players that ever lived that are centers that according to this logic would not be very good in this particular era of basketball. Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, on and on. Basically because they are not deadly outside shooters? This argument is ing re ed. You can’t stop a dominant big man on the low block. You just can’t. I don’t care what time you were talking about?

[dbreiden83080]

The sport has changed a lot from even 2014-15. 4-down era Tim Duncan is probably only around a 4ish RPM player today. His great defensive ability was being the best paint anchor of all-time, singularly shutting down penetration. Today, modern teams would spam pick-and-rolls at him. On the offensive side, Duncan would have to develop a three point shot.

It's not about Duncan being necessarily deficient, and more how today's NBA is absolute garbage in the way the league has done everything to marginalize traditional big man play. And again, Duncan is still an All Star level player today, but he doesn't became a top 5 player of all-time if he had to play out his career under the modern style.

Duncan in his youth in particular could make the adjustment and guard people out on the perimeter as opposed to constantly shutting down penetration in the paint. Not being as much of a rim protector because the style is different. When he was young he was a great athlete and could guard the perimeter players. In terms of his offense. Put him on the low block and nobody is stopping it.. Absolutely nobody. They double-team, you surround him with great three-point shooters. No problem.

[tholdren]

Jokic dominating just shows how unskilled these players are. But again, the nba is ENTERTAINMENT not skill. The best players are not in the nba.

The nba has to alter and incorporate rules to make current players be stars

[MannyIsGod]

This is an all time level bad take in a year when Giannis is likely to win MVP. You're telling me that someone who is better than the guy who is about to win an MVP wouldn't survive in today's NBA?

Just a horrible horrible take.

[HarlemHeat37]

He'd still be great, but certainly not the player he was during his era, the game isn't built for post bigs anymore..he would have to accept a different role than he had during his prime, which Tim would have been fine with, since he was arguably the most flexible star of all-time..

[paperboy77]

Wouldn't be without a 3 point shot. You see where the game is going. Big men that can't shoot 3's are not responsible for wins. This is why i really don't dig this era of the nba. You hear it in this forum over and over. Threes vs twos is a mismatch in the end. Sad but true.

[HarlemHeat37]

Jokic dominating just shows how unskilled these players are. But again, the nba is ENTERTAINMENT not skill. The best players are not in the nba.

The nba has to alter and incorporate rules to make current players be stars

What the ? Jokic has ridiculous talent

[tholdren]

What the ? Jokic has ridiculous talent

Yes hes half tim duncan...

[Texas_Ranger]

97-03 Tim would average 40 in todays game. There are no bigs in todays NBA. Embiid and Jokic are pretty much the only two good bigs and Tim was 50X better than those 2 ers.

[RC_Drunkford]

Why do people here think Duncan couldn't shoot 3s?



now imagine if he actually worked on it

[J_Paco]

Jokic dominating just shows how unskilled these players are. But again, the nba is ENTERTAINMENT not skill. The best players are not in the nba.

The nba has to alter and incorporate rules to make current players be stars

Again, please stop posting. If the best players aren't in the NBA then where are they?

Pretty sure these "weak" NBA players (read: Black) still dominate regularly in international play, but please keep on with your moronic rhetoric.

Anyway, Duncan was way, way more fleet of foot in his youth and would be an absolute terror even today on defense. Yes, the game is a lot more perimeter oriented but you still have big men of varying sizes and skills littered throughout the league.

People/Gottlieb are speaking like he had Jahlil Okafor - level athleticism/ lateral quickness. Guess what, he didn't. TD was an underrated athlete especially before the mensicus tear which led to the arthritic knee.

[spurraider21]

Doug who?

Gottlieb

[spurraider21]

Why do people here think Duncan couldn't shoot 3s?



now imagine if he actually worked on it

5/12 on an empty court?!?

hes a career 18% three point shooter on 168 attempts. 14% in the playoffs (made the big one against phoenix tho )

[Arcadian]

This piece of actually said "he wasn't that good of a shot blocker." Mother er, your opinion is now invalid.

Also, if you're going to make that argument, the same applies to every great center in history. Why single out Duncan?

And at not mentioning Kawhi in the beginning when they were discussing the best player in the league. What an all-around dumpster fire of a segment.

[RC_Drunkford]

5/12 on an empty court?!?

hes a career 18% three point shooter on 168 attempts. 14% in the playoffs (made the big one against phoenix tho )

well he wouldn't have to shoot contested ones and he hit all of them from the top of the key. I think he could've played like Pau from behind the 3-point line. 1-2 shots per game in his sweet spots would already be enough. Especially if he had to do it consistently, Duncan would've been in the gym 24/7

[spurraider21]

well he wouldn't have to shoot contested ones and he hit all of them from the top of the key. I think he could've played like Pau from behind the 3-point line. 1-2 shots per game in his sweet spots would already be enough. Especially if he had to do it consistently, Duncan would've been in the gym 24/7

still different in-game than in an empty court shoot-around session.

you could take anybody in history and say "oh they would have had a 3 point shot if they worked on it 24/7"

for all you know if duncan spent significant time working on a 3pt shot thats just less time to refine the other parts of his game that made him so great

[tonski17]

In this era that everybody would play small ball. Prime Duncan would definitely destroy defenders (converted small forwards to power forwards)

[sasaint]

If a player like Tim would not be very good in any era of the sport of basketball, it is because something is wrong with the game.

[tholdren]

Again, please stop posting. If the best players aren't in the NBA then where are they?

Pretty sure these "weak" NBA players (read: Black) still dominate regularly in international play, but please keep on with your moronic rhetoric.

Anyway, Duncan was way, way more fleet of foot in his youth and would be an absolute terror even today on defense. Yes, the game is a lot more perimeter oriented but you still have big men of varying sizes and skills littered throughout the league.

People/Gottlieb are speaking like he had Jahlil Okafor - level athleticism/ lateral quickness. Guess what, he didn't. TD was an underrated athlete especially before the mensicus tear which led to the arthritic knee.

0 brains... keep watching the nba... you dumb dude, and its bad

[Arcadian]

Duncan in his youth in particular could make the adjustment and guard people out on the perimeter as opposed to constantly shutting down penetration in the paint. Not being as much of a rim protector because the style is different. When he was young he was a great athlete and could guard the perimeter players. In terms of his offense. Put him on the low block and nobody is stopping it.. Absolutely nobody. They double-team, you surround him with great three-point shooters. No problem.

Exactly, man! The same way Curry creates "gravity" on the perimeter, Duncan created gravity from the low post, which sets up shooters for 3. Commanding a double team is valuable in any era. His game was ing timeless.

[cd98]

LMA doesn't shoot threes and he is an all-star and all-NBA player (last year) and the anchor of a playoff team in the west. So how can you say that if you don't shoot threes, you aren't fit for today's NBA game? You don't have to shoot threes if you can consistently punish defenders on the block and demand double teams. Duncan was that, plus he was an expert in passing out of double teams.

Defensively, he, like most bigs, may have struggled in switching on everything, but he was more mobile than Gobert, so how could he not be an equal on defense?

The problem with NBA bigs is that they are all taught to shoot only threes and they aren't competent on the block. Show me a big man that is as skilled as Duncan in today's game (along with his underrated athleticism and court vision) and show me where he is sitting on the bench.

[Nathan89]

Turning Tim Duncan into Horford would be moronic usage of his skills.

[UZER]

They never.....ever ever ever...talk about the Spurs unless it’s backhanded compliments or knocking them down the NBA ladder.

Duncan great but benefited from system

Parker great but benefited from system

Manu great but benefited from system

System system system



Kobe without Phil & triangle system - 0, with - 5, “he’s the greatest players of his gen”

Michael without Phil & triangle system - 0, with - 6, “he’s the undisputed goat”



Kawhi great but system player

Kawhi leaves system “hes Michael Jordan”



The mental gymnastics and contradictions these guys spit everyday is so agenda driven it’s laughable.

***and yes I’m aware the triangle offense belonged to Tex winter